At this point in the NFL offseason, rosters are mostly set. There are still some free agents out there who will be signed, and some trades will be made, but most of them won’t drastically change how most teams look entering the 2026 season.

With free agency and the draft over, we at EssentiallySports are starting a new series where we look at every team’s roster, project their starting lineup, and then look at their schedule and give a record prediction. And who better to start with than America’s Team: the Dallas Cowboys?

Starting Lineup Projection

Offense

The Cowboys don’t have a whole lot of projected position battles on the offensive side of the ball, but let’s break it down position by position anyway.

Starting at quarterback, there’s no debate here. Dak Prescott is going to be the starting quarterback once again in 2026, no matter what. They’re paying him a massive contract, and he’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career. This offense was one of the best in the league last season, and it should be again in 2026 with Dak under center.

Running back is also locked down, with Javonte Williams signing a 3-year, $24 million deal with the Cowboys after a very strong first season with the team. Williams rushed for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns with 35 receptions last season, so the real question is who will back him up?

The top-two wide receiver spots are also locked down, with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens both returning this season. Pickens still needs a long-term deal, but he has officially signed the franchise tag and will play for Dallas in 2026. But who will be WR3? There are a lot of intriguing options, such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Ryan Flournoy, Jonathan Mingo, and KaVonte Turpin, but right now, my money is on Flournoy, given he’s been in the system and flashed a bit last season.

Tight end is another lock with Jake Ferguson. He was one of the most reliable tight ends in the league last season, catching 82 passes for 600 yards and eight touchdowns. He only averaged 7.3 yards per catch, but whenever Dak needed him, he was there.

The offensive line also seems to be pretty easy to project, even though Dallas had some very inconsistent tackle play last season. Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele will get another season to try to prove they should be the long-term starters at tackle. Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker are set to hold it down at guard. And Cooper Beebe is back for another season at center. If their tackle play improves this year, they could be a pretty good unit.

Defense

Dallas’s defensive starting lineup is a little bit harder to predict than their offense, but for the most part, I think we have a pretty good grasp on how it’ll look come Week 1.

At edge rusher, there could be a little bit of a battle, but Malachi Lawrence, the 23rd overall pick in the draft, and Rashan Gary, who they traded for this offseason, should be the starters. I’m really interested to see how Jaishawn Baraham fits into the mix, though. He’s a middle linebacker turned edge rusher and is an elite run defender. He should certainly get a lot of playing time as a rookie.

Defensive tackle might be the most sure thing on this roster outside of quarterback and receiver. Dallas invested a ton of capital into All-Pro DT Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, and he helped transform their run defense last season. They also got Kenny Clark as a part of the Micah Parsons trade, so they have two Pro Bowl DTs that won’t see much competition from others at their position.

Linebacker is a bit tougher. DeMarvion Overshown had a great rookie season but missed a lot of last year due to injury. But his ceiling is very high. He should be one of the starters, but the big question is, who will start next to him? Shemar James seems to be the favorite (and is my pick), but I’d be surprised if they don’t try to bring in another off-ball linebacker to compete.

At cornerback, DaRon Bland will likely be one of the boundary corners. He hasn’t played great the past two years, but he can be a ballhawk when he’s playing his best, and with an improved pass rush in front of him, he should be able to step it up. Dallas also brought in Cobie Durant and Devin Moore to compete with Shavon Revel Jr., Dallas’s third-round pick last year, on the other side.

As for the nickel corner, I think it’ll be Caleb Downs. He’s a safety, but he can play deep and in the slot, and right now, the Cowboys really need an elite slot guy more than a deep safety. His versatility is a big reason why Dallas selected him 11th in the draft.

Finally, at safety, it’s going to be Jalen Thompson and Malik Hooker. Thompson comes over from Arizona, where he was the perfect complement to Budda Baker on the backend. Pair him with Hooker, who played pretty well last season, and all of a sudden, I really like Dallas’s safety room.

Cowboys’ 2026 Schedule

The NFL has yet to release the 2026 schedule, but we still know who every team will play; we just don’t know when.

Dallas’s schedule is not easy. Their home schedule kicks off with their three NFC East opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Washington Commanders, but they also have to face the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Baltimore Ravens at home.

Of those nine teams, only three of them (Eagles, 49ers, and Jaguars) made the playoffs last year, but the other six teams are all ascending. The Commanders and Giants are coming off disappointing seasons, but they had great offseasons and should be much improved. The Cardinals and Titans were two of the worst teams in the league, but they have new head coaches and have made some splashes this offseason (especially Tennessee). And Tampa and Baltimore were both very close to winning their division and making the playoffs.

Dallas’s away schedule is even tougher, though. Again, they face their three NFC East opponents but also have to travel to face the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, and Green Bay Packers.

We’ve already highlighted the NFC East, but the other five road teams they face this year are all extremely tough trips. The Rams are the Super Bowl favorites, and the Texans aren’t far behind them in the betting odds. Speaking of Super Bowl favorites, how about taking a trip to the Super Bowl champions (potentially in Week 1)? And then you also have to go to Indianapolis to face a Colts team that was red hot before Daniel Jones got hurt, and then you also have to go to Green Bay, possibly in the freezing cold, to face Jordan Love and Co. The schedule makers were not nice to Dallas this year.

Here’s my record prediction for the Cowboys in 2026:

Home

vs Washington: W

vs New York: W

vs Philadelphia: L

vs Arizona: W

vs San Francisco: L

vs Jacksonville: W

vs Tennessee: W

vs Tampa Bay: W

vs Baltimore: L

Away

at Washington: W

at New York: L

at Philadelphia: W

at Los Angeles: L

at Houston: L

at Seattle: L

at Indianapolis: W

at Green Bay: L

Final Record Prediction: 9-8