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When Green Bay abruptly escorted the Cowboys into the 2024 offseason, it was clear changes had to be made. Personnel deficiencies in the middle of the Dallas defense were in the forefront. The Cowboys interior was a target for teams late in the season and played a part in their eventual undoing in the playoffs. Getting stouter in the interior defensive line (IDL) was a necessity if Dallas wanted their second level defenders to survive a full season. The Cowboys linebackers and safeties were taking far too much abuse from opposing offensive lines and Dallas’ IDLs served as little more than speed bumps along the way.
Free agency has offered little assistance to the cause. The Cowboys waved farewell to two of their girthiest DTs when Neville Gallimore and Johnathan Hankins departed for other teams. To make matter worse, Mazi Smith, their top draft pick from 2023, recently underwent surgery, the recovery time of which is expected to bleed into minicamps and other offseason activities. Currently situated between free agency and the draft, the Cowboys find themselves in a state of near desperation at IDL. With options evaporating by the day, Dallas is feeling the pressure to find some sort of solution to their interior woes and will likely need help from the draft as well as free agency to get the job done.