The Dallas Cowboys were knocked out of the postseason in the wild-card round and have a few tricky decisions to navigate in the 2024 offseason. Dallas decided to keep head coach Mike McCarthy, so most of those choices will involve the roster.

While the Cowboys had one of the league’s more complete rosters this past season, it wasn’t flawless. Dallas is also set to potentially lose a few key players, like offensive tackle Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz, in free agency.

Dallas is projected to be $11.1 million over the salary cap, meaning it will have to get creative to generate cap space. That could lead to further holes being created on the roster.

Here, we’ll examine what a wish list of 2024 free agents could look like for the Cowboys, highlighting a few top players to target.

Cowboys 2024 Free Agent Big Board

1. Chris Jones, DT, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Christian Wilkins, DT, Miami Dolphins

3. Devin White, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

4. Patrick Queen, LB, Baltimore Ravens

5. Justin Madubuike, DE, Baltimore Ravens

6. Jaylon Johnson, CB, Chicago Bears

7. L’Jarius Sneed, CB, Kansas City Chiefs

8. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

9. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

10. Jonah Williams, OT, Cincinnati Bengals

DT Chris Jones

The Cowboys desperately need to improve their run defense. It wasn’t always an issue in 2023 because when Dallas got an early lead, opponents regularly abandoned the run. However, the Cowboys still finished the year ranked a middling 15th in yards per carry allowed.

In losses to the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers (in the playoffs), the Dallas defense was battered by the ground game.

Adding a premier defensive tackle like Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs would help the Cowboys bolster their run defense on the front line. Dallas just used a first-round pick on Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith, but Smith was always going to be a developmental prospect.

Smith ended up playing just 28 percent of the defensive snaps.

Jones would be an immediate difference-maker against the run while also boosting Dallas’ pass rush. Creating the cap space needed to sign him would be a challenge, but the 29-year-old should be at the very top of the Cowboys’ wish list.

DT Christian Wilkins

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins might not carry the name recognition that Jones does, but he may be even higher on some teams’ boards.

Wilkins just turned 28 in December and has established himself as one of the league’s top run-stuffing defensive linemen. He’s also coming off a career year as a pass-rusher, one he finished with nine sacks, 65 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He played a huge role in Miami ranking sixth in yards per carry allowed.

Like Jones, Wilkins will be a pricey option in the first wave of free agency. If the Cowboys can create the cap space, though, he should garner heavy consideration.

Dallas needs to improve its run defense up front, and there’s no telling how big of a second-year jump Smith can make It’s also worth noting that defensive linemen Neville Gallimore, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. are scheduled to hit the market in March.

LB Devin White

With Stephon Gilmore set to hit the market, the Cowboys may look to invest in a proven young cornerback like Jaylon Johnson or L’Jarius Sneed. Dallas may also eye a wide receiver, as Brandin Cooks is a potential cap casualty.

Releasing Cooks with a post-June 1 designation would save $8 million in cap space.

However, run defense is Dallas’ biggest need, and the Cowboys have a serious lack of linebacker depth.

Targeting a sideline-to-sideline ‘backer like Devin White of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would help address the issue immediately. White is coming off another strong campaign, one he finished with 83 tackles, 43 solo stops, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions.

While White only appeared in 14 games this past season, he finished each of the previous three with more than 120 tackles.

Premier off-ball linebackers like White and the Baltimore Ravens’ Patrick Queen won’t come cheaply, but they represent an extremely important commodity that the Cowboys currently lack.