With the latest NFL season kicking off there are people all over the sports world offering their Super Bowl LXI predictions. Perhaps you believe the Dallas Cowboys will wind up there, it is okay to believe if you want, but obviously a lot has to happen on the way to two teams winding up in Los Angeles.
ESPN curated the opinions of league executives and scouts to figure out some of that in between, and they are very high on two members of the Cowboys picking individual honors: Caleb Downs and Brian Schottenheimer.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Downs, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have big plans for Downs, who instantly becomes one of Dallas’ most versatile players.
When I asked head coach Brian Schottenheimer at training camp where Downs is best served on the field, he said “anywhere,” then pointed out that he can cover star receiver CeeDee Lamb up the seam.
The Cowboys will play Downs primarily in the slot, where he can disrupt in the open field. “He will play in the middle of the defense, so he will probably have some ball production and high tackle numbers,” an AFC executive said. “And if he helps turn around Dallas’ defense, he’ll be looked at as a catalyst.”
The last defensive back to win DROY was Sauce Gardner in 2022, when he recorded two interceptions and 20 pass deflections. Ball production is a must to win this award.
Also receiving votes: Rueben Bain Jr. (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Mansoor Delane (Kansas City Chiefs), R Mason Thomas (Chiefs), David Bailey (New York Jets)
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Coach of the Year: Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
This race featured no runaway favorite. Last year’s prediction was Jim Harbaugh, who could be well-positioned to actually win it this year.
But in a tight race, let’s go with a bit of a wild card: Schottenheimer, who has acquitted himself well in Dallas behind the scenes and has most of what he needs to win.
“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.”
Also receiving votes: Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions), Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers), Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams), Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints), Jesse Minter (Baltimore Ravens)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Downs, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have big plans for Downs, who instantly becomes one of Dallas’ most versatile players.
When I asked head coach Brian Schottenheimer at training camp where Downs is best served on the field, he said “anywhere,” then pointed out that he can cover star receiver CeeDee Lamb up the seam.
The Cowboys will play Downs primarily in the slot, where he can disrupt in the open field. “He will play in the middle of the defense, so he will probably have some ball production and high tackle numbers,” an AFC executive said. “And if he helps turn around Dallas’ defense, he’ll be looked at as a catalyst.”
The last defensive back to win DROY was Sauce Gardner in 2022, when he recorded two interceptions and 20 pass deflections. Ball production is a must to win this award.
Also receiving votes: Rueben Bain Jr. (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Mansoor Delane (Kansas City Chiefs), R Mason Thomas (Chiefs), David Bailey (New York Jets)
Coach of the Year: Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
This race featured no runaway favorite. Last year’s prediction was Jim Harbaugh, who could be well-positioned to actually win it this year.
But in a tight race, let’s go with a bit of a wild card: Schottenheimer, who has acquitted himself well in Dallas behind the scenes and has most of what he needs to win.
“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 is fully possible that he could wind up as Defensive Rookie of the Year. He would have to have some sort of statistical data point working to his name as these awards are often low-hanging fruit in that way, and in that sense he is up against the pass rushers who could pick up sack numbers.
But given that these awards are often narrative-driven, he could wind up as representing the Cowboys defense to a degree. If the group does have a bit of a turn around then Downs could be seen as a focal point within it and get some hardware as a result.
The same sort of conversation is applicable to Schottenheimer. Coach of the Year is often “coach who had an impressive season that we weren’t exactly expecting” and not necessarily a mark of who the best coach in the NFL really is, all due respect to Schotty or whoever.
If the Cowboys are a playoff team, maybe even a division winner, then he is the frontman for one of the bigger stories across the league at large. This was sort of the case when Jason Garrett won the award a decade ago. The Cowboys were the top seed in the NFC and were so after winning only four games the year prior. That was the season where Dak Prescott won Offensive Rookie of the Year and Ezekiel Elliott won the rushing title.
Some fans believe the aforementioned Prescott also has a chance at MVP this year. As noted, the narrative aspect of these things would really require something special for the team at large as that award is often handed out to the quarterback on the best team, so to speak.
What other awards can you see for the Cowboys in 2026?
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