Dallas Cowboys 53-Man Roster Projections 1.0: Bubble Watch Before Training Camp

How will the Cowboys' initial 53-man roster look when Week 1 rolls around?

Dallas Cowboys QBs Dak Prescott, Sam Howell, and Joe Milton III walk onto the field during practice. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things are about to move fast in the NFL, with training camp finally kicking off in just over a week. For the Dallas Cowboys, players will arrive on July 28, with practices beginning the next day.

Dallas enters the year with a loaded roster on the offensive side of the ball, with very few positions up for grabs. Still, there will be a few spots at the bottom of the depth chart, making for some interesting storylines. Defensively, there's going to be a lot more competition with Dallas switching to more of a 3-4 base defense under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

There will be plenty of players on the bubble on that side of the ball as Parker builds the roster in his image. Those battles begin during training camp, and with that around the corner, let's see how the 53-man roster could look when the Cowboys take the field in Week 1.

Quarterback (3):

• Dak Prescott
• Sam Howell
• Joe Milton

Running Back (4):

• Javonte Williams
• Jaydon Blue
• Phil Mafah
• Hunter Luepke

Notable Cuts: Malik Davis

Wide Receiver (5):

Dallas Cowboys wide receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb react during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• CeeDee Lamb
• George Pickens
• Ryan Flournoy
• KaVontae Turpin
• Traeshon Holden

Notable Cuts: Jonathan Mingo, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Anthony Smith

Tight End (3):

• Jake Ferguson
• Brevyn Spann-Ford
• Michael Trigg

Notable Cuts: Luke Schoonmaker

Offensive Line (9):

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

Offensive Summary, Players on the Bubble

Dallas Cowboys TE Luke Schoonmaker goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Offensively, there aren't many players on the bubble. That's because Dallas has all 11 starters returning, giving them excellent continuity. Arguably the biggest name on the bubble is tight end Luke Schoonmaker, a second-round pick out of Michigan in 2023. In this prediction, Schoonmaker is beaten out by undrafted free agent Michael Trigg for the third and final spot, making him a notable cut.

At receiver, Dallas also says goodbye to Jonathan Mingo, admitting the 2024 trade was a failure. Rookie seventh-round pick Anthony Smith is a name to watch, but he's edged out by Traeshon Holden, who enters his second season with plenty of hype.

Defensive Line (6):

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

EDGE (6):

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

Note: Charles Snowden suspended first three games

Inside Linebacker (4):

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Dee Winters goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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

Notable Cuts: Justin Barron, Langston Patterson

Cornerback (5):

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

Notable Cuts: Reddy Steward, Zion Childress

Safety (5):

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

Notable Cuts: Alijah Clark

Specialists (3):

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

Defensive Summary, Players on the Bubble

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Reddy Steward celebrates after sacking Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On defense, there will be a lot more players who find themselves on the bubble. One is 2024 third-round pick Marist Liufau. The Notre Dame product is moving from linebacker to EDGE in this new scheme, and initially it seemed as though he would be on the outside looking in when the 53-man roster was announced.

That could change after news broke that Charles Snowden was suspended for the first three games of the season. Liufau can use that time to try to prove he deserves a spot in the rotation, but he could still be a candidate when Snowden's suspension is over.

Another player on the bubble is Reddy Steward, who was one of the pleasant surprises last season. Steward proved to be a decent option in the nickel, but with Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson, and P.J. Locke all capable of playing in the slot, Steward is unable to earn a spot on the roster here.

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