Cowboys fans name a 2026 sack leader, betting on a Year 2 leap

Dallas Cowboys fans, asked who would lead the team in sacks in 2026, largely circled Donovan Ezeiruaku as the player most likely to turn pressure into production. The result was unveiled as part of an offseason fan poll, and it highlights the hope around a pass rusher expected to take a second-year step.

The Cowboys’ sack conversation matters because sacks are the clearest shorthand for whether a defense can disrupt the quarterback early and often. In 2025, Dallas leaned on Jadeveon Clowney for the team lead, finishing with 8.5 sacks despite appearing in 13 games, according to reporting from Blogging the Boys. His presence had been viewed as a stabilizing force, but the fan focus has shifted to who can own that edge role long-term.

In the same fan survey results, Ezeiruaku received 41% of the vote to lead Dallas in sacks in 2026. Blogging the Boys framed that pick around the idea of a meaningful improvement from his 2025 baseline, noting that Ezeiruaku recorded two sacks last season but showed process indicators that fans believe can translate into bigger stat lines. The outlet cited 36 quarterback pressures and a 28% pass rush win rate as evidence that he was already affecting plays, even if the sacks did not always follow.

Rashan Gary drew 21% of the fan vote, making him the second-most common pick. While the survey suggests fans view him as capable of running the sack ledger, the same reporting also treats him as a more logical, steady option rather than the clear upside swing that Ezeiruaku represents. For a Cowboys defense looking for a consistent threat, that distinction reflects how fans weigh reliability versus growth.

Rookie Malachi Lawrence was the third choice, gathering 19% of the vote. That outcome says something about the appetite for instant impact from the defensive line, especially from a position group that can provide interior push and disrupt passing rhythms. The fan mindset here is straightforward, if not always realistic, Dallas supporters want to see new blood convert opportunities immediately.

Behind the poll is the larger, familiar Dallas problem: replacing the edge presence that previously defined the team’s pass-rush identity. Blogging the Boys pointed to the departure of Micah Parsons before the 2025 season as part of why Dallas does not currently have a single, universally accepted “war daddy” figure in the sack conversation. As a result, the fan base is essentially voting on which current or incoming player can become that person in 2026.

What to watch next is whether Ezeiruaku’s pressure profile becomes a higher-volume sack production story by the time Dallas returns for the regular season. If the poll’s logic proves correct, it would suggest the Cowboys have turned an underrated Year 1 contributor into the kind of consistent edge disruptor that can set the tone for playoff-quality defenses. If not, fans will likely revisit the question and look again at whether Gary’s veteran power or Lawrence’s rookie momentum can define the team’s pass rush instead.

The broader takeaway is that this fan survey is not a roster announcement or a stat projection. It is a snapshot of what Dallas supporters think should happen, shaped by last season’s on-field glimpses and expectations for who can close the gap between pressure and sacks. The actual sack leader will be determined by game plans, snaps, and how often opponents face a sustained, repeatable rush, not by percentages in a poll.