Dallas Cowboys DT Johnathan Hankins suffered a high ankle sprain during Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. How will the team adjust until his return?
Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said on Monday that he doesn’t believe this to be a severe sprain. Still, this will likely keep Hankins out for the foreseeable future, even though the team hasn’t given a set timeline yet.
Johnathan Hankins Ahead of the Eagles Game
PFN spoke to Hankins in the locker room days before Sunday’s game.
At that point, he was coming off back-to-back weeks with sacks against the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks.
He said he has been playing off of the teammates around him.
“Just trying to be more consistent, push in the pocket, and stopping the run. So nothing different I’ve been doing but just locking in,” said Hankins.
“Big Hank” also credited DC Dan Quinn and Aden Durde, the team’s defensive line coach, for allowing him to go out and play his best football.
Hankins is an 11-year veteran who has impacted the guys around him with his leadership on and off the field. He’s also said that being around the younger players has been rejuvenating for him.
“They definitely keep me on my toes, definitely push me to go out there and work harder and just be the player I know I can be. But overall, the tight-knit group we got, man, we do an amazing job of pushing one another,” said Hankins.
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Some of those younger guys include the guys next to him on the line, such as DLs Osa Odighizuwa and Mazi Smith and LBs Damone Clark and Markquese Bell, who Hankins says are coming into their own.
Hankins acknowledged that it’s a team effort to silence the narrative about the team’s highly scrutinized run defense, adding, “We all took it upon ourselves to be down there on first and second down. I think this year, it’s starting to come alive.”
How Cowboys Can Keep Run Defense Worries Down in Hankins’ Absence
Although reports have stated that Hankins could return before the postseason, what can Quinn do to ensure the run defense stays afloat in the veteran’s absence?
Smith looks to be the immediate option. He’s had 215 live-game reps so far, giving him 26.25% of the total offensive snaps this season.
The first-round draft pick had his highest snap count in Week 10 against the New York Giants, notching 43.9% of the snaps. At that point, Quinn described Smith as being on an upward arrow of improvement.
The team also has DL Carl Davis, who Dallas signed onto the practice squad in November. He has yet to be elevated, so the Cowboys could elevate him for three games if needed.
Davis is a nine-year veteran who has played for the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and, more recently, the New England Patriots. He’s played 72 games and has recorded 65 combined total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three pass deflections.
It’s still to be determined what the Cowboys’ game plan will be on Sunday, as they prepare for a trip to western New York to take on the Buffalo Bills.
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