FRISCO, Texas -- With the 2025 regular season now behind the Cowboys, it's time to look ahead to 2026, where they'll try to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
As they begin to do so, our "What's Next" series will examine each position on the roster and look at the past, present and future of the room and the players within it. We'll continue the series with the defensive ends:
Past: Defensive end has been a position of storied history with the Cowboys. Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Randy White, DeMarcus Ware, the list goes on and on of impact players that have come off the edge with a star on their helmet.
In recent history, things haven't changed. DeMarcus Lawrence was a strong presence for the Cowboys for 11 seasons, tallying 67.5 sacks and forcing 24 fumbles in his 11 seasons with the Cowboys. In 2021, the Cowboys drafted Micah Parsons at 12th overall and the hit jackpot. Parsons was the defensive rookie of the year, made four Pro Bowls and was an AP first team All-Pro twice in four years with the Cowboys.
That recent history departed before the 2025 season got started. Lawrence signed with the Seahawks in free agency, where he earned his fifth career Pro Bowl nod. Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers for DT Kenny Clark and two first-round picks just over a week before Week 1, leaving questions about how the group would perform.
Present: With Lawrence and Parsons gone, the Cowboys addressed the defensive end position via both free agency and in the draft. The team signed Dante Fowler and Payton Turner externally.
In the second round, they drafted Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College. They added DE James Houston at the start of training camp, and signed veteran Jadeveon Clowney in September.
As a unit, the Cowboys finished with 35 total sacks, tied for 22nd in the league. That said, they were tied for 14th in pressure rate (34.7%). Despite playing in just 13 games, Clowney ended up leading the team in sacks with 8.5, and Houston followed him up with 5.5.
Future: Going into 2026, the only two defensive ends the Cowboys have under contract are Ezeiruaku and Houston. Clowney, Fowler, Turner and Sam Williams are all unrestricted free agents.
That means there'll be decisions that need to be made at the position. The organization has said they'd like to bring Clowney back, and Clowney himself has said he wouldn't mind coming back and wants to get a training camp under his belt too.
Outside of that, everything is in the air. There will be some free agents available, and defensive end is in play in the draft as well with Dallas currently owning two first-round picks.
