The Cowboys really need some help at defensive tackle.
The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of holes to fill this offseason, but the one glaring issue is the defensive line. With Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston, Linval Jospeh, and Carlos Watkins expected to hit free agency, that leaves just three defensive tackles on the roster as they head into free agency. Mazi Smith, Denzel Daxon, and Justin Rodgers are the three players under contract for the 2025 season. Smith is the only player that has played snaps at the NFL level and as most Cowboys fans know it has not been pretty so far for the former 2023 first-round pick.
In year two, Smith finished as the 207th out of 219 eligible defensive tackles according to Pro Football Focus. Smith has spent most of his time at the 1-technique for Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer’s defense and will likely do the same for new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
The most important position in the Eberflus’ system is the 3-technique, which is where Odighizuwa spent his time over his four years with the Cowboys. With Odighizuwa rumored to be valued around the league at around $20M average annual salary, the Cowboys will have a tough decision to make regarding their home-grown 3-technique.
Odighizuwa is listed as the 12th best free agent heading into free agency according to Fox Sports, with Philadelphia Eagles DL Milton Williams coming in at 11th in their rankings. With Odighizuwa and Williams headlining the defensive tackle group this upcoming free agency, the Cowboys could be forced to franchise tag Odighizuwa, which would guarantee him approximately $23.5M in 2025 or pay him around $20M per year on a long-term deal.
The Cowboys would be wise to attempt to reach a long-term deal with Odighizuwa before the start of free agency and maybe save a few bucks on his deal, because if he does reach the open-market the Cowboys would be in a tough position to match offers he could receive from 31 other teams with the way they do business. Without Odighizuwa, the Cowboys defensive tackle outlook looks mighty bleak, but with the defensive tackle market in the shape it is in, paying him upwards of $20M a year may not be the best use of resources either. That predicament is what leaves the Cowboys in a very scary place as they enter 2025.
Defensive tackle is a big need for the Cowboys even if Odighizuwa is re-signed, but without him it becomes a major blinking light. The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded with talented defensive tackles, highlighted by Michigan’s Mason Graham. After Graham, Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen, Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders, Toledo’s Darius Alexander, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott, and Texas’ Alfred Collins are viewed as plug-and-play 3-techniques in this draft class.
The Cowboys have a big decision to make regarding Odighizuwa, but with or without you can expect the team to be very aggressive hunting interior defensive linemen in this upcoming draft.
