The 2023 Dallas Cowboys have more than one star. 

Well-established players like Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, and even rising young ones like DaRon Bland are well-known by the rabid fan base of America's Team. Bland is finally getting national attention after recording his third pick-six of the year.

But some players on Dallas' talented roster still go unnoticed or overlooked even by Cowboys Nation. Eight weeks into the season, I'd point toward two players being extremely underrated through eight weeks of the NFL season.

Both happen to be defenders and each of them ranks among the best players in the league in key areas. Let's dive in.

1. DL Osa Odighizuwa

By now, you should know who Osa Odighizuwa is. He's the starting defensive tackle for the Cowboys and has quickly become a fearsome presence in the middle of the defensive line. 

On Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Rams, Odighizuwa scored a higher pressure rate than Parsons, as Patrik "No C" Walker noted on Twitter/X. Odighizuwa also had six total QB pressures to Parsons' eight. In other words, he had as productive of a day rushing the passer from his interior spot as Parsons did as an edge rusher! 

But it gets better: This wasn't a one-time thing for Odighizuwa. We're not just talking about a "good day" for the third-year player.

For the entire season, the Cowboys' three-technique defensive tackle ranks seventh in pass rush win rate among interior defensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus. Only the likes of Quinnen Williams, Aaron Donald, and Chris Jones are above him.

As for run defense? You won't catch Osa sleeping there as he has the seventh-highest run defense grade by PFF eight weeks into the season. 

No one is as valuable to the Cowboys defense as Parsons. But schematically speaking, having a dominant three-technique is a game changer, as he can dictate opponents' pass protection schemes on a play-to-play basis. While interior defensive linemen often go unnoticed, fans should be very well aware of the impact Odighizuwa is making for Dan Quinn's renowned unit.

2. S LB Markquese Bell 

This kid deserves a standing ovation. And one that lasts as long as the ones they have for great films at the Cannes Festival. Say 22 minutes like they did for Guillermo del Toro. 

Bell played a season-high 73% of the snaps against the Rams. In those, he produced four stops, the most on the team. He was also targeted five times in coverage and allowed no first downs. In fact, PFF graded him as the best Cowboys defender in coverage. Bell's strong play has earned him the top spot among NFL linebackers in overall defensive grade from PFF. 

Never in a million years would've I thought that was a possibility for Bell. Let me hit you with a few reminders to fully understand the unlikelihood of his success story:

• He was an undrafted free agent in 2022, indicating a low probability of being a starter in the league. 
• Bell was a safety entering the 2023 season. Not a linebacker, the position he's dominating right now.
• Not only was he a safety, but his position change didn't occur until late August when rookie DeMarvion Overshown suffered a season-ending injury. No training camp, no OTAs, no minicamp to learn the position.
• He's playing a different position in the NFL while being undersized for a linebacker yet he keeps bringing the physicality needed to win in the league.

Quinn and his Cowboys teammates deserve credit for helping him out in not missing assignments, but Bell has been one of the biggest surprises of the year and if he keeps playing like this, it'll be tough to figure out what the future of the LB room is once Leighton Vander Esch comes back from injury.

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They’re playing at a very high level.