Like a slew of rookies, Kenny Clark will participate in his first Cowboys training camp later this month. But entering his 11th season, he’s already one of the team’s veteran leaders and an important piece on a transforming defense.
Background
Years in NFL: 10
Acquired by: Trade (2025)
Dak Prescott is the last man standing from the Cowboys’ 2016 draft class, but he’s got a couple of new teammates who were part of the greater group. Clark, along with Jonathan Bullard, were both taken ahead of Prescott that weekend, and Clark didn’t have to wait long as a first-round pick, 27th overall, by the Packers. Clark was a rarity among NFL rookies, being just 20 years old when he was drafted.
As a rookie, Clark got a couple of starts but was mostly a rotation player. He became a full-time starter in 2017 and remained one ever since, a fixture in Green Bay’s defensive front for eight seasons. Though more of a run stuffer and nose tackle, he consistently put up 4-6 sacks throughout most of his time with the Packers, with a career high of 7.5 sacks in 2023. That season was the third, and last time, Clark went to the Pro Bowl.
Late last August, Clark was uprooted from Green Bay as part of their trade with Dallas for Micah Parsons. A week later, he was a starting DT against the Eagles. The Cowboys had gone with smaller, quicker DTs for a long time, so Clark brought a very different feel to the front line. He started all 17 games, being joined midseason by Quinnen Williams, as Dallas started a defensive renovation that has continued on through the current offseason.
Despite the overall issues on the Cowboys’ defense last year, Clark was one of the few guys to keep his head above water. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 38th-best interior lineman, which isn’t bad considering most Dallas defenders were among the league’s worst at their positions. Hopefully, Clark will look even better with less chaos and more effective coaching around him in 2026.
Contract Status
Years Left: 2
2026 Cap Hit: $12.7 million
Last March, the Cowboys restructured Clark’s deal to clear about $11 million in cap space. Though he only turns 31 in October, Clark has a lot of mileage from his long career in the trenches. Still, the contract change means he’s almost assuredly here through the end of the the contract after the 2027 season.
2026 Projections
Role: Starting DT
Roster Chance: 100%
Though Quinnen Williams is the new cornerstone of the defensive linemen, Clark is expected to be a key figure as well. In a base 3-4 formation, Clark will likely play nose tackle. Outside of that, Clark and Williams should be the primary DTs in a variety of schemes. Clark will likely get subbed out for the smaller linemen like Jonathan Bullard and LT Overton in certain formations, but he should be among the snap-count leaders by the end of the year.
Clark’s impact on games isn’t going to show up more much in the box score. That was the case last year as, after Williams’ arrival, he went from three sacks in Weeks 1-11 to zero the rest of the season. Clark is going to be more of your space-eater going forward, setting up other guys for success. It doesn’t mean he won’t be important, but we may have go a little deeper in our analysis to evaluate him properly.
Check out our previous player profiles from this series:
