Byron Cowart Bio
Byron Cowart is a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle born May 20, 1996. As of September 15, 2026, he is on the Washington Commanders’ practice squad. Washington signed him to its active roster on August 11, 2026, then added him to the practice squad on August 31. His role is primarily on the interior of the defensive line, although he has experience lining up at defensive end.
Cowart began his college career at Auburn before leaving during the 2017 fall semester and enrolling at Hillsborough Community College. He transferred to Maryland for the 2018 season and started throughout his only year with the Terrapins. Earlier, he had emerged as one of the country’s most highly regarded prospects at Armwood High School in Florida, earning recognition from major recruiting services as an elite defensive-line recruit.
The New England Patriots selected Cowart from Maryland in the fifth round with the 159th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. He later joined the Indianapolis Colts and had offseason or practice-squad affiliations with Kansas City, Houston and Miami. Cowart signed with Chicago on March 18, 2024, and with the New York Jets on March 13, 2025. Washington became his latest organization when it signed him in August 2026. His game is built around size, power, block-shedding ability and positional flexibility across the defensive front.
- Position
- DT
