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By Jon Machota 2h ago
For the Cowboys to have the type of year they are expecting, several key players need to step up and take their game to another level. Some of that improvement could come from just an often-injured player finding a way to stay healthy. For others it might be making the most of a bigger opportunity. And for a few of the team’s highest-paid players, it’s performing up to expectations.
To give you an early look at who those key players need to be for the 2021 Cowboys, here’s a Top 10 list.
1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB
It’s difficult to imagine the Cowboys not having a good season if Elliott has a big year. Dak Prescott won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 but the award could have easily gone to Elliott. His physical running style and ability to consistently turn in game-breaking plays were a key reason for that 13-3 season. Elliott has recently struggled to find the frequent explosive runs he did during his first three seasons. Having starting offensive tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins healthy should make a noticeable difference. Elliott doesn’t need to lead the league in rushing as he did in 2016 and 2018, but he has to make defenses pay when they go light in the box to defend all of their weapons on the outside. And he certainly has to be better at taking care of the ball than he was last season. Elliott’s six fumbles were most among NFL running backs.
2. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
He is Dallas’ most important defender, and the expectations should be high as he enters his eighth season. Lawrence hasn’t made a Pro Bowl since 2018, his last year with double-digit sacks. That needs to change this year. Lawrence does so much more than just rush the passer. He’s a very good all-around player. But causing problems for quarterbacks is the area where the Cowboys need him to make the biggest impact in 2021. If Lawrence is back to getting 10-plus sacks along with 20-plus quarterback hits, that should only increase the opportunities for Trevon Diggs, Kelvin Joseph, Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, Damontae Kazee and Donovan Wilson to make plays on the back end. If the Cowboys get 2017 and 2018 Lawrence, this defense will get back to being, at the very least, middle of the pack. And with a loaded offense, that should be more than enough to be in position to make some noise in the playoffs.
3. Tyron Smith, LT
Should you expect Smith to play all 17 games during his 11th NFL season? Probably not. He hasn’t played a full schedule since 2015. Nagging injuries caused him to miss three games in each season between 2016 and 2019. He then missed 14 last year because of a neck issue that required surgery. He looks to be fully recovered, taking part in all aspects of the team’s offseason program. If the seven-time Pro Bowler can just be a solid starter who is available for 14 or 15 games, the Cowboys should be in pretty good shape. That was enough during their last two division championships in 2016 and 2018. The two most important games they need him for are in Weeks 14 and 16 against Washington. That pass rush will cause problems for any offensive line, but it was particularly effective against Dallas last year as the Cowboys’ standout offensive line trio of Smith, Collins and Zack Martin were only on the field for a total of 10 offensive snaps in those two games.
4. Jaylon Smith, LB
Yes, Smith has led Dallas in tackles the last two seasons. The Cowboys showed exactly how important that stat is this offseason by making Keanu Neal their most significant free agency signing and then drafting Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick. The linebacker position has been underwhelming the last two seasons and Neal and Parsons were added to help fix that issue. Smith has made tackles, but too many have come at the end of big plays, and he hasn’t made the number of game-changing plays you’d expect from one of the league’s highest-paid linebackers. Smith has changed jerseys numbers from No. 54 to No. 9, the number he wore in high school and college. The Cowboys would love to see 2021 Smith look something similar to the playmaking No. 9 they saw at Notre Dame.
5. Leighton Vander Esch, LB
Much like Tyron Smith, Vander Esch has to find a way to stay on the field. After an outstanding rookie season in 2018, Vander Esch has been limited to only 19 games since because of neck and collarbone injuries. Last month, the Cowboys declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. They hope to work out a long-term deal with the former first-round pick, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy. With Neal and Parsons now in the mix, the linebacker snaps will be difficult to divide up if Jaylon Smith plays well and Vander Esch avoids significant injuries. But that’s a problem that new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn would welcome. It would go a long way to fixing Dallas’ defense if Vander Esch was healthy and playing sideline-to-sideline the way he did in 2018.
Leighton Vander Esch (Matthew Emmons / USA Today)
6. Tyler Biadasz, C
Just because Biadasz and Travis Frederick both went to Wisconsin, no one expected last year’s fourth-round pick to step in and play as well as Frederick did during his 2013 rookie season. Biadasz played in 12 games last year, starting four. Joe Looney started the other 12. With Looney no longer on the roster, Biadasz will be the full-time starter in 2021. He started 41 games at center while at Wisconsin, winning the Rimington Trophy in 2019 as college football’s top center. During his three years as the Badgers’ starting center, Biadasz helped block for two-time Doak Walker Award winner Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 6,174 yards and 50 touchdowns during those three seasons. Biadasz needs to be a solid starter for not only Prescott to feel comfortable, but for the running game to get back to being among the league’s best. The Cowboys showed how much trust they have in Biadasz by not re-signing Looney or another veteran center this offseason.
7. Randy Gregory, DE
The Cowboys made notable additions to the edge rusher position the previous two seasons. They signed Aldon Smith and Everson Griffen last year. They traded for Robert Quinn and signed Michael Bennett in 2019. This offseason was much quieter. Tarell Basham and Brent Urban were the most notable free agency signings at the position. Third-round pick Chauncey Golston was the most significant draft investment. Add this all up and the Cowboys need a big year from Gregory. When he has played, he has shown why teams considered him in the first round back in 2015. Suspensions for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy have basically caused him to miss three seasons. Gregory, 28, had 3.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits in 10 games as a reserve last season. Everything is lined up for him to have a big year rushing off the right edge. He’s capable of double-digit sacks.
8. Trevon Diggs, CB
This could be Joseph, Lewis, Brown or any of the cornerbacks expected to play a big role this season. Diggs is the pick just because he has the highest upside and is expected to be on the field the most. He turned heads as a rookie, showing signs that the Cowboys got a steal by landing him in the second round. But he needs to take another step in Year 2, limiting big plays while also still being an outstanding playmaker when given the opportunity. He is a Pro Bowl-caliber player.
9. Donovan Wilson, S
He showed a nose for the ball as he was elevated into a starting role last season, intercepting two passes and recording 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. The Cowboys need him to elevate his game even more in Year 3 as he’s expected to see plenty of opportunities alongside veterans like Kazee and Jayron Kearse. It’s been well documented that the Cowboys don’t spend significantly at the position. Wilson has a great opportunity to become a solid starter for years to come.
10. Trysten Hill, DT
Neville Gallimore could also be in consideration here. The Cowboys need more production from their defensive tackles. Hill gets the nod on this list because he’s the biggest investment (a 2019 second-round pick) Dallas has made at the position. Hill is working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 5 last October. He worked off to the side with athletic trainers during the portion of organized team activities open to reporters last week. There were no major upgrades made to the position in free agency or the draft, but the defensive tackles need to be more impactful, especially against the run. Someone needs to step up, and Hill seems like the best bet, if he’s healthy.
