3 Most overhyped Dallas Cowboys in 2020

2. Dontari Poe, Defensive Tackle

For years, the Cowboys have neglected the nose tackle position which could be why Dontari Poe is on this list as overhyped. Fans were elated to see Dallas finally kicking the tires on a big-name nose tackle and there was also an expectation that they were going to low-ball him (as they often do to free agents) and cause him to walk away.

That didn’t happen as in the end, they landed Poe who joins his teammate from Carolina in 2019, Gerald McCoy as the Cowboys new defensive tackle duo. While it’s true, the D-line in Dallas is improved, there’s also some reason to be concerned.

Last season, the Panthers boasted both Poe and McCoy, but they were last in the league in run defense according to Pro Football Reference. Carolina surrendered 2,296 yards on the season and gave up 5.2 per attempt.

Not all of that is on Poe, who was the 33rd-ranked defensive tackle according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). But in Big D, the expectation is that he’s going to single-handedly fix their issues in run defense.

Poe is an improvement and the defensive line could end up being very strong for Dallas in 2019. But there’s also no guarantee that this will be the case and the struggles of Carolina are something to keep in mind.