It feels like anything could happen with the Dallas Cowboys this season. They've got enough top-end talent to compete with just about anyone. They've also got a patchwork offensive line, one singular wide receiver on the active roster with an NFL touchdown on his record, and a kicker they've already fired once in the past. Only time will tell if the Cowboys can retain their NFC East crown or even their playoff viability this year. At the starting line of what feels like one of the Cowboys' most unpredictable seasons in years, here are four bold predictions for the 2022 NFL season.

4. The Dallas Cowboys will have a top-5 defense

In a complete departure from some of their recent seasons, the Dallas Cowboys' defense is poised to be the strength of the team this year. That is partly because the offense has regressed, but the 2022 Cowboys defense is talented, deep, and helmed by one of the best defensive minds in the league. Dan Quinn turned the Cowboys' defense around last season. This year his job is not to retool bad defense, but to make a good one great.
Dallas's defensive identity is built around the best overall player on the team, Micah Parsons. Not many players in the league can affect the game as Parsons can. In their second-year superstar, the Cowboys have a game-changing playmaker, someone who will contend for the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2022 and beyond. The Robin to Parsons' Batman in the Dallas defense is Trevon Diggs. Diggs' talents don't sit right with everyone. If he can give his offense 11 extra possessions again in 2022, Quinn and the Dallas front office will have no problem blocking out the noise from Diggs' detractors.

Surrounding Parsons and Diggs is a solid group of contributors and a handful of exciting young players too. Parsons, Anthony Barr, Leighton Vander Esch, Gabriel Cox, and Luke Gifford have the makings of one of the better linebacking corps in the NFL. The defensive line has settled in nicely after losing Randy Gregory. Demarcus Lawrence, Neville Gallimore, Osa Odighizuwa, and Dorance Armstrong give the unit a good baseline for success. Depending on his development, Sam Williams could be Dallas' best rookie in 2022. Maybe the Cowboys' biggest move of the offseason was their retention of Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker in the secondary. Anthony Brown is only gaining traction in Dallas' offense after taking control of the second starting cornerback job in 2022. Depth players like DaRon Bland and Israel Mukuamu are making competition for the Cowboys' second unit tougher too.

If the Cowboys remain competitive in 2022 it will be because of their defense. It's not a good defense. It isn't even a great one. The 2022 Dallas Cowboys have the tools to put an elite, Super Bowl-caliber defense on the field.

3. Tony Pollard will out-gain Ezekiel Elliott

Depending on who you ask, Ezekiel Elliott could be a top-five running back in football this year, or he could lose his starting job to Tony Pollard by week five. The reality, like in most cases, is probably somewhere between those two extremes. Jerry Jones still believes that Elliott is a cornerstone piece in Dallas. The veteran runner will no doubt be a large part of Dallas' plan on offense, but Pollard's time in the league is coming.

Elliott got 115 more touches than Pollard in 2021, but he only out-gained him by 233 yards. Pollard was more efficient, averaging 6.25 yards per touch to Elliott's 4.54. Pollard was also more explosive. The Memphis running back had four rushes of 20 yards or more last season. Elliott had three. All signs point to Pollard overtaking Elliott as the best ball carrier on the team in 2022, but this prediction is about more than just Pollard's talents against Elliott's. Elliott tore his PCL last season, an injury that didn't cause him to miss any time but certainly affected his performance. When he's on the field and healthy, he's still effective. The Cowboys could optimize the performance of both of their talented running backs by letting Pollard shoulder more of the load for Elliott.

2. Stephen Jones will swing an Amari Cooper-esque trade

This one might earn some scoffs from more cynical Cowboys fans due to the front office's general inactivity this offseason. Stephen Jones and the Cowboys front office have fully earned the ire of their fanbase this summer. The Randy Gregory fiasco, the Amari Cooper and La'el Collins departures, and an apparent unwillingness to go out and get a kicker until the very last second have all helped make for an ugly offseason in Dallas.

The silver lining on all of those admittedly dark and gloomy clouds is that, no matter what they told the media, the Cowboys front office appeared willing to at least try and make moves to improve the team. Dallas was ready to throw a $70,000,000 contract at Gregory. They also went after Vonn Miller, actually acquired Anthony Barr, and were reported to be one of several teams to call the Jets on wide receiver Denzel Mims. Those might not all be Super Bowl-winning moves, but they show that the front office hasn't completely punted on this season yet.

In 2018 the Cowboys shipped a first-round pick to the then Oakland Raiders for Amari Cooper. The trade energized Dallas' offense, gave Dak Prescott the first legit number one target of his career, and helped spur the Cowboys on to an NFC East championship. The Cowboys need wide receiver help again this year, but a theoretical season-altering deal struck by Jones and the Cowboys front office wouldn't have to be for a pass catcher. It could be a veteran right tackle that steps in for Tyron Smith and provides stability to Dallas' inexperienced offensive line. It could be a pass rusher that does the same for the defensive line. The bottom line is that the Cowboys have holes to fill in their roster. Jones might just shock the Dallas fanbase with another blockbuster deal this season to fill one of them.

1. The NFC East will be the fourth-best division in the NFL

The “NFC Least” has been a running joke in the league for a few years now but that time is coming to an end. The Cowboys aren't as talented or dynamic as they have been, but they're still a viable playoff threat. Philadelphia's biggest question mark is at quarterback, but they've surrounded Jalen Hurts with good pieces to help him succeed. If the right version of Carson Wentz shows up in Washington, the Commanders could be tough to beat. The Giants are, well, the Giants. Still, anything can happen in the NFL. The NFC West and the AFC West are the two clear-cut best divisions in football. Beyond that, there is plenty of room for the NFC East to emerge as one of the tougher tracks in the league in 2022.