DEFENSE

Position Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 RDE (3) TACO CHARLTON B. MAYOWA DAMONTRE’ MOORE ZACH WOOD 1T (2) C. THORNTON STEPHEN PAEA JOEY IVIE 3T (2) MALIEK COLLINS TYRONE CRAWFORD JORDAN CARRELL LDE(2) DEMARCUS LAWRENCE DAVID IRVING CHARLES TAPPER WLB (1) SEAN LEE MLB (4*) JAYLON SMITH A. HITCHENS M. NZEOCHA SLB (2) DAMIEN WILSON JAMES MORRIS KYLE WILBER NICKEL LB (1*) JAYLON SMITH RCB (1) NOLAN CARROLL JOURDAN LEWIS MARQUEZ WHITE LCB(2) ANTHONY BROWN CHIDOBE AWUZIE LEON MCFADDEN SLOT CB (1) O.SCANDRICK SHS (2) BYRON JONES JEFF HEATH BS (1) XAVIER WOODS KAVON FRAZIER

The Cowboys insist Taco Charlton is their right defensive end and we believe them. Demarcus Lawrence is penciled in to start on the strongside, but that’s contingent on his back acting right. If not, David Irving might get the chance to start and take on a bigger role. Charles Tapper redshirted and starts at the bottom of the depth chart.

At defensive tackle, the new additions of Joey Ivie and Jordan Carrell seem destined for practice squad designations, in part because of th position flex of so many of the defensive ends.

Jaylon Smith neatly slides into the projected starting role at middle linebacker.

In the secondary is where the biggest question marks are and where the most movement can take place in training camp.

For now, second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie is behind Orlando Scandrick and Anthony Brown, though it’s very plausible he unseats one of the two and works his way into the three-man CB rotation. Jourdan Lewis might have the best pedigree of the three rookie cornerbacks, but he’ll begin behind Carroll for the time being.

It would not surprise at all for the Cowboys to open the season with both rookies in the top four corner group with one of them getting a start. The competition will be fierce.

Could a sixth-round pick start at the top of the depth chart at safety? Woods will likely be behind Jeff Heath, but knowing what kind of grade the Cowboys likely had on the draft pick indicates he may get the single-high role with Byron Jones being the man-to-man safety and Jeff Heath coming in for Big Nickel.

One thing is for sure, the Cowboys carpet bombed the secondary. The battle for playing time will be intense all summer and should force the cream to rise to the top.