Finally! After what felt like months of waiting, we finally know who the Cowboys WR 2 will be-George Pickens, the stud the Cowboys acquired in a trade with the Steelers. With that looming question finally resolved, there are not too many left about who will be filling out the Cowboys roster in 2025. But there are still a few key spots that should see intense training camp battles.
DE2
Without a doubt, this is the position battle I’m looking forward to the most coming into training camp. With the departure of DeMarcus Lawrence, there is an open spot on the opposite end of the defensive line from All World edge Micah Parsons. The battle will prominently feature three second round picks. Marshawn Kneeland, last season’s second round pick, who is a stout run defender that was just starting to learn the nuances of pass rushing last season before injury sidelined him. There’s this years second round pick, Donovan Ezeiruaku, who, while slightly undersized, displays extreme athleticism and highly refined pass rushing technique. Then there’s Sam Williams, a second round pick entering the last year of his rookie deal and coming off a season ending ACL injury, who has displayed high levels of play mixed with frustrating levels of boneheaded mistakes. In addition to these second round guys, pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr, who had double digit sacks with the Commanders last season, has returned to the lineup for the Cowboys. DE2 this season could be any one of these players, and I am certain all of them will receive playing time. This is the most “open” position battle, with none of these guys having a clear “edge” (no pun intended) over the others. May the best man win!
CB3
In the third round of the draft, the Cowboys got a steal of a player in first round talent Shavon Revel due to his recent ACL tear. The Cowboys also have Trevon Diggs, who will likely not be ready for the start of the season due to a knee injury. Assuming Revel’s medical situation does not slow him down, he is the clear cut second best corner the Cowboys will be able to field until Diggs gets back, without having ever taken a snap. But until Diggs returns, the Cowboys will need to find a third man to play with Revel and All-Pro caliber cornerback Daron Bland. Many assumed the Cowboys will play defensive back Israel Mukuamu in the nickel with Bland and Revel starting on the outside, with Mukuamu having successfully started at nickel for the Cowboys in their playoff win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a few years ago. However, I think people making this assumption are being too quick to dismiss the recent Cowboys acquisition of Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills. Elam struggled mightily last season in Buffalo, leading many to believe he will serve as depth for the Cowboys and nothing more. Elam has elite physical traits, however, which led to him being a high draft selection, and has played high level football in the past. At only 24 years old, Elam can certainly still improve. He would play on the outside as opposed to Mukuamu playing on the inside, leading to Bland kicking inside to the nickel spot when the Cowboys field three corners. Considering his talent and his success in the past, Cowboys fans should not automatically assume Mukuamu in the slot will be a better option for this team than having Elam line up outside. I believe training camp will see the two pitted directly against each other to find out who truly is the third best corner on the team.
RB1
So far this offseason the Cowboys signed two free agents at running back, Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, and made two draft selections, Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. Williams received the bigger contract and Blue was the higher draft pick, meaning the two are likely competing for the RB1 spot. When the season starts, the Cowboys will employ a “by committee” approach at running back, with several backs getting significant carries, including Williams and Blue. This makes the designation of RB1 little more than an honorary title. For one of these backs to truly earn RB1 snaps during the season would require an unexpectedly dominant training camp performance. Otherwise, Williams may get the title just based off of his contract and veteran status, with him and Blue splitting most of the carries during the game regardless of designation. If Blue manages to earn the “RB1” title however, even if the Cowboys still take a “by committee” approach, it would be a strong statement in the Cowboys belief in the player to give the fifth round rookie the title over the veteran. So while the title itself may not mean much in terms of playing time, who bears it coming out of training camp still could be informative in how the Cowboys see their roster.
LT1
This is perhaps the most controversial position on the list. Many think Tyler Guyton will be given the job after being last year’s first round draft pick. In an ideal world, Guyton will pull up to camp and easily show he is the best tackle on the team, quickly solidifying his spot as the Cowboys starting left tackle. But it is hard to have faith in a man who was benched for Chuma Edoga, the Cowboys swing tackle last season who is not even an average caliber player. There have also been rumors that Guyton did not put in the necessary effort last season to improve, which partially led to the coaching staff’s decision to bench him. If these rumors are true, and Guyton does not improve beyond being that player who was worse than Chuma Edoga, there is a real chance he could end up not being the Cowboys starting left tackle this year. However, it may be difficult to call the left tackle spot a “competition” even with the concern about Guyton simply because the Cowboys may not have anyone for Guyton to compete with. The closest thing the Cowboys have to a starting caliber left tackle behind Guyton is Asim Richards, who played well in limited snaps last season but has not consistently shown he can be a full time starter at the position. If anyone currently on the Cowboys roster can take Guyton’s job, it will be Richards. Hopefully Guyton comes into training camp and the season with a devotion to getting better and uses his immense physical gifts to turn into the franchise left tackle the Cowboys envisioned when they drafted him, and Richards can continue being a great swing tackle. But if that hope does not play out, the Cowboys may have a terrifying battle on their hands for the most important spot on the offensive line.
WR6
The Cowboys currently have five WRs who seem like locks for the 2025 roster. CeeDee Lamb, Pickens, Jalen Tolbert, Kavontae Turpin, and Jonathan Mingo are all basically guaranteed spots on the team due to either their production, the draft capital spent to acquire them or the size of their contracts. That leaves one, maybe two spots left for the rest of the receivers the Cowboys have. Barring a surprise breakout from someone else, the remaining receivers who have a real chance to make the roster are Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy, and Jalen Cropper. All three have been late round or undrafted acquisitions over the last couple years, and all three have yet to really prove anything. Brooks and Flournoy have both had an impressive catch or two in games, while Cropper has never played in an NFL game. In theory that should give them some sort of competitive edge, but such limited production is not enough to definitely set them apart from Cropper. Cropper is fast and quick, Brooks is big and athletic, and Flournoy has a little of both elements to his game. If none of the three can separate from the others during training camp with their performance, look for Brooks to be the player who makes the roster due to his performance in previous training camps and similarity in play style to Lamb and Pickens.
