Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster projection after Week 1 of NFL preseason

One preseason game is in the books for the Dallas Cowboys, who lost to the Los Angeles Rams on the road on Saturday. The game was sloppy, but that's part of the process during the preseason.

The important thing is that Dallas turned it around in the second half and looked far more competent. That should give them more confidence heading into this weekend's game against the Baltimore Ravens.

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Also of significance was the performance of several players on the roster bubble. Rookie receiver Traeshon Holden and former USFL defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey were two players who stood out, making the eventual roster cuts more difficult.

That said, here's a projection of how the 53-man roster could look when the Cowboys head into the regular season.

Quarterback (2):

Dak Prescott
Joe Milton III

Running Back (5):

Javonte Williams
Jaydon Blue
Deuce Vaughn
Phil Mafah
Hunter Luepke

Wide Receiver (6):

CeeDee Lamb
George Pickens
KaVontae Turpin
Jonathan Mingo
Traeshon Holden
Jalen Brooks

Tight End (3):

Jake Ferguson
Luke Schoonmaker
Brevyn Spann-Ford

Offensive Line (10):

Tyler Guyton
Tyler Smith
Cooper Beebe
Tyler Booker
Terence Steele
Nate Thomas
Asim Richards
Brock Hoffman
T.J. Bass
Ajani Cornelius

Offensive Summary

Dallas Cowboys running back Phil Mafah leaps over Los Angeles Rams safety Nate Valcarcel for a first down. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Joe Milton will still be the QB2 ahead of Will Grier despite his early struggles on Saturday. Grier is off the initial 53-man roster, but should be retained on the practice squad.

Miles Sanders could be a candidate for the practice squad as well after getting beaten out by Phil Mafah at running back. At receiver, Traeshon Holden and Jalen Brooks make it, with Jalen Tolbert being a surprise omission. As long as the Cowboys believe in Jonathan Mingo, Tolbert will be in trouble and could be traded to a receiver-needy team.

Defensive Line (9):

Micah Parsons
Osa Odighizuwa
Solomon Thomas
Dante Fowler Jr.
Donovan Ezeiruaku
Marshawn Kneeland
Sam Williams
Mazi Smith
Jay Toia

Linebacker (5):

Kenneth Murray
Marist Liufau
Jack Sanborn
Damone Clark
Justin Barron

DeMarvion Overshown (PUP)

Cornerback (6):

DaRon Bland
Kaiir Elam
Caelen Carson
Andrew Booth
Kemon Hall
Zion Childress

Trevon Diggs, Shavon Revel Jr., Josh Butler (PUP)

Safety (4)

Malik Hooker
Juanyeh Thomas
Israel Mukuamu
Markquese Bell

Specialists (3):

Brandon Aubrey (K)
Bryan Anger (P)
Trent Sieg (LS)

Defensive Summary

Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu celebrates after an interception during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Winfrey made a strong case for himself, but unless Dallas moves on from Mazi Smith, there's too much depth for him to make it. At linebacker, they go with just five players, although Damone Clark needs to play better if he wants to make the team.

At cornerback, they go deep, but they should add a veteran after their struggles this weekend. Safety isn't as deep, but they're talented, with four players who can start. Israel Mukuamu reminded us of that again this weekend.

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