The Cowboys had another strong season in 2022, finishing 12-5. This marked the first time that they had won double digit games in back-to-back seasons since the glory days of the mid 1990s. They managed this despite being without star quarterback Dak Prescott for five games. The season did however end in disappointing fashion, with the team eliminated from the playoffs after a brutal divisional round loss to the 49ers.
Roster changes
The Cowboys did a pretty good job of keeping their team intact over the offseason, with only a few notable departures. They all came on the offensive side of the ball, with the headline story being their decision to release Ezekiel Elliott after seven seasons with the team. Wide receiver Noah Brown and tight end Dalton Schultz both left to join the Texans, whilst starting left guard Conor McGovern headed to the Bills.
There wasn’t much of note in terms of arrivals either, with the exception of two veteran acquisitions. Dallas traded for both Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore, costing a pair of day three picks and a fifth rounder respectively. Both look set to start in 2023 and the Cowboys will be hoping that they can be impact players from the outset.
Coaching situation
The Cowboys made the somewhat surprising decision to part ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore this offseason. In the two years that Moore had with a fully healthy Dak Prescott, the Cowboys’ offense ranked second and sixth in DVOA. Mike McCarthy decided to replace him with former Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who spent the 2022 season in Dallas as a coaching analyst.
McCarthy announced he will take over play calling and that he intends to adopt a much more run-heavy approach than the team saw under Moore. By contrast, things have remained very stable on defense. Dan Quinn is back for his third season as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, having seen the team finish second in DVOA in each of the last two seasons.
2023 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 1.26 | Mazi Smith – IDL, Michigan |
| 2.58 | Luke Schoonmaker – TE, Michigan |
| 3.90 | DeMarvion Overshown – LB, Texas |
| 4.129 | Viliami Fehoko – EDGE, San Jose State |
| 5.169 | Asim Richards – OT, North Carolina |
| 6.178 | Eric Scott Jr – CB, Southern Mississippi |
| 6.212 | Deuce Vaughn – RB, Kansas State |
| 7.244 | Jalen Brooks – WR, South Carolina |
The Cowboys’ draft certainly wasn’t flashy, but it was very solid. Mazi Smith gives them a space-eater in the trenches and should help free up Dallas’ defensive stars to wreck opposing offenses. The selection of Luke Schoonmaker was another underrated move, bringing in a tight end who can add value as both a pass catcher and an inline blocker to replace Dalton Schultz. Keep an eye on DeMarvion Overshown too. His tape at Texas was a little inconsistent, but his tenacious playstyle and effectiveness as a blitzer makes him an ideal fit for what Dan Quinn wants to do on defense.
Offense
The Cowboys offense is easily one of the most exciting when looking ahead to 2023. Dak Prescott continues to be one of the game’s most underappreciated quarterbacks. Despite a perceived down year that saw him lead the NFL in interceptions, he still finished 8th and 11th in dropback EPA and DVOA respectively. It is worth remembering that the Cowboys’ offense has ranked outside the top ten in 10 in DVOA just once during Dak’s five healthy seasons.
His supporting cast is also stellar. CeeDee Lamb has quickly established himself as one of the league’s best young pass catchers, ranking 10th in yards per route run in 2022. With Brandin Cooks – who has averaged 957 yards per season since entering the league – as their WR2 and Michael Gallup as a tertiary option, they really do possess an embarrassment of riches. Even their pair of young tight ends in Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker have promise.
When you add in an excellent offensive line and a tremendously talented runner in Tony Pollard, it is very difficult to see a weakness on the field for Dallas. The one potential cause for concern though is in the play calling department. This is a team that decided to move on from one of the best young play callers in football and replace him with Mike McCarthy. Will this switch towards a more traditional, run-heavy offense hinder the potency of this unit? Only time will tell.
Defense
It was fascinating to witness the evolution of the Cowboys’ defense in 2022. Dan Quinn proved that leopards can in fact change their spots, moving away his single-high roots, and to great effect. The Cowboys jumped from 17th in rate of Cover 2 snaps in 2021 to second in 2022, behind only the Texans. The results followed and they finished second in defensive DVOA.
This certainly wouldn’t have been possible without an incredible defensive line. The Cowboys’ ability to consistently generate pressure with just four rushers was key and they ranked second in the NFL in pressures on non-blitzes. The rich get even richer here too with the addition of Mazi Smith. His size and physicality will allow Dan Quinn to continue to lean into two-high coverages with lighter boxes, without sacrificing effectiveness against the run. It also helps divert some attention away from Micah Parsons, which is certainly not a bad thing.
The strengths continue into the secondary. The addition of Stephon Gilmore is key and gives Dallas another corner who is comfortable playing a physical brand of man coverage. That is in addition to a trio of safeties – Donovan Wilson, Jayron Kearse, and Malik Hooker – who all played at least 70% of snaps in 2020 and give Dan Quinn the versatile skillsets to get creative with coverage rotations and simulated pressures.
Prediction
Along with their divisional rivals in Philadelphia, Dallas feels like a team that is a cut above the rest of the NFC. Their defense has been elite under Dan Quinn and their offense has plenty of weapons to go toe to toe with the NFL’s best. At the very worst this is a good playoff team. Their ceiling will be determined by how well Mike McCarthy can handle his new play calling role.
