Mike Zimmer will take over as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024. The coach has a good résumé when it comes to developing talent throughout his time with the Cowboys, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Minnesota Vikings. In all, 11 defensive players have become first-time Pro Bowlers under Zimmer’s tutelage.
When taking a look at these 11 players, we wondered if there are any commonalities with them. Is the talent heavy in the secondary since defensive backs were his specialty? How long did it take to get them playing at a high level and were they one-year wonders? Those are the types of things we examined as we uncovered five observations about the talent Zimmer creates on defense.
1. NO PRO BOWLERS IN YEAR ONE
When Zimmer is brought on to help a team’s defense, usually they are in bad shape. When he showed up in Minnesota in 2014, the Vikings’ defense was coming off a year where they allowed the most points in the entire league. Zimmer has a good history of fixing problems on defense, but it doesn’t happen right away.
We’ve heard stories about how Zimmer’s defense typically has a steep learning curve and to expect some growing pains before things get better. Learning new things takes time, but it’s also important to note that Zimmer usually inherits a team that is depleted in defensive talent. As a new defensive coordinator in Dallas, Atlanta, and Cincinnati, and then as a head coach in Minnesota, his teams have sent a grand total of ZERO defensive players to the Pro Bowl during his first year with the team.
2. THEY GET GOING IN YEAR TWO
The good news is things start to really pick up in year two. Of the 11 first-time Pro Bowlers under Mike Zimmer, seven of them earned Pro Bowl honors during Zimmer’s second season as their coach.
First year Pro Bowlers under Mike Zimmer
YEAR | TEAM | PLAYER | POS | FIRST PRO BOWL SEASON |
---|---|---|---|---|
YEAR | TEAM | PLAYER | POS | FIRST PRO BOWL SEASON |
2003 | DAL | Roy Williams | FS | 2nd year |
2006 | DAL | DeMarcus Ware | EDGE | 2nd year |
2011 | CIN | Geno Atkins | DT | 2nd year |
2013 | CIN | Vontaze Burfict | LB | 2nd year |
2015 | MIN | Anthony Barr | LB | 2nd year |
2015 | MIN | Harrison Smith | FS | 2nd year |
2015 | MIN | Everson Griffen | EDGE | 2nd year |
2016 | MIN | Linval Joseph | NT | 3rd year |
2016 | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | CB | 3rd year |
2018 | MIN | Danielle Hunter | EDGE | 4th year |
2019 | MIN | Eric Kendricks | LB | 5th year |
One thing to note about the seven “second-year” Pro Bowlers, six of them were actually in their second year in the league, but that was not the case for Everson Griffen. He didn’t make the Pro Bowl until his sixth year in the league, but it was still just his second year under Zimmer. Griffen only started one game during his first four years in the league and it wasn’t until Zimmer arrived that he became an everyday starter. Griffen averaged 11 sacks a year during his first four years with his new head coach.
3. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN TAKE A LITTLE LONGER
Griffen is a good example of how players don’t always hit the ground running, but there are other examples on this list too. His teammate Danielle Hunter didn’t earn Pro Bowl honors until his fourth year in the league. Like Griffen, he didn’t become a starter right away as it took him to year three before he moved into the starter role. And like Griffen, Hunter made it to the Pro Bowl during his second year as a starter when he then reeled off 14.5 sacks in two consecutive seasons.
Nose tackle Linval Joseph was just a regular Joe before hooking up with Zimmer. It took him seven years to finally make a Pro Bowl, but it was year number three under Zimmer. Even the great Geno Atkins rode the pine his rookie season (only one start) before emerging as one of the game’s top defensive tackles.
It’s worth noting that Atkins (fourth round), Griffen (fourth round), and Hunter (third round) were gems found later in the draft so these defensive line development projects took a little longer than the other guys listed above.
4. ONCE THEY’RE GOOD, THEY STAY GOOD
While it may take a bit to get going, once Zimmer’s defenders have turned the corner, they typically play at a high level for many years to come. A great majority of the players listed above had been to multiple Pro Bowls and once they make it, they keep rolling.
Pro Bowl Resume
YEAR | TEAM | PLAYER | POS | PRO BOWL RESUME | ALL PRO? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
YEAR | TEAM | PLAYER | POS | PRO BOWL RESUME | ALL PRO? |
2003 | DAL | Roy Williams | FS | Made FIVE straight Pro Bowls | yes |
2006 | DAL | DeMarcus Ware | EDGE | Made SEVEN straight Pro Bowls with Dallas and TWO more with Denver | yes |
2011 | CIN | Geno Atkins | DT | Made SEVEN Pro Bowls in eight years | yes |
2013 | CIN | Vontaze Burfict | LB | An UDFA, only ONE Pro Bowl season | yes |
2015 | MIN | Anthony Barr | LB | Made FOUR straight Pro Bowls | no |
2015 | MIN | Harrison Smith | FS | Made SIX Pro Bowls in seven years | yes |
2015 | MIN | Everson Griffen | EDGE | Made THREE Pro Bowls in four years | yes |
2016 | MIN | Linval Joseph | NT | Made TWO straight Pro Bowls | no |
2016 | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | CB | Made THREE Pro Bowls in four years | yes |
2018 | MIN | Danielle Hunter | EDGE | Made FOUR Pro Bowls in five years | yes |
2019 | MIN | Eric Kendricks | LB | Only made ONE Pro Bowl | yes |
Looking at this list shows the Zimmer effect. Obviously, a player like DeMarcus Ware is special and was going to make a splash with or without Zimmer, but the coach certainly helped Ware along the way as he played his way into Canton. Another player, Vontaze Burfict, wasn’t even drafted, but Zimmer turned him into an All-Pro in just his second year as he racked up 171 tackles in 2013. Sadly, Burfict never had another strong season after Zimmer left Cincy. Even Anthony Barr, who was never a superstar player, was so consistently good for Zimmer during a nice four-year stretch where he made the Pro Bowl every season.
The repeated Pro Bowl success is an indicator that once Zimmer can connect with his players and get them playing well, there’s a great chance he’ll get some steady production out of them for years to come.
5. THE TALENT IS SPREAD OUT
Zimmer started his NFL coaching career as a defensive backs coach for the Cowboys. We know about studs like Roy Williams and Harrison Smith who both had great stretches being one of the best safeties in the league. And from the list above, we see the success he had with cornerback Xavier Rhodes. We also know that cornerback Terence Newman played for Zimmer in Dallas, Cincinnati, and Minnesota as he was able to play well for a very long time, holding down a starting corner job at 39 years of age.
But Zimmer’s defensive development isn’t limited to the secondary as the talent is spread out. From the 11 first-time Pro Bowlers listed above, here is the position distribution:
- Edge Rushers = 3
- Linebackers = 3
- Defensive Tackles = 2
- Safeties = 2
- Cornerback = 1
The team’s new defensive coordinator should be able to develop strong players at any position.
Unlike the other teams Zimmer took over, this current Cowboys team has a nice spread of talent. All-Pros Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence lead the front while All-Pros Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland hold down the secondary. There are also players like Osa Odighizuwa who have breakout potential. Zimmer has a lot to work with so we won’t likely have to wait quite as long for this unit to be great. It’s still good to know that for some, things will take time, but when things start to click, this could be a very formidable defense.