How confident are you in the Cowboys’ depth at corner?
The cornerback position is rife with questions and competition as the Cowboys prepare for their 2025 training camp. Between new players and a revamped coaching staff, there’s plenty of room for fortunes to change. And with some key players dealing with injuries that could impact the regular season, how things finally shake out could have a major impact on pass defense.
Will Trevon Diggs be ready for Week 1? There’s a range of opinions on that, and the answer matters as far as how many guys can make the roster at final cuts. If Diggs does start the year on IR or PUP, that is potentially one more spot for someone else.
Injury uncertainty is also at work with rookie Shavon Revel and returning prospect Josh Butler. Revel’s ACL injury in college, the key reason he fell to the third round last April, could delay his NFL debut. It’s not expected to be a lost season by any shot, but maybe the first month or two. Butler is still working back from a torn ACL in Week 13, which given the timing will make it hard for him to be on the Week 1 roster. Revel will certainly have a spot when he’s ready, and Butler has flashed enough potential to deserve another look.
Those situations make it hard to project just how many openings there are for the rest of the pack. One guy we know isn’t sweating it is DaRon Bland, the 2023 All-Pro who’s looking to get back to that form ahead of free agency. Whether it’s outside or in the slot, Bland is going to be on the field as much as he can take as Dallas’ only clear starter.
One guy we should mention is Israel Mukuamu, who is back on a one-year deal. Though officially listed as a safety, Mukuamu’s versatility is part of why he’s been retained. He could see more corner snaps than ever in 2025, especially early in the season while others are out. Reports had him playing outside corner during recent camps and OTAs, and looking good doing so. His versatility could also affect roster math, allowing Dallas to keep one less DB and hang on to talent elsewhere.
From there, who knows? There are certainly prospects with better odds than others, but a lot will depend on what Matt Eberflus and new DB coach David Overstreet are looking for in their cornerbacks. Some guys we thought highly of a year ago could slide while others rise under a new regime. Given that, you may be surprised by a couple of these first names we consider to be on the roster bubble.
Caelen Carson
Last summer, Carson had hype swirling around him as a Day 3 gem. But once the season started, he looked very much like a fifth-round rookie. Then a shoulder injury knocked him out for several weeks, and ultimately he only played in six games. Nevertheless, because of the aforementioned injuries, Carson may have to serve as one of the top three CBs at least to start the season. If his camp and preseason go as well as last year, everyone will feel much more confident about that prospect. But as 2024 showed, that may not translate to the real games. It’s highly unlikely that he isn’t on the roster in some capacity, but the potential has to be considered given where we are today.
Kaiir Elam
A 2022 first-round pick by Buffalo, Elam was sent to Dallas last March in a swap of late draft picks. He’s only started 12 games so far in the NFL, losing most of 2023 to injury, but the Bills didn’t feel like continuing his development. The Cowboys, ever ready to rehabilitate other teams’ first-round busts, will now give Elam a great opportunity. Like Carson, Elam may have to take on heavy responsibility early with Diggs and others out. He’s already getting praised for his work in the spring practices, so at least we’re off to a good start.
Andrew Booth
Last year, Dallas and Minnesota swapped perceived busts at CB when the Cowboys sent Nahshon Wright to the Vikings for Booth. Unfortunately, Booth spent most of 2024 verifying why his last team didn’t want him. Struggling mightily in coverage, he enters his fourth NFL season with no margin for error. Maybe the new secondary coaches will figure out something that others couldn’t. Given his experience, Booth could make the team initially due to injuries. But he will need a dramatic uptick in performance to stick around.
Troy Pride Jr.
A fourth-round pick in 2020 by Carolina, Pride started eight games as a rookie and played in 14 total. A knee injury ended his second season early and hurt his career path. He was on the practice squad circuit from 2023-2024, finally landing in Dallas last December and getting called up for two late-season games. He’s a better zone defender than man, which could help him be competitive in Matt Eberflus’ scheme.
Kemon Hall
Spending most of 2024 on the practice squad, Hall was kept for another chance this year. At 28 years old, he’s hardly a developmental prospect at this point. He appeared in six games last year, playing entirely on special teams. Hall will be handicapped against younger competition with potential to grow further, but Dallas’ main focus will be getting guys on the field who can actually play now. Hall’s experience could help him in that fray.
Robert Rochell
Just signed recently as a free agent, Rochell is sort of a blend of Pride and Hall. He’s a former fourth-round pick from 2021 by the Rams but is 27 years old, so not really offering much upside from here. His last two years in Green Bay have been all special teams work. That will be a key for all of these down-roster guys finding work. Rochell has 48 career games under his belt, including five starts as a rookie, so that experience edge could serve him well.
The competition doesn’t end there. Given the early-season need for bodies, even undrafted free agents like Alijah Clark and Bruce Harmon could compete. But because the real-game snaps will come in September and October, Dallas will likely lean on more experienced options. UDFAs will have to be significantly better, and offer special teams roles, to force their way up the depth chart. They’re still longshots, but the path is a little shorter thanks to the current injury issues,
