EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said Thursday that the Dallas Cowboys have weapons on the outside and the inside. Sunday night will be his first game running the Giants defense.
Wilson spoke after practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. New York hosts Dallas at MetLife Stadium, and kickoff is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
Dallas finished second in the league with 4,527 net passing yards last season, and quarterback Dak Prescott and receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens all return.
Wilson said Prescott has seen it all.
“First of all, a lot of respect for Dak Prescott,” Wilson said. “He’s a top quarterback in the National Football League. He’s seen it all. He’s very decisive with where he’s going with the ball, he gets the ball out of his hands quick. They have elite receivers in CeeDee [Lamb] and [George] Pickens, and their tight ends are good.”
“So, they have weapons, both on the outside and inside,” Wilson continued. “And you have a quarterback that knows where he’s going, has seen it all a little bit. He gets the ball, and he’s decisive where he’s going.”
Prescott led the NFL with 404 completions in 2025. He threw for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Lamb caught 75 passes for 1,077 yards and 3 touchdowns in 14 games.
Dennard Wilson On Press Coverage And George Pickens
Wilson spent the previous two seasons as a defensive coordinator in Tennessee. He wants a defense that is tough, physical, and smothering.
“I believe in no free access, no easy completions,” Wilson explained. “As a quarterback, drop back and try to decipher what coverage you’re in. That’s just how I’ve been raised in this game, and that’s what I believe in.”
Pickens caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns in his first season with Dallas. He made the Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro.
Before the trade to Dallas, Pickens played in Pittsburgh from 2022 through 2024. Wilson said Pickens is a matchup problem one-on-one.
“When I saw him when I was in Baltimore, it was the same player,” Wilson said. “He’s a big guy, big target, good hands. He’s a matchup problem one-on-one. He can catch the contested football down the air. So, he’s always been a really good player.”
In the Sept. 14 meeting last season, Pickens caught 5 passes for 68 yards and 1 touchdown. Lamb caught 9 passes for 112 yards. Dallas won 40-37 in overtime at AT&T Stadium.
Pickens said Wednesday that he and Lamb are the best receiver duo in the NFL.
What Dennard Wilson Said About Greg Newsome II
The Giants signed cornerback Greg Newsome II as a free agent on March 13. Cleveland took him 26th overall in 2021.
Newsome has 4 interceptions and 43 passes defensed in 71 career games. He had 1 interception last season, which he split between Cleveland and Jacksonville.
Last week, Newsome said the Giants cornerback room wants to be the best in the league. Wilson said the rest of the room gravitates to him.
“The first thing I love about him is he loves to compete,” Wilson said. “He’s a glue guy. It’s like the guys in the room, they gravitate to him. His attention to detail in terms of his technique, assignments and understanding where his help is, what he can do within the framework of the defense is top notch. I love just the person.”
“And then he’s a tough player,” Wilson added. “He comes to work every day. He tries to prove it every day. And he has a chip on his shoulder. He’s trying to prove to not only himself, but to every other team around the National Football League that he was worthy of the first-round pick and he’s worthy of a big contract.”
New York won the second meeting last season, 34-17, on Jan. 4 at MetLife Stadium.
