The most underrated player at each position for the Cowboys defense

Who would you say are the underrated players on the Cowboys defense?

Training camp is closely approaching and it won’t be much longer before everyone will get a glimpse of what this Dallas Cowboys team could look like for the upcoming season. Soon, we will all have our favs and hype will start growing for certain players, but what about the guys who don’t get as much love? Yesterday, we ran through the underrated players at each offensive position, and today we’re doing the same for the defense.

EDGE: SAM WILLIAMS

Normally, this is where we talk about how much DeMarcus Lawrence is underappreciated, but by now everyone is mostly on the same page with how valuable he is. The attention then shifts to another second-round edge rusher, Sam Williams. Strangely enough, these two had similar numbers over their first 32 games in the league.

• DeMarcus Lawrence = 9.0 sacks and two forced fumbles
• Sam Williams = 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles

The following season Tank broke out with an All-Pro season with 14.5 sacks. He was 25 years old. Williams is now 25 and looking to take on a larger role now that both Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler left in free agency. It’s not inconceivable to believe Slamming Sammy could be a household name this time next year.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE: CARL DAVIS

Outside of Osa Odighizuwa, the defensive tackle position is riddled with question marks. Hopefully, Mazi Smith has a nice year-two jump, proving why the team was so high on him in last year’s draft. There are a couple of new rookies in seventh-round pick Justin Rodgers and undrafted free agent Denzel Daxon. But the player that is often overlooked is 10-year veteran Carl Davis.

Davis is well-traveled as he’s played with six different teams, including a three-year stint with the New England Patriots before signing with Dallas. The 335-pounder won’t ever be the player people thought he would be when he was selected in the third round back in 2015, but he could give the team a veteran presence that the position is sorely lacking.

LINEBACKER: DAMONE CLARK

The linebacker group will feature a cast of new characters with one lone exception, Damone Clark. The team has added veteran Eric Kendricks via free agency, selected Marist Liufau in the third round, and will get last year’s third-rounder DeMarvion Overshown back after he injured his knee last year. Everyone is excited about all the new guys while Clark is pushed to the wayside.

Clark was fine last year but didn’t take that next step many hoped. However, it’s easy to overlook the obstacles he’s faced so far. His rookie season was delayed while he recovered from spinal fusion surgery. Then, he was forced into a larger role when Leighton Vander Esch was lost for the year. It was just Clark and safety-turned-linebacker Markquese Bell holding down the fort. That was a tough ask but put Clark in a supporting role with better talent around him and he could find his niche.

CORNERBACK: JOURDAN LEWIS

The Cowboys have two young All-Pro corners on the roster that fans are enamored with, and the team just drafted a new rookie, Caelen Carlson, who has the traits of a future starting outside cornerback. There’s a lot to be excited about in this position group.

But the guy who quietly steps in and does his job year in and year out is eight-year veteran Jourdan Lewis. For most of his career, Lewis has always taken a backseat to the more talented corners on the roster, but he plays with such intensity that coaches always find a place for him on the field. And just when you might be ready to write him off, Lewis shows up. He is coming off one of his better seasons. He’s a good slot corner who brings physicality to his play (he forced three fumbles last season). He may not be as flashy, but the guy gets it done.

SAFETY: MARKQUESE BELL

The safety position features an interesting battle for the second “coverage guy” alongside Malik Hooker. Donovan Wilson is the player most think will occupy this role, but some believe Juanyeh Thomas has an outside chance to steal the gig. That’s not unreasonable considering his coverage skills are better than other defensive backs the Cowboys have outside of the before-mentioned Hooker.

But one guy being overlooked in all this is Markquese Bell. He played out of position last year, but he demonstrated he has everything needed to handle the run-stopping part of the strong safety role. The question becomes, how will he fare in coverage? He is a former safety so it’s not like his transition back will be completely foreign and he might have a more balanced skill set than the other two guys vying for the job.