The Dallas Cowboys see the talent in Marist Liufau; it’s just that until now, they haven’t really had the infrastructure to develop talent on any level of their defense. Not just Liufau, a 2024 3rd round pick, but anyone.
All that might change in 2026 with a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker, but it’s going to be on Liufau to deliver the goods after a position switch from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher.
SB Nation’s LP Cruz singled Liufau out as facing a “make or break” year in 2026 if he wants to stay on the roster.
Over the last 2 seasons, Liufau has started 14 games at off-ball linebacker — 1 of their most pilloried position groups.
“Marist Liufau is probably under the most overt pressure out of any on this list, while at the same time put in somewhat unfair circumstances,” Cruz wrote on May 25. “Consider all that has happened around him since joining the team. The team has had four different defensive coordinators in each of his four years with the team. That’s a lot to take on while also adjusting to life at the NFL level. Due to the revolving door of leadership he has endured, he has never experienced enough of an opportunity to see the field and make his mistakes to learn from.”
‘Last Ditch’ Diss Not Fair to Marist Liufau
Cowboys Wire called moving the 6-foot-2, 238-pound Liufau to edge rusher in Parker’s 3-4 defensive scheme a “Last Ditch” effort to find a role for him, which doesn’t seem entirely fair.
They’re not the only ones who think that way, however.
“Nudging Liufau to the outside now seems to set up the team to nudge Liufau out altogether in the near future,” Heavy’s Sean Deveney wrote on May 12.
The better argument might be that any defensive player drafted by the Cowboys in the last 2 years — ever since defensive coordinator Dan Quinn left to become head coach of the Washington Commanders — hasn’t really gotten a fair shake in terms of development.
“As an outside linebacker, Liufau’s pass rushing, coverage and run fits should be somewhat simplified,” Cowboys Wire’s Reid D. Hanson wrote. “It’s possible his reactionary instincts can thrive in the new role, but the transition is still significant and third-year position moves are rarely a great endorsement. With a new coaching staff in Dallas, Liufau is without the advocates that first brought him to the Cowboys. His play will have to stand on its own merit, and up until now, his play has been very disappointing.”
Where Cowboys Stand at Edge Rusher
It’s safe to say the Cowboys haven’t had any sort of identity at edge rusher since trading future Pro Football Hall of Famer Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers before the 2025 season.
Headed into 2026, the writing is on the wall that they are trying to change that in some pretty significant ways.
First, the Cowboys traded with the Packers, again, but this time for edge rusher and former 1st round pick Rashan Gary.
Next, the Cowboys went heavy on defense and edge rusher in the 2026 NFL draft, using both of their 1st-round picks on defensive players with safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 23 overall.
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