Predicting which offensive linemen the Cowboys will carry is a bit difficult.
While the starting five for the Cowboys’ 2025 offensive line is pretty predictable, the depth spots are anything but. There should be heated battles for those four or five reserve spots, creating a pretty big roster bubble at guard, center, and tackle as Dallas works toward its final 53-man roster.
As long as nobody’s injured or takes an unexpected nosedive in performance, it’s easy to project the first-team line. Tyler Smith and Cooper Beebe are locked in as returning starters. Could Smith end up at left tackle? Maybe, but he’ll be starting no matter what. The same can be said for Beebe, who will almost certainly be at center again but has the flexibility to move to a guard spot.
The reason he probably won’t is first-round pick Tyler Booker. Before last April’s draft, the idea of Beebe potentially replacing Zack Martin at RG while the Cowboys explored other center options was more plausible. Even then, it was more likely that returning prospect Brock Hoffman or a free agent like Rob Jones or Saahdiq Charles might claim the spot. But once Dallas drafted Booker, their intentions for the interior line became very clear.
The starting tackles for 2025 are also fairly certain. Tyler Guyton is going to get every chance to put a rough rookie year behind him and deliver on the promise as last year’s first-rounder. Terence Steele will also return as the starting right tackle, with many hoping offensive changes under Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams will lean more into his strengths. Even if either Guyton or Steele is challenged for their starting role this summer, it’s hard to imagine one of them falling off the roster entirely.
With those five fairly locked in as 2025 roster members, the bubble starts to take shape. But there are two more guys you could argue are above the fray for those last few spots. Brock Hoffman, mentioned above, did admirable work filling in for Zack Martin last year. That experience, his versatility as a center/guard reserve, and a minimal contract offer significant value. Unless someone else shows prowess as a backup at center, Hoffman will be hard to oust.
Similarly, third-year prospect Asim Richards’ ability as a backup left tackle and guard option gives him an edge in roster battles. He may not push Guyton for the starting job; Dallas would likely kick Tyler Smith to LT before promoting Richards there. But he’s the current frontrunner to be the primary backup there, and perhaps a swing tackle depending on how things go with rookie Ajani Cornelius on the right side. Still cheap with two years left on his rookie deal, Richards won’t be let go lightly.
That’s seven spots seemingly spoken for, leaving just a few for the remaining contenders. We’ve already mentioned Cornelius as an additional tackle, and Jones and Charles fighting for another interior spot. They could all make it if Dallas actually keeps ten total linemen, but there’s a good chance they’ll only go with nine.
We haven’t even talked about T.J. Bass yet, another third-year guy who’s flashed potential. Or Nathan Thomas, a seventh-rounder last year with some position flex at guard and tackle. What about veterans like Hakeem Adeniji and Dakoda Shepley? Or maybe Matt Waletzko, who has battled health issues for three years but was a fifth-round pick not long ago.
While some of these guys will certainly wind up looking more like camp bodies than contenders, it’s hard to say right now how they’ll filter through the offseason process. With a new OL coach in Conor Riley, on top of whatever changes Schottenheimer and Adams bring, what’s made certain prospects desirable over the last few years may be changing. It means a very open field for competition this summer and one of the largest roster bubbles on the roster.
