Cowboys trace top-5 defense to draft, starting with Lawrence

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Dallas defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli remembers the night the Cowboys traded up in the second round of the 2014 draft to grab DeMarcus Lawrence because they thought he was the last pass rusher on the board with the skills to become elite. Four years and several significant draft decisions later, Dallas is in line for its highest defensive ranking since 2003, and on the verge of joining that Bill Parcells-coached team as a defense-first playoff qualifier. The Cowboys reversed the offense-dominated formula of quarterback Tony Romo's era without a sky-high draft pick such as star running back Ezekiel Elliott, the No. 4 overall choice two years ago.

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