The Dallas Cowboys play their second preseason game on Saturday when they host the Baltimore Ravens. The team will continue to evaluate players as they gradually construct their 53-man roster. With several unknowns sprinkled all over, there will be plenty of things to watch in this game. Here are five players to keep a close eye on when the Cowboys hit the field against the Ravens.
1. Joe Milton, QB
All eyes are on the Cowboys’ new shiny new pass-throwing toy last Saturday after a Jekyll and Hyde performance last Saturday. The second-year quarterback was all over the place early, misfiring on all cylinders, but then settled down late in the third quarter. The team would love to see less of the ugly stuff and more of the latter. Milton appears to be the team’s ride-or-die backup with the “break glass if necessary” Will Grier as a last resort. Seeing him show a little more consistency would calm things for a bit, as well as provide better opportunities for bottom-roster wide receivers to fight for a spot on the team.
2. Tyler Booker, OG
In what turned out to be a puzzling coaching decision, the Cowboys didn’t play their first-round draft pick last week. Zero reps for this completely raw rookie. What a head-scratcher. That won’t be the case this week as the Alabama guard will see his first game action at the NFL level. Booker is off to a timid start in camp, even having veteran Rob Jones overtake the first-team reps at right guard before he got hurt. Unfortunately, Jones suffered a broken bone in his neck during the team’s first padded practice and is now out for the season. The Cowboys still have some good interior line depth in Brock Hoffman, T.J. Bass, and Saahdiq Charles, so Booker will still have to earn the starting job. A good showing on Saturday would be a positive step for him.
3. Perrion Winfrey, DT
The Cowboys have issues at nose tackle as veteran Mazi Smith has not looked good, and rookie Jay Toia looks like, well, a rookie. Last week, Smith was slow out of the gate and wasn’t effective against the Rams’ offensive line. Toia showed a little more energy, but struggled to maintain leverage. He would get torqued around and pushed off to the side. Winfrey was the best of the group on Saturday. He was quick off the snap, struck fast, and used his length to keep blockers from getting any push against him. There were multiple times last week that Winfrey created pressure and was close to getting home. If this former UFL star can continue to make plays, could he sneak himself onto the 53-man roster?
4. Hakeem Adeniji, OT
The coaching staff will have some tough decisions to make along the offensive line, as there are a handful of players on the fringe. This includes Asim Richards (fifth-round pick, 2023), Saahdiq Charles (free agent), and Ajani Cornelius (sixth-round rookie). All of them are in the mix for a final roster spot, as is 27-year-old free agent Hakeem Adeniji. Last week, he started at right tackle and held things down rather well. Another performance like that might secure his spot on the roster. Last week, we highlighted Richards and the team moved him around between left tackle and left guard. The team needs good depth along the offensive line, considering how banged up they have been in recent years. It could be a four-man race for the final two spots with Adeniji right in the thick of it.
5. Kemon Hall, CB
Last week, we identified rookie undrafted free agent defensive back Zion Childress as someone to keep an eye on, and that should continue as he’s making a good push for a roster spot. The Cowboys’ cornerback room is a little tumultuous right now due to several injuries. The team needs viable, healthy bodies to hold things down until reinforcements arrive. As unimpressive as they are, both Andrew Booth and Kemon Hall might be the team’s best options at the moment. Booth offers length, despite showing a tendency to get beaten deep. Hall isn’t smothering, but he’s typically around the ball, keeping smaller plays from becoming bigger plays. Whether it’s Booth, Hall, or Childress, the team desperately needs one of their defensive backs to step up and add some depth to the roster.
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