6 Dallas Cowboys Players Under Most Pressure As OTAs Begin

As we turn the calendar to June on Monday, the Dallas Cowboys will begin the next part of their offseason program.

That next part is organized team activities (OTAs), which will be the first time we get to see rookies and veterans on the field at the same time.

Dallas' OTAs schedule is as follows: June 1-2, June 4, June 8-9, and June 11.

It isn't yet clear which practices the Cowboys will open up to the media, but there should be two in total, and those sessions will give us insight into how some players are looking early on.

With that in mind, here's a look at six Cowboys players under the most pressure as OTAs begin.

Luke Schoonmaker

While the Cowboys didn't sign a veteran tight end in free agency, they did bring in two undrafted free agents at the position in Michael Trigg and DJ Rogers, both of whom could threaten Schoonmaker for a roster spot.

Schoonmaker is vulnerable this offseason because he has not lived up to his second-round billing and is now entering the final year of his contract, which could lead to the Cowboys seeking a trade partner for the veteran before they let him go for nothing next offseason.

We do think Schoonmaker will stick around through training camp, but he's far from guaranteed to be on the 53-man roster once cutdown day comes.

Malik Hooker

Hooker was already in danger of getting traded or cut this offseason after a lackluster 2025 campaign.

Now, he's got a much more crowded safeties room to contend in after the additions of P.J. Locke, Jalen Thompson and Caleb Downs.

With Hooker far from guaranteed to land a starting role, he needs to shine throughout the offseason. That said, it would not be at all surprising to see him playing elsewhere in 2026.

Joe Milton

It's pretty clear the Cowboys aren't totally content with Milton as the backup to Dak Prescott for 2026.

We know that because the Cowboys brought in legit competition for him with the signing of Sam Howell, who offers a more experienced option for the QB2 job.

Milton was a mixed bag in his limited opportunities last season, as he completed 62.5% of his passes for 183 yards and one touchdown but also tossed two interceptions.

Shavon Revel

Revel is one of two question marks the Cowboys have at corner, along with DaRon Bland. The difference is that Bland is playing on a massive contract, so his leash figures to be longer.

The 2025 third-round pick got a late start to 2025 because of his recovery from a torn ACL suffered in college, and he wasn't effective when he finally returned.

There is hope that Revel will rebound in 2026 now that he's further removed from that injury, but he's not going to be handed the job on the boundary because free-agent acquisition Cobie Durant is going to be in the mix to win that role.

Tyler Guyton

Guyton has not lived up to his first-round billing over two seasons and the Cowboys have multiple ways to replace him if he doesn't play better in 2026.

Dallas drafted Drew Shelton, and Nate Thomas is also an option to get a look at left tackle if Guyton falters. Then, there's the Tyler Smith option as well.

The 2024 draft pick needs to have a strong offseason if he wants to temporarily fight off doubts about his viability as a starter. That process will begin at OTAs this week.

Marist Liufau

A 2024 third-round pick, Liufau hasn't done much to impress over two years and is now trying to make the switch to edge rusher, which presents a clear challenge for him.

Whether he ends up at EDGE or inside linebacker, Liufau has a ton of competition at both spots that could relegate him to a deep reserve role, or even a cut candidate.

Dallas added Malachi Lawrence and Rashan Gary at the former spot, and Dee Winters and Jaishawn Barham at the latter. All of those moves put Liufau in a precarious spot as OTAs begin.

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