Dallas Cowboys 53–Man Roster Projection Heading Into OTAs

Which 53 players will make the initial Cowboys’ roster?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott right, walks down the tunnel for warmup at Ford Field in Detroit. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

By now, we all know the initial 53-man roster is anything but final. The Dallas Cowboys have proven as much in recent years as players on the bubble have often been waived to make way for players claimed by other teams.

Dallas has also been known to release veteran players who aren’t subject to waivers, allowing them to make more moves before eventually bringing those veterans back.

Still, the initial 53-man roster is telling, and matters quite a bit for the younger players fighting for a spot. That said, here’s an early look at how the first 53-man roster for the Cowboys could look as they prepare for OTAs.

Quarterback (3):

• Dak Prescott
• Joe Milton
• Sam Howell

Running Back (4):

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams runs with the ball in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

• Javonte Williams
• Jaydon Blue
• Malik Davis
• Hunter Luepke

Wide Receiver (5):

• CeeDee Lamb
• George Pickens
• Ryan Flournoy
• KaVontae Turpin
• Anthony Smith

Tight End (3):

• Jake Ferguson
• Brevyn Spann-Ford
• Michael Trigg

Offensive Line (9):

• Tyler Guyton
• Tyler Smith
• Cooper Beebe
• Tyler Booker
• Terence Steele
• Drew Shelton
• Nate Thomas
• T.J. Bass
• Matt Hennessy

Offensive Summary

Dallas Cowboys tight end Michael Trigg goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

There are a couple of surprises on offense as Dallas moves on from Jonathan Mingo in favor of rookie Anthony Smith. The seventh-round pick offers more upside and it’s time the Cowboys move on from Mingo.

They also cut bait with Luke Schoonmaker, who loses out to Brevyn Spann-Ford for the TE2 spot. UDFA Michael Trigg, who has all the tools to succeed, beats out Princeton Fant, but Dallas would love to get him back on the practice squad. They also go three deep at quarterback after allowing Joe Milton and Sam Howell to fight for the QB2 spot.

Defensive Line (6):

• Quinnen Williams
• Kenny Clark
• Otito Ogbonnia
• Jonathan Bullard
• LT Overton
• Jay Toia

EDGE (5):

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Malachi Lawrence goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

• Rashan Gary
• Donovan Ezeiruaku
• Malachi Lawrence
• James Houston
• Sam Williams

Inside Linebacker (4):

• Dee Winters
• DeMarvion Overshown
• Jaishawn Barham
• Shemar James

Cornerback (6):

• DaRon Bland
• Shavon Revel Jr.
• Cobie Durant
• Devin Moore
• Reddy Steward
• Caelen Carson

Safety (5):

• Caleb Downs
• Jalen Thompson
• Malik Hooker
• P.J. Locke
• Markquese Bell

Specialists (3):

• Brandon Aubrey, K
• Bryan Anger, P
• Trent Sieg, LS

Defensive Summary

Dallas Cowboys DB Caleb Downs is coached through a drill with defensive coordinator Christian Parker. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

There was a lot of turnover on defense this offseason with the Cowboys rebuilding for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. There aren’t many surprises, however, since the Cowboys don’t have many depth pieces capable of pushing for a spot.

The biggest move, although it might not be a surprise at this point, is the release of Marist Liufau, who is being moved to edge where he’s never played. Outside of that, the only real drama will be seeing how deep Parker wants to go at each position.

In this prediction, he goes deep at cornerback due to previous injuries, and rolls with five safeties, including Caleb Downs who will spend plenty of time in the slot.

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