Predicting Dallas Cowboys 2020 depth chart: Defensive Line
By Randy Gurzi
Dallas Cowboys starting defensive tackles
Gerald McCoy
For whatever reason, former defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli was always against spending major resources on the defensive tackle position. For that reason, the Cowboys were never players in free agency — and rarely made moves early in the draft for a D-tackle (seriously, who lets the coordinators have so much draft control).
As soon as he was out, Mike Nolan came in and the Cowboys added not one, but two big-name free agents. The first was Gerald McCoy who signed a three-year contract. The No. 3 overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2010, McCoy might be 32 years old but he still has plenty left in the tank.
He gives Dallas a solid interior pass rusher which will help DeMarcus Lawrence as a possible secondary pass rusher with Robert Quinn gone.
Dontari Poe
The 11th overall pick in 2012, Dontari Poe was on the Cowboys radar coming out of Memphis that season. He ended up in Kansas City and became one of the most popular big-men in the game.
After stints with the Chiefs, Falcons, and Panthers, Dallas finally landed Poe with a two-year deal giving them two solid defensive tackles.
Poe is massive at 6-foot-3 and nearly 350-pounds but he’s more than just a huge run-stuffer. He can also help generate pressure up the middle and is the best nose tackle they have had since Jay Ratliff.