Six reasons the Dallas Cowboys are going to nosedive in 2017

2. Pass rush presence?

In what can only be described as stunning, the Dallas Cowboys managed to rank 13th in the NFL in sacks last season. Unless someone like Demarcus Lawrence or first round pick Taco Charlton can step up in a big way, I think that number is set to go down significantly.

The Cowboys benefit last year from an overachieving defensive front, one that lost a couple of key pieces to free agency. There are still talented players up front for the Cowboys, but there is no top flight edge presence.

Even first round pick Taco Charlton isn’t a traditional edge-bending rusher, so they will have to get creative in the pass rush department.

Despite ranking 13th in the league last year, the Cowboys finished with just 36 sacks as a team. That total would have ranked tied for 20th in 2015, when sack numbers were up across the league.

I fear the Cowboys’ lack of a true edge presence, at least one that is proven at this time, could be a major factor in their downfall.