With one more preseason game to go and roster cuts due by Tuesday, we wanted to run through the Dallas Cowboys roster and look at how different players compare to others in perceived job security. Some will be fighting for their lives on Friday night, but many won’t even have a helmet because their spot on the 53-man roster is already decided.
Our first list shows the guys who absolutely, without a doubt, will be on the team in 2025. They may not debut until later in the year due to injury designations, but we’re confident that they won’t be waived injured and will get their chance once medically cleared. We’ll give you the names first, then dig into things below.
The 100 Club
QB Dak Prescott
RB Javonte Williams
RB Jaydon Blue
FB Hunter Luepke
WR CeeDee Lamb
WR George Pickens
WR KaVontae Turpin
WR Jalen Tolbert
WR Jonathan Mingo (IR/PUP)
TE Jake Ferguson
TE Luke Schoonmaker
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford
OT Tyler Guyton
OT Terence Steele
G Tyler Booker
G Tyler Smith
C Cooper Beebe
OL Brock Hoffman
OL Asim Richards
OL Hakeem Adeniji
DE Dante Fowler
DE Donovan Ezeiruaku
DE Marshawn Kneeland
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT Solomon Thomas
LB DeMarvion Overshown (IR/PUP)
LB Marist Liufau
LB Jack Sanborn
LB Kenneth Murray
CB Trevon Diggs (IR/PUP)
CB DaRon Bland
CB Shavon Revel Jr. (IR/PUP)
CB Kaiir Elam
CB Caelen Carson (IR/PUP)
S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson
S Juanyeh Thomas
S Markquese Bell
K Brandon Aubrey
P Bryan Anger
LS Trent Sieg
And with just that top tier, the roster is filling up fast. There are 41 names on that list, 36 if all of the IR/PUP guys don’t count against the 53 in Week 1. Assuming those four aren’t returning soon, that still only leaves 17 spots for the rest of our roster hopefuls.
This group offers a wide range of potential roles and importance to the team, but they all fit the criteria of having seemingly guaranteed roster spots. There’s obviously a huge difference between the likes of Prescott and Lamb and a backup like Markquese Bell. But with a fresh, new three-year contract and a clear role in the safety rotation, Bell shouldn’t feel any less secure.
A few other names merit explanation. Rookie RB Jaydon Blue may only be a fifth-round pick, but there’s no conceivable way he’s not on the roster. It’s not like he has any real competition, and a fifth for a RB in Dallas is no small commitment. We also see Javonte Williams as a lock given that he’s received starter treatment for several weeks, running mainly with the first-team offense in practice and being kept out of preseason games. Even if the Cowboys were to swing an eleventh-hour trade for a potential starter, Williams would still be around as a third-down back given his exceptional pass blocking.
Staying in the backfield, Hunter Luepke may seem like an odd choice as a roster lock, but his versatility makes him valuable. The coaches have praised it all summer, and beyond the pure fullback role, he helps your depth at RB and TE and plays special teams. Current injury issues at TE with Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford only further enhance Luepke’s security.
If not for Jonathan Mingo’s recent knee injury and expected absence until at least Week 5, Jalen Tolbert may not have made this tier. But now, he should be a lock given his experience, leaving other WR prospects to battle it out for one or two remaining spots.
Speaking of Spann-Ford, he’s missed nearly all of training camp but nobody’s really stepped up in his absence. He may be the 41st name on this list in terms of actual security, but we just don’t see why the Cowboys would dump him now.
Your offensive line backups seem pretty clear. Hoffman gives you center/guard flexibility, Richards covers guard and left tackle, and Adeniji gives you all-important depth at right tackle. We don’t really have a swing tackle this year; Nate Thomas is probably your LT backup (discussed below) and Adeniji has the right side. A couple more guys probably make it for more interior line depth, but we’ll get to them in the next tier.
On defense, we had to leave Micah Parsons off due to the trade demand and holdout potential. We’re 99% positive he will be a Cowboy in 2025, new deal or not, but that 1% is why he couldn’t be in The 100 Club. We also couldn’t include Sam Williams because of the competition he faces from James Houston and Tyrus Wheat for the bottom of the DE depth chart.
We’ll talk about more of the defensive decisions, particularly some names that you may think are missing, in the next list.
“Whoah! Really?”
QB Joe Milton III
QB Will Grier
OL Nate Thomas
DE Micah Parsons
DT Mazi Smith
CB Israel Mukuamu
Again, Parsons is only here on the slim chance he gets traded or decides to hold out of regular-season games. Even without a new deal, he still has $1.4 million coming to him each week on his fifth-year option salary. As ugly as this contract conflict has felt at times, Parsons remains present at team activities. We know how badly he wants to play. To go from here to him sitting out, let alone getting traded, just feels like too great a leap.
Another big surprise on defense would be if the Cowboys actually part with Mazi Smith at final cuts. No, things still aren’t going great for the former first-round pick. But it’s not like there’s any great option to replace him. Smith should at least get time to try to continue his scheme and role adjustment in the regular season, provided Dallas doesn’t make some kind of trade to fill his spot.
We’d also be pretty stunned if Israel Mukuamu wasn’t on the Week 1 roster. He may not stick around once all of those injured corners come back, but he’s one of the better options for now and offers additional value at safety and special teams. Dallas re-signed him for a reason this offseason.
Going into August, the idea of Dallas only keeping Milton as a backup QB and leaving Grier to the practice squad felt more possible. But given Milton’s preseason struggles, it now feels more like Grier will be QB2 and Milton will get another year of development. Still, Dallas will want to protect Milton’s rights by keeping him on the 53. Barring a new arrival at QB, it would be shocking to see either of them cut.
Additionally, it’s hard to imagine Nate Thomas not making it given how he’s done this summer and his potential role. While Guyton’s been out with injury, Thomas has been the next man up at left tackle. He’s looked better in practices than in games, but the team still sees potential at a very important position. We expect him to be the ninth man on the offensive line, but hold open the possibility that they use Richards as the LT backup and go another way.
Surprising, but Not Shocking
DE Sam Williams
DT Jay Toia
LB Damone Clark
ST C.J. Goodwin
These guys wouldn’t make the same news waves if released as the ones above, but they’d still cause eyebrows to rise. We already mentioned that Williams has tough competition for the bottom of the DE depth chart, and being on an expiring contract doesn’t help him. But still, to see the second-year pick not finish out his rookie deal would surprise us.
As only a seventh-round pick, Toia would hardly be a surprise most years. But things are pretty bleak right now at DT, and especially when it comes to run stuffers. Barring any late arrivals, Toia should make the team by default.
Clark feels like he will be one of the top four linebackers, especially given how much time Kenneth Murray has missed with family obligations. But what if they really like rookie Shemar James? It’s more likely that Dallas keeps five LBs to hang on to James than give him Clark’s spot, but the roster math could force a bolder move.
And of course, there’s Goodwin. We’ve said it many times; betting against Goodwin making the 53 is a fool’s errand. But now that he’s 35 years old, and there’s a new special teams coordinator in town, it’s more conceivable than ever. Another CB or WR with actual value at their official position could knock him off, but we’ll believe it when we see it.
The Bubble
RB Miles Sanders
RB Phil Mafah
WR Ryan Flournoy
WR Traeshon Holden
WR Jalen Brooks
TE John Stephens Jr.
TE Princeton Fant
OL T.J. Bass
OL Ajani Cornelius
DE Payton Turner
DE James Houston
DE Tyrus Wheat
DT Perrion Winfrey
LB Shemar James
CB Andrew Booth
CB Kemon Hall
CB Zion Childress
If we’re right about the top three tiers, only seven roster spots remain for this large group of contenders. These will come down to either a winner in a down-roster battle or the team deciding to go long at a position. For example, we know at least one of Brooks, Flournoy, or Holden will make it as WR5 while Mingo is out. But will the team keep six and hang on to two of them? Special teams will go a long way to deciding that one.
A tenth offensive lineman is possible but not guaranteed. All of that versatility we mentioned before with Hoffman and Richards lends itself to only keeping nine guys. But if it does come down to a decision between Bass and Cornelius for a tenth spot, it will likely hinge on who Dallas thinks is less likely to get poached from the practice squad.
Houston, Turner, and Wheat are all hoping that Dallas keeps six DEs. Again, special teams will matter, and that’s where Wheat would have an edge on the others. If Houston or Turner make it, it’d probably be because the Cowboys moved on from Sam Williams.
It’s going to be a brawl at CB with Booth, Childress, and Hall. They’ve all been given opportunities to show they could handle a top-three role, especially before injured guys return. Because DaRon Bland has the flexibility to play outside or slot, it gives Dallas some freedom to go with the best player and not just who can play a certain role.
Dark Horses
RB Deuce Vaughn
RB Malik Davis
TE Rivaldo Fairweather
TE Tyler Neville
OL La’el Collins
LB Justin Barron
CB Troy Pride Jr.
CB Michael Ojemudia
S Alijah Clark
These would be surprises on the other side of the spectrum, but not total shockers. Their road to the roster would almost be entirely based on special teams, with Nick Sorensen thinking they can help him more than someone we’ve already mentioned.
One guy for whom special teams doesn’t matter is La’el Collins, but we’re still very dubious about his chances of making it. This felt way more like a move for preseason depth after Matt Waletzko and Rob Jones got hurt, and maybe a favor to an old friend. If they still want to work with Collins as he gets back into football shape, it’ll be from the practice squad.
Malik Davis is definitely a long shot, but being the best RB in preseason games certainly didn’t hurt his case. But not being a special teams guy is what kept him behind Rico Dowdle from 2022-2023, and would be an issue for him again now.
The two tight ends are mentioned because it’s not like Stephens or Fant have really turned heads. One of these UDFAs making it over them would still be a surprise, but at least feels like it’s on the table.
We put Ojemudia here because he’s only just arrived this week. If he hits the ground running, the former third-round pick could at least get a chance to work his way further into the mix from the bottom of the CB depth chart.
Everyone Else
Sorry, fans of Tommy Akingbesote, Buddy Johnson, Jalen Cropper, and others, but this isn’t your year. A few of those we haven’t already mentioned, like Akingbesote, could still be practice squad candidates. But this exercise was about guys with even a slim chance of making the 53, and anyone we haven’t named yet just doesn’t make sense for 2025.
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