Former No. 1 Overall Pick Predicted To Make Instant Impact in Debut

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Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

If you thought something was missing from the Dallas Cowboys in a 40-37 win over the New York Giants in Week 2, join the club. If you’re not sure exactly what it was, we’re happy to fill you in. It was any sort of defensive presence.

Giants quarterback Russell Wilson looked like the Russell Wilson from 10 years ago with 450 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Two Giants wide receivers — Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson — both had over 100 receiving yards.

A lot of that starts up front, where the Cowboys created a Grand Canyon-sized void in their pass rush when they traded arguably the NFL’s best pass rusher, Micah Parsons, to the Green Bay Packers just days ahead of the regular season opener.

To try and fill that void in some small way, Dallas signed veteran edge rusher and former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney to a 1-year, $3.5 million contract on September 14.

Now, with a huge road game against the Chicago Bears on tap for Week 3, the Cowboys need Clowney to step in, step up and make an instant impact by making life uncomfortable for another former No. 1 overall pick in Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

“The Cowboys’ defense post-Micah Parsons is a work in progress, but the team has some hope that reinforcements are on the way,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote on September 18. “The signing of veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney should help bolster the front while Dallas awaits health improvements on the back end.”

Clowney Firmly In Journeyman Era Of Career

Clowney, 32 years old, was the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL draft and will eclipse $100 million in career earnings in 2025.

He’s also on his seventh team in 8 seasons but is still producing at what should be considered an above average level — he has 2 seasons of at least 9.0 sacks in the last 4 years and led the lowly Carolina Panthers with 6.0 sacks in 14 games 2024.

“Clowney missed three games due to injury in 2024, which has been a consistent theme throughout his career,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder wrote on July 3. “He’s only played in a full season’s worth of games twice in 11 years. That, combined with being on the wrong side of 30 years old, is likely why the Panthers let him go during free agency and is part of the reason he’s still unsigned. But a team looking for help on the edge should at least give the veteran a call.”

What Cowboys Can Expect From Clowney

Clowney indicated he was more motivated to come to Dallas after the Cowboys got 2-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark back from the Packers in the Parsons trade.

“As soon as Kenny Clark signed here, I told my agent that it would be a good move for me,” Clowney told Cowboys reporter Nicole Hutchison on September 15.

As far as his usage against the Bears, that could be anyone’s guess.

“Jadeveon Clowney said he expects to play Sunday vs. the Bears but does not have a snap count in mind,” ESPN’s Todd Archer posted on his official X account on September 15. “Excited to join the Cowboys and begin practicing on Wednesday. He’s been working out all summer to be ready.”

Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame