The 2023 Dallas Cowboys defense isn't going to be the most traditional-looking unit in the NFL this year. Although they're expected to be one of the very best defenses in the league, one thing stands out from it.

"We're fast," head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters earlier in the week. 

He's right. After all, Dan Quinn has amassed quite the collection of speedy players at all three levels of the defense: From Micah Parsons' overwhelming quickness in the trenches to the flying Malik Hooker as the team's last line of defense at free safety. 

But it also comes from the fact that they're small, particularly at linebacker. Entering Week 1, the Cowboys have three rostered linebackers. The plan is for safety Markquese Bell to essentially convert to linebacker. Although Bell is big for safety (he ranks in the 71st percentile in weight among safeties), his 205 pounds are still well below Devin Harper's 234 pounds, the lightest linebacker on the team. 

Even Jayron Kearse, who's been manning the LB/S hybrid role in Dan Quinn's defense for two years now, is lighter than your typical linebacker at 215 pounds. 

"They really believe in what they have," Cowboys insider Michael Gehlken from Dallas Morning News said about the team's plan at linebacker (and by extension, safeties helping out at LB) on my nightly show A to Z Sports Dallas Primetime. 

Quinn has earned all of the confidence placed on his plan following two years of dominating defensively. However, it's a big storyline to monitor as opposing offenses could aim to counter the Cowboys' lack of size with 12 (two tight ends) and 21 (two running backs) personnel groupings.

That being said, the lack of linebacker size could also play a major role in a key area of the game: special teams. 

"Typically, on special teams for Mike McCarthy, he likes having guys who are like 250 pounds, that size element to them," Gehlken added. "This is as small of a special teams unit as I've ever seen following the NFL. This is really, really a smaller group where you've got a team with four running backs, three tight ends, four linebackers which includes a safety effectively." 

Such a situation sets up special teams coordinator John Fassel for an even bigger challenge than he was already facing. Not only does he need to replace Luke Gifford and Kelvin Joseph, two of the three leaders on special teams snap counts, but he needs to do it with a very unorthodox (and small) batch of players.*

*Star Wars fans are allowed to call the Cowboys' special teams "The Small Batch" from now on.

While many are focusing on the kicker situation with the inexperienced Brandon Aubrey, overcoming the lack of size in just about every other position will be critical for this year's success. As we've learned by now, one missed tackle (or a greatly made one) can swing the outcome of games. 

Cowboys’ Terence Steele earned every penny through hard work

He deserved all of it.

Featured image via Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports