DeMarcus Lawrence has been the mainstay on the Cowboys' defensive line since 2014. During his time in Dallas, he earned multiple Pro Bowl nods and a Second-Team All-Pro honor.

Lawrence racked up 25 sacks from 2017-2018 for the Cowboys and established himself as one of the better edge rushers in the NFL. Those numbers have taken a dip over the last three seasons. However, the former second-round pick wants to reassert his dominance in getting after the quarterback in 2022.

“Become the sack leader again", Lawrence said. "I let a rookie show me up last year. Shot out to my boy Micah. Restate my dominance. Let everybody know how I’m coming, how I feel and the type of respect I’m going to demand when I step on the field.”

In addition to Parsons getting attention for being an excellent pass rusher, Lawrence has other help as well to free him. Veteran Dante Fowler was signed back in March by the Cowboys, and his experience on the field and with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will be a big help. They also re-signed Dorance Armstrong, drafted Sam Williams in the second round, veteran Tarrell Basham, and Chauncey Golston who is going into his second year.

Although his sack numbers haven't been plentiful, Lawrence helps the Cowboys' defense in other ways. He's one of the best run stoppers at defensive end, and his ability to set the edge makes plays for defensive tackles and linebackers. Also, be attracts double teams which give one-on-one opportunities for guys that play opposite him like the departed Randy Gregory and veteran Robert Quinn, who had 11.5 sacks for the Cowboys in 2019.

Lawrence missed 10 games in 2021 due to a broken foot. It's the only time he's missed a significant amount of games for the Cowboys since 2016 when he dealt with a back injury, but it certainly derailed what could've been a very productive year.

The former Boise State Bronco mentioned recently that this is the first time in about five years that he's not coming off an injury or surgery. That's an encouraging sign seeing as his absence drastically changes how effective the Cowboys defensively are on the line of scrimmage.

Lawrence is feeling good these days due to taking a more in-depth approach to getting his physique in peak condition.

“I feel like I’m in better shape,” Lawrence said. “I feel like this offseason has been one of the most serious ones for me, just all about really just being healthy and taking care of the body and doing rigorous trainings and stuff and different workouts.”

Causal fans of football focus too much on sacks and use that as the only metric to judge how well a defensive end plays. However, Lawrence can affect a game in many ways for the Cowboys, and he's still one of the most important links in the chain for Dallas defensively.

Feature image via Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports