The Dallas Cowboys will head west for training camp next month with 16 players on the defensive line. Two of the four starting positions appear to be set.
The battle for the other two, left defensive end and nose tackle, will be two of the more closely watched camp battles in Oxnard this summer.
Barring injury, Micah Parsons will start on the right end while Osa Odighizuwa will play defensive tackle.
On the opposite side of Parsons, veterans Dante Fowler and Sam Williams are the early favorites to secure the starting role.
Marshawn Kneeland and rookie, Donovan Ezeiruaku, taken in the second round in April, will also vie for playing time. The nose tackle fight will be more intense.
Drafted in the first round of the 2023 Draft, Mazi Smith has not lived up to his pre-draft billing.
His first-year struggles could be laid off on an enforced 30-pound weight drop by then-defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Smith’s numbers improved last year under Mike Zimmer. This year he’ll have his third coach and system to learn while fending off a rookie hungry for his job.
UCLA’s Jay Toia was taken in the seventh round and is already impressing.
He has a legitimate shot at unseating Smith as the starter this fall.
The Battle Of The Back-Ups
The Cowboys could keep up to 12 of the 16 players on the active roster and practice squad. So which four are in peril?
For now, the four players in jeopardy appear to be ends Luiji Vilain and Tyrus Wheat, along with tackles Earnest Brown and Denzel Daxon.
That being said, end Payton Turner and tackles Perrion Winfrey, Solomon Thomas, and Tommy Akingbesote cannot afford to slack off any.
It should be interesting to see how this unit shakes out under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
Against The NFC East
But how does this unit stack up against the rest of the division?
While Dallas plays a 4-3 set, the Eagles have a 3-4 defense. They have a solid starting three, but lack depth.
Philadelphia will be relying heavily on its four linebackers to pressure opposing quarterbacks.
For now, Dallas’ front line is the better of the two.
Washington plays Dan Quinn’s beloved 4-2-5 scheme. The Commanders have been rebuilding their front line.
It remains to be seen how that line comes together.
For now, it remains third-best in the division.
The Giants, like the Eagles, play a 3-4 defense. And, like Philadelphia, New York lacks depth on that line.
They, too, will rely heavily on their four linebackers, including rookie Abdul Carter, to pressure the quarterback and stop the run.
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