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Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NFL executives and scouts expect the Dallas Cowboys to win not one, but two major individual awards at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
Expectations are high for the Cowboys a few days before they kick off the 2026 NFL schedule against the New York Giants. They had an elite offense last year but one of the worst defenses in the NFL. However, after some moves last season and during the spring, the front office believes they have addressed many of the issues on that side of the ball.
Caleb Downs predicted to win Defensive Rookie of the Year
One of the key moves they made to improve their defense was selecting Ohio State star Caleb Downs with the eleventh overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. The pick was lauded by football analysts, and the buzz Downs created this summer is so loud that NFL executives and scouts are picking him to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in a new survey from ESPN.
“He will play in the middle of the defense, so he will probably have some ball production and high tackle numbers,” an AFC executive told the outlet in the survey. “And if he helps turn around Dallas’ defense, he’ll be looked at as a catalyst.”
NFL execs and scouts predict Dallas Cowboys Brian Schottenheimer wins 2026 COTY award
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Aug 1, 2026; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yet, that wasn’t the only award the ESPN survey had the Cowboys winning. It has been a decade since Jason Garrett won AP NFL Coach of the Year honors for leading Dallas to a 13-3 record in 2016. Well, it seems that people around the league see similar success for current Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, because they are predicting that he will win the award this season.
“I think Dak [Prescott] will have a big year. We know they can score, and the defense should be much improved,” an NFC scout said. “If they stay healthy, they have a good chance to win the NFC East.”
It took Schottenheimer a long time to finally get an opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL. In his debut season, Dallas finished with a 7-9-1 record. The 2025 results were not what the franchise hoped for, but if they can be better on defense, there is no reason not to expect Dallas to be a big problem in the NFC this season.