Got that dog in 'em? Cowboys look to build defensive roster of bullies

The proof is in the exit interviews.

During January 7th’s end of season press conference, Schottenheimer revealed, “They're already having an influence. When I ask the guys, ‘Hey, who are the leaders in the locker room? Who are the guys of influence?’“[The responses are] 4, 95, 97, 92, 0. You give those guys an offseason being around the other players. Powerful.”

The Cowboys head coach provided this additional detail just after Jerry Jones mentioned that the Cowboys had made “quantum leaps… in the the football character of the team.”

Those jersey numbers he listed corresponded to Dak Prescott, Kenny Clark, Osa Odighizuwa, Quinnen Williams, and DeMarvion Overshown respectively with Prescott being the lone offensive player mentioned in that group.

The establishment of defense players as leaders and influencers on the team represented a shift not only in the direction of the team at that time but also in its anticipated trajectory.

The leadership vacuum

Following the disappointing end to the 2023-2024 season, Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb publicly declared via a special episode of Parsons’ podcast, The Edge, that it was time for them to step up as the definitive voices of the team. They wanted to help Dak Prescott with leadership responsibilities.

Since then, Parsons and another defensive leader, DeMarcus Lawrence exited stage left, creating somewhat of leadership vacuum on the defensive side of the ball. Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas were highly respected, but they led by example rather than volume.

While CeeDee Lamb’s growth and maturity have been acknowledged, he has not had quite the same team-acknowledged impact as the likes of Williams and Clark.

For months, the outside expectation was that Lamb would eventually walk through the door and take the mantle as a vocal second-in-command to Dak Prescott. And perhaps he still will. But while the public was waiting on the offense, this defensive unit didn’t just walk through the door. They burst through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man.

Let’s be clear: this sudden defensive takeover is not an indictment of Lamb. True leadership is a disposition, not just a spoken desire. When a veteran enforcer is brought in via trade, they are expected to immediately establish dominance in visceral and immediate ways.

But for the homegrown face of a franchise, stepping into that role is a more calculated move requiring navigation of his established identity and locker room politics. It potentially alters his image and interactions with the press and public.

Lamb has always been highly intentional about his development. So when he fully steps into that role, it will mean he has found a way to bear that weight while maintaining his agency and authenticity. A delayed arrival does not represent a lack of potential in his case.

Which brings things to Caleb Downs.

A protected ecosystem for Caleb Downs

The rookie safety’s presence is already so pronounced that Jerry Jones called him a "pied piper" and compared character to Prescott's. He is known for his intelligence, maturity, and his willingness to identify and fix weaknesses.

When Brian Schottenheimer mentions a continuation of what started in 2025, Downs is a perfect example of how that applies from a cultural perspective in addition to performance.

Because this defense has already established a self-sustaining vanguard, Downs is walking into a remarkably protected ecosystem. If this defense-led environment didn't exist, asking the No. 11 overall pick to immediately act as the "quarterback of the defense" would be a monumental, perhaps unfair, burden.

Instead, fans should view Downs' immediate role not as him skipping to the front of the leadership line, but rather as a rookie stepping into an ecosystem primed to support his exact skill set. He is simply a perfect fit for where this team happens to be right now.

With Downs joining the established leadership presence of Williams, Clark, and Overshown, the Cowboys are primed to enter their “dog” era. Between the organization’s support of their leadership and the injection of youth into their coaching staff, the Dallas Cowboys defense is primed to go from the worst-performing defensive unit in the league to the force behind a culture of boldness, toughness, and determination that Dallas hasn’t seen in years.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Dallas Cowboys Defense: Draft Picks, Culture Shift & Caleb Downs