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6) Who Makes Biggest Year-2 Jump? – Staff, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys have several players who could achieve this.
6) Who Makes Biggest Year-2 Jump?
Mickey: My guess is last year’s first of two third round selections Cooper Beebe. While Beebe was solid earning the starting center role as a rookie, remember he was making the transition from playing guard at Kansas State throughout his career to playing center fulltime for the first time and at the NFL level, no less. Sure, he held his own in the middle, but the experience of starting 16 of the 16 games he played in 2024 becomes hugely beneficial. Better recognizing defensive fronts and anticipating movements to better aid him making complicated line adjustments. And guarantee you having worked in the Cowboys strength and conditioning program for the past four months will create a much stronger center taking on those behemoth nose tackles littering the NFC East.
Nick: I have a feeling the guy who is going to make the biggest leap is linebacker Marist Liufau. The Cowboys have added a pair of veterans in Murray and Sanborn but Liufau had a solid rookie year and could be ready to take a huge leap. Let’s not forget how linebackers have always thrived in Eberflus’ system and who is to say Liufau won’t be the next one.
He’s got speed and quickness that is unmatched and when he gets to the ball carrier, he delivers quite a pop. Last year, he was still finding his way but something tells me Liufau is ready for a big jump this year.
Mina Kimes expresses optimism for Dallas Cowboys’ run game in 2025 – Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated
Dallas is not going anywhere this season if their running game doesn’t improve.
On her latest episode of The Mina Kimes Show, Kimes spoke with former NFL offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse about the Dallas ground game. Both expressed optimism despite the lack of a franchise back.
Kimes said her optimism about the run game stems from the passing attack, since defenses won’t be comfortable covering CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens one-on-one. She says that this will lead to a lot of light boxes, which will allow their backs to make plays.
Could Dallas improve at running the ball this year? The offense is likely to face a ton of light boxes—and both @mnewhouse73 and I are intrigued by the Klayton Adams hire.
NFC East preview pod
: https://t.co/wPS7KyByKs pic.twitter.com/CGz8fhzUDY
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 11, 2025
“That run game, to me, being better depends on a few things happening. The young offensive line has to take another step, but there’s continuity there, right? Like a lot of these guys got reps last year. I love that. Guyton, Beebe, you know like they played together. The young backs, Jaydon Blue is undersized, home run hitter, a little bit of a fumbling problem in college. But as kind of the Tony Pollard role, I do like it. Javonte Williams is the guy I’m hoping can look a little bit more like he did at the beginning of his career, where he was really tackle-breaking, punishing, bell-cow back.”
Cowboys Depth Chart: Could a veteran safety be a surprise training camp cut? – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The young talent in the safety room and contract situations may force this.
SAFE (3)
Malik Hooker, Juanyeh Thomas, Markquese Bell
The arrival of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus reunites Malik Hooker with the coach that solidified his starting status in the NFL during their time with the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2020. With two years left on his deal, Hooker can go ahead and be Sharpied in as the projected starter at free safety.
As for the other safety spot, that’s where things start to get interesting. Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell have each earned and kept roster spots because of their special teams prowess, and it could lead to a starting opportunity with a strong performance at training camp. Thomas enters a contract year with added motivation, and Bell is fresh off signing a three-year deal in free agency to return to Dallas.
ON THE BUBBLE (2)
Donovan Wilson, Alijah Clark
Despite being one of the longest tenured players on the team and a mainstay in the defensive backfield over the last six seasons, Donovan Wilson has young players gunning for his spot in 2025. Entering a contract year, the Cowboys could decide to cut ties with Wilson and save $7 million in cap space going into the season. After an offseason cleanup surgery in his knee kept him out for most of OTAs and minicamp, Wilson will need to hit the ground running in training camp to thwart off competition quickly closing in behind him.
Typically when evaluating which undrafted rookies have the best shot at making a roster, it’s a good practice to chase the money. In each of the last three seasons, the undrafted rookie with the most guaranteed money at signing ended up making the 53-man roster in year one (Markquese Bell, Hunter Luepke, Brevyn Spann-Ford). In 2025, that streak is in the hands of Alijah Clark. After earning a reputation as a tackling machine at Syracuse, Clark signed with the Cowboys and quickly saw some brief work with the first-team unit during minicamp while Wilson was sidelined.
What will be the biggest Cowboys storylines during training camp – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Cowboys.
Brian Schottenheimer
The first look at Brain Schottenheimer is the first thing that is going to be on my mind.
We all know he was hand-picked by not only the front office, but Dak Prescott and the rest of the offensive guys, who probably did not want to leave an entire new system yet again.
Over the summer months, we have seen the players buy into the vibes Schotty has been bringing to the team, but can he coach? That is the biggest question.
Yes, it will only be training camp, but let’s see how he starts the summer off and how the flow goes.
Trust Any RB?
I will be tuned into who is the first running back to take the bull by its horns and attempt to run away with the job.
Javonte Williams is the guy everyone thinks will be the starter for the most part, but it will likely be a running back by committee with him, Miles Sanders and rookie Jaydon Blue.
Blue is expected to push for playing time. He’s quick, dangerous in open space, and finished his final college season with 368 receiving yards. The team sees him as a possible third-down option.
We thought the same type of thing going into last season with Rico Dowdle, and it did not work until they let him just take control.
I think at some point we are going to see one of these guys separate from the others and clearly become the guy they trust to carry the load.
I just don’t know who it will be.
