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With training camp just a week away, one prominent NFL insider already believes the Dallas Cowboys have assembled a roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl.
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up on July 20, NFL insider Adam Schefter said that he believes the current Cowboys roster is dangerous and is built for a Super Bowl run.
“Well, you bring up Christian Parker as a defensive coordinator, and they get back a healthy DeMarvion Overshown at linebacker,” Adam Schefter said on ESPN’s Get Up. “And don’t sleep on the safety that they signed – Jalen Thompson, who they really like as well. So there are a lot of defensive reinforcements. The defense was playing better at the end of last year, which isn’t saying all that much, but they were better. And I think this team could be dangerous.”
Adam Schefter said during the July 20 episode of ESPN’s Get Up that the defensive overhaul made during the offseason has elevated them into the Super Bowl conversation.
Outside of a defense that leaked over 30 points per game on average last year, head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s offense was among the best in the league.
The Cowboys hired Christian Parker as the new defensive coordinator after a disappointing 7-9-1 record in 2025.
The team added pass rusher Rashan Gary, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (2025 midseason trade), cornerback Cobie Durant and safety Jalen Thompson, bringing veteran pieces to the defense.
Under Parker’s influence, the Cowboys utilized five of seven draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, drafting former Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and UCF Knights edge rusher Malachi Lawrence in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
While the Cowboys ranked at No. 2 in overall offense in the league last year, they ranked at the bottom in scoring defense (No. 32) as they allowed 511 points overall (30.1 points per game).
Schefter believes that with the revamped defense and a potent offense under the second-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys have all the pieces to make a deep postseason run.
The Cowboys’ defense looks better on paper, but can it deliver?
Jacob Camenker of USA Today believes the Cowboys’ defensive unit looks much better on paper than their 2025 defense, based on the overhaul made.
“But how will Dallas’ defense look?” Jacob Camenker of USA Today wrote in his article. “On paper, it’s much better than what they put on the field in 2025. If new defensive coordinator Christian Parker can get the unit to play cohesively, it’s easy to imagine it improving from a bottom-of-the-barrel unit to one closer to league average – if not better.”
Camenker raised concerns about the depth in the cornerback room, and acknowledged Downs as a potential star and quality depth at tackle with Williams.
Camenker believes the Cowboys have the talent to field an improved defense in 2026, but success will depend on how quickly Parker can turn the offseason additions into a “cohesive unit”.
