With Micah Parsons now in Green Bay, the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new starting defensive end for the first time in four years. Over that time, the Cowboys were set up nicely with Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence as the starting defensive ends heading into the season. Now, with Parsons in Green Bay and DeMarcus Lawrence in Seattle, the Cowboys will be starting a new defensive end duo for the first time since 2021.
In the Cowboys most recent release of their depth chart, the team has Dante Fowler and Sam Williams listed as the starters for the defensive end position group. These depth charts are not the end-all, be-all, but they do give some insight to how the coaching staff views things early in the season. Fowler was expected to start opposite of Parsons before the trade, but once the trade was announced it was unsure who else would get the start in week one.
Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and 2025 second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku are all on level playing fields heading into the season, but given Kneeland’s ability to defend the run the best out of the three, there was some sentiment he would get the nod. As of now, it sounds like Williams will get the first crack at things, with a heavy rotation likely depending on down and distance opposite of Fowler.
Williams, now 26, is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and has a great opportunity ahead of him to earn himself a nice payday if he plays well this season. Williams was expected to have a big 2024 season, before tearing his ACL early in camp last year. Now healthy, Williams, Fowler, Kneeland, and Ezeiruaku will have some big shoes to fill with Parson no longer demanding most of the attention from opposing offenses and offensive coordinators.
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