The Surprising Pff Grades Around The Cowboys Pursuit Of A Lb

Sometimes it’s the moves you don’t make that are the right ones all along. Maybe that’s the case of the Dallas Cowboys missing out on free agent linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, both of whom signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Missing out on these two LBs led the Cowboys to acquire Dee Winters via trade from the San Francisco 49ers.

The former TCU LB seems to have been on the Cowboys radar for quite some time. It’s been rumored they’ve been in contact with the 49ers previously in an attempt to acquire him via trade, but nothing ever came to fruition until recently in the middle of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys sent a fifth-round pick (152nd overall) this year to acquire Winters from the 49ers. This is actually the second trade these two organizations finalized this offseason on the heels of the Osa Odighizuwa trade that netted Dallas a third-round pick (92nd overall) this year.

By most accounts acquiring Winters via trade from the 49ers has been viewed as a good move by the Cowboys. His addition helps upgrade the Cowboys LB position this year and gives them someone who fits what Christian Parker wants at the position. How it all plays out the on the field is yet to be seen though.

Looking back on when the Cowboys missed out on Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, one has to wonder how Dee Winters measures up to the two. If you agree with the grading system of Pro Football Focus (PFF), the Cowboys got similar quality, but at a lesser price.

Quay Walker per PFF

Walker is a linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders who earned a 48.5 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 74th among 88 qualified linebackers. His PFF coverage grade of 44.9 ranked 70th among 88 qualified linebackers. His run-defense grade of 54.5 ranked 74th at the position. His pass-rush grade of 62.0 ranked 49th among qualified linebackers.

He recorded 90 solo tackles on the season. Walker generated 12 total pressures including three sacks as a blitzer. He allowed a 120.8 passer rating when targeted in coverage. He was charged with nine missed tackles over the course of the year.

Nakobe Dean per PFF

Dean is a linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders who earned a 61.7 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 43rd among 88 qualified linebackers. His PFF coverage grade of 62.0 ranked 29th among 88 qualified linebackers. His run-defense grade of 42.9 ranked 85th at the position. His pass-rush grade of 92.3 ranked third among qualified linebackers.

He recorded 43 solo tackles on the season. Dean generated 10 total pressures including four sacks as a blitzer. He allowed a 88.8 passer rating when targeted in coverage. He was charged with 10 missed tackles over the course of the year.

Dee Winters per PFF

Winters is a linebacker for the Cowboys who earned a 60.4 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 46th among 88 qualified linebackers. His PFF coverage grade of 62.0 ranked 29th among 88 qualified linebackers. His run-defense grade of 62.6 ranked 55th at the position. His pass-rush grade of 54.2 ranked 72nd among qualified linebackers.

He recorded 85 solo tackles on the season. Winters generated 11 total pressures but no sacks as a blitzer. He allowed a 104.2 passer rating when targeted in coverage. He was charged with 16 missed tackles over the course of the year.

Of the three linebackers, Winters and Dean are pretty similar according to PFFs grading system. However, it is probably important to know that Dean only played a total of 403 defensive snaps last season compared to 993 defensive snaps by Winters, the most of these three players.

A lot of people believed Dean was at the top of the Cowboys free agent wish list, or close to it. Because of that, many fans around Cowboys Nation were pretty upset when Dean spurned the Cowboys in favor of the Raiders. By trading for Winters they acquired a similar player by PFF’s grades, although much less of a pass rusher.

Winters may not have Dean’s draft pedigree, but he also doesn’t have his concerning injury history. It’s going to be really interesting to see how Winters’ addition plays out this year for the Cowboys.