Which group do you expect to be better for the Cowboys this season… offensive or defensive line?
Even though things seem to be moving along at a snail space at this time of the offseason around the league, that doesn’t mean work isn’t being done in preparation for the upcoming 2025 NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys are in full prep mode under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer and have quite a bit of work to do between now and the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Schottenheimer and his coaching staff has their work cut out for them. The Cowboys can stand to improve in just about every single area, but there are some things they should probably prioritize over others. Here is the No. 1 priority on both offense and defense for the Cowboys right now.
Offense – Solidifying the offensive line
Look no further than the hiring of Klayton Adams and Conor Riley to figure out what the Dallas Cowboys No. 1 priority on the offensive side of the ball is, the offensive line. Both Adams and Riley are known for their ability to work with and get the best out of their offensive lineman, and it will be up to them to help solidify and upgrade Dallas’ OL in 2025. These two create optimism things will improve, but they have their work cut out for them.
Odds are we will be looking at Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, and Terence Steele as Dallas’ starting five this season. While this is a group that has the talent to be really good, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Guyton and Steele need to improve dramatically in pass protection after both of them had wildly inconsistent seasons last year, and Booker needs to live up to his draft status. Smith and Beebe will be just fine.
Defense – Stopping the run
Same song, different verse. It doesn’t matter who the defensive coordinator has been over the years, stopping the run has been a problem for each and every one of them. Hopefully Matt Eberflus can figure things out. He inherits the 29th ranked run defense from last season in 2024 that allowed 137.1 yards per game. He will be tasked to do what others before him couldn’t, but his job won’t be easy.
The Cowboys worked some on their interior defensive line this offseason by re-signing Osa Odighizuwa and bringing in Solomon Thomas, but as 3-techniques neither are known for their run defense. Instead, Dallas is betting on Mazi Smith finally living up to his first-round draft status and crossing their fingers a couple of seventh-round draft picks – Jay Toia, Tommy Akingbesote – can help upgrade things.
