The Dallas Cowboys are hoping to end their 26-year Super Bowl drought in 2023. Despite winning 12 games in both 2021 and 2022, the Cowboys are at an uncertain crossroads. Staff and roster changes over the last two NFL offseasons have raised expectations.

We’re deep diving into the Cowboys’ 2023 season preview, including projecting their depth chart, roster, and making season predictions.

Everything You Need Ahead of the Dallas Cowboys 2023 NFL Season

Entering his 34th season as the Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones is justifiably optimistic about his team’s chances of competing again in 2023. He said he’s “more excited than our fans” after a busy free agency period that brought in some quality veterans. Though Dallas took a step back on offense last year, we agree this roster has what it takes to reach the Super Bowl if everything goes right.

Cowboys Roster Changes

• Players Signed
  • RB Tony Pollard (franchise tag)
  • QB Cooper Rush
  • DT Johnathan Hankins
  • Edge Takk McKinley
  • OT Terence Steele
  • LB Leighton Vander Esch
  • Edge Dante Fowler Jr.
• Players Acquired Via Trade
  • WR Brandin Cooks
    • The Cowboys traded a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick for the 29-year-old playmaker. Cooks has produced at least 1,037 receiving yards in six of his nine seasons while in the NFL.
  • CB Stephon Gilmore
    • The Cowboys traded a 2023 fifth-round pick for Gilmore. The 32-year-old corner is coming off a solid bounce-back season but is on his fourth team in as many seasons.

• Players Drafted
  • DT Mazi Smith
  • TE Luke Schoonmaker
  • LB DeMarvion Overshown
  • Edge Viliami Fehoko
  • CB Eric Scott Jr.
  • RB Deuce Vaughn
  • WR Jalen Brooks
• Players Lost
  • RB Ezekiel Elliott
    • Jones said the “ship has not sailed” on the Cowboys bringing Elliott back at a reduced price.
  • TE Dalton Schultz (signed with Texans)
  • CB Anthony Brown
  • LB Anthony Barr
  • WR Noah Brown (signed with Texans)

Cowboys Coaching Staff in 2023

• Head Coach: Mike McCarthy
• Offensive Coordinator: Brian Schottenheimer (replaced Kellen Moore this offseason)
  • QB coach: Scott Tolzien
  • RB coach: Jeff Blasko
  • OL coach: Mike Solari
  • WR coach: Robert Prince
  • TE coach: Lunda Wells
  • Assistant TE coach: Chase Haslett
  • Assistant OL coach: Ramon Chinyoung
  • Offensive assistant: Will Harriger
  • Offensive assistant: Ryan Feder
  • Offensive assistant: Evan Harrington

• Defensive Coordinator: Dan Quinn
  • DL coach: Aden Durde
  • LB coach: Scott McCurley
  • DB coach: Al Harris
  • Secondary/defensive passing game coordinator: Joe Whitt Jr.
  • Assistant DL coach: Sharrif Floyd
  • Assistant LB coach: Darian Thompson
  • Assistant DB coach: Cannon Matthews
  • Quality control: Eric Simonelli
  • Defensive assistant: Pete Ohnegian
• Special Teams Coordinator: John Fassel
  • Assistant special teams coach: Rayna Stewart
• Strength and Conditioning: Harold Nash Jr.
  • Assistant: Cedric Smith
  • Assistant: Kendall Smith

Predicting the Cowboys Depth Chart

• QB: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Will Grier
• RB: Tony Pollard, Deuce Vaughn, Ronald Jones, Rico Dowdle
• WR: Brandin Cooks, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Simi Fehoko, Jalen Tolbert
• TE: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot
• LT: Tyron Smith, Matt Waletzko
• LG: Tyler Smith, Asim Richards, Chuma Edoga
• C: Tyler Biadasz, Brock Hoffman
• RG: Zack Martin, Matt Farniok
• RT: Terence Steele, Josh Ball

• DE: DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams, Viliami Fehoko
• DT: Mazi Smith, Johnathan Hankins, Osa Odighizuwa, Neville Gallimore, Chauncey Golston
• EDGE: Micah Parsons, Dorance Armstrong Jr., Dante Fowler Jr., Takk McKinley
• LB: Leighton Vander Esch, Jabril Cox, DeMarvion Overshown, Damone Clark
• CB: Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, Jourdan Lewis, Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, DaRon Bland
• S: Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, Jayron Kearse, Israel Mukuamu
• K: Tristan Vizcaino
• P: Bryan Anger

2022 Results and Standings

The Cowboys’ 2022 season was a strange one. The offense tangibly felt the loss of Amari Cooper despite ranking fourth in points scored. Quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Michael Gallup never performed up to expectations and the unit became dependent on the defense’s ability to force turnovers to give them great starting field position.

The offense also became the Tony Pollard show. The moment Ezekiel Elliott missed some time, Pollard shot into stardom and carried the unit.

Despite middling performances from Prescott and tight end Dalton Schultz, the Cowboys finished 2022 with a 12-5 record and the chance to make some noise in the postseason. They finished second in the NFC East behind the 14-3 Philadelphia Eagles.

Although the public expected Tom Brady to pull an upset in the NFC Wild Card round, the Cowboys delivered a dominant performance in a 31-14 win. However, the offense melted down in the NFC Divisional Round, producing an embarrassing 206 passing yards and turning the ball over twice. Concerns over Prescott’s uneven play and turnovers proved valid.

It was an unfortunate end to a season where the defense was good enough to win a Super Bowl. Their second year in a row leading the NFL in takeaways, the Cowboys sustained an unusually high level of disruption.

2023 Power Ranking and Season Outlook

The Cowboys are seventh in PFN Analyst Dalton Miller’s post-draft 2023 NFL Draft Power Rankings list. There’s no question the team deserves praise for bringing in veteran contributors in Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore for next to nothing. This roster is loaded on both sides of the ball in terms of pure talent.

However, the decision to let offensive coordinator Kellen Moore depart and replace him with Brian Schottenheimer will lead to an identity change in a solid unit. Losing Elliott is also painful since the team opted against adding a more capable ball carrier than Deuce Vaughn in the draft. They’d be wise to re-sign Elliott for depth purposes.

Dallas needs three things to go well or improve for their 2023 season to see growth from 2022.

Everything begins with Schottenheimer getting more out of Prescott, who is usually as consistently good as any non-elite QB, but he has to do so without a star tight end. Losing Schultz and then replacing him with a rookie who was overdrafted is a difficult proposition. The team also needs more from Gallup, who was invisible last year after coming back from a torn ACL.

Dan Quinn’s defense is the final piece of the puzzle. Forcing turnovers is one of the least predictable things in the NFL, yet he’s accomplished a rare feat by harvesting a feared unit that’s excelled in creating big plays. If he does it again, the Cowboys can have Super Bowl aspirations.

The looming problem for Dallas is overcoming the Eagles. Philadelphia has a deeper, more impressive roster. Dallas isn’t far behind but they have no chance of winning the NFC East unless Prescott can get back to his 2021 level.