Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Cowboys really need to add a one-technique. The Dallas Cowboys have talked a lot about being tougher, more disciplined, and stronger in the trenches this offseason. Their actions in free agency only somewhat matched the talk we heard earlier in the offseason. After adding Dante Fowler, Solomon Thomas, and Payton Turner in free agency to the defensive line, the Cowboys looked to boost their pass rush, but they did not have many additions to boost their ability to stop the run. With Mazi Smith being the only 1-technique on the roster with NFL time under his belt, the Cowboys will need to add someone in the 2025 NFL draft that can compete with Smith for starting reps and provide quality depth. Today we will look at four names that should be available on day two that can be upgrades for the Cowboys struggling run defense. Tyleik Williams, DL, Ohio State Outside of drafting Mazi Smith in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, the Cowboys have made very little investment in the 1-tech position over the last decade. It has been a slow development for Smith so far heading into year three and the Cowboys could look to add competition early in this draft. Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams is projected to go early in round two and would be excellent value if available at 44. Williams has the size (6-foot-3, 334-pounds), power, and anchor to be an immediate upgrade on the Cowboys defensive front. Despite his lack of length, Williams plays with consistent pad-level to hold his ground in the run game, while showcasing an explosive first step to win as a rusher. Williams will not be drafted inside the top 50 for what he will bring as a pass rusher, but his power and athleticism allows him to shine in that area on occasion. Ohio State iDL Tyleik Williams run defense (and one PA pass) highlights v Iowa pic.twitter.com/9wz65BOG4T — Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) March 17, 2025 Alfred Collins, DL, Texas One of the better run defenders in the draft is Texas’ Alfred Collins. Listed at 6-foot-6, 332-pounds, Collins is an absolute giant on the defensive line with a lot of power at the point of attack. To match his impressive frame, Collins has extremely long arms that allows him to keep his chest free of blocks to hold his ground against the run. Collins brings very little to the table as a pass rusher, but he gives defensive coaches something to dream on with his frame and natural power package. Given his physical traits, Collins is another candidate that would be considered with the 44th overall pick. One of the best ways to boost your run defense this offseason? Draft Texas’ 6’6, 330lb Alfred Collins (35” arms) on Day 2. But with a 14th percentile vert and 6th percentile broad, does he meet the Bills’ explosiveness thresholds?pic.twitter.com/DCCDgbTq8U — Air Raid | Buffalo (@TheBillsGuys) March 18, 2025 Jamaree Caldwell, DL, Oregon One of my favorite players in the 2025 NFL draft is Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell. Despite his lack of sack production in his college career, Caldwell is the total package that can develop into a quality three-down player in the NFL. Caldwell’s lack of length will likely hurt his draft stock, but he uses his shorter, stout frame to his advantage to win with leverage along the interior. While Caldwell will be an immediate upgrade to the Cowboys run defense, there is more in the tank as a pass rusher. Caldwell has some of the more impressive tape in this class and he would be an excellent option if the Cowboys address other positions with their first and second-round picks in April. Jamaree Caldwell is a 340-lb nose tackle who can:– hold the point in the A-gap– split double teams– win with power– win with speed– chase screens/stretch runs to the sideline Surprised he doesn’t have more hype pic.twitter.com/htXTbGKZUp — James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 9, 2025 CJ West, DL, Indiana C.J. West is an option that should be being talked about in the third round to address the Cowboys run defense concerns. Despite size concerns for West, his quickness, explosiveness, and technique allow him to play much bigger than his 6-foot-1, 316-pound size would suggest. West split time playing the 1- and 3-technique in his one year at Indiana and that versatility translates well to his role in the NFL. West may not be as hot a name as some of the other guys in this class, but his tape shows a player that will have no problem carving out a valuable role in the NFL. CJ West is an awesome run defender. Can beat you with strength or shoot a gap with his quickness to get into the backfield pic.twitter.com/6amyQdXrem — Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 11, 2025

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Do you feel like this offseason is different relative to last? It feels very fair to say that 2024 was a poor year for the Dallas Cowboys. To be clear we are talking about the year at large, not just the football season. Negative headlines dominated every move they made and as if matters weren’t bad enough, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl shortly after the calendar officially turned. We all know better than to line up for the field goal attempt that Lucy is holding right in front of us, but to be straight up about things the fact that she is even holding the ball up is progress for the Cowboys these days. It was flattened on the ground at this time last year. Starting today we will have discussion templates every weekday here on the blog and today we want to know: Does this offseason feel different? Even just a little bit? To be clear you can think that it feels different while simultaneously believing that it is still not enough or not close to enough. “Different” doesn’t mean that everything is perfect all of a sudden. Let us know in the comments below!

Think you can figure out which Cowboys player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Hey Cowboys fans! We’ve got a new treat for everybody. Some of you have likely seen the daily trivia game that lives in the top right corner above the fold of the site. To date, that game has been the SB Nation in-5 trivia game. Today, that changes here. We’ve now got a Dallas Cowboys version of the game. The SB Nation version has been a general NFL game with active and retired players from all 32 teams featured. Moving forward, at Blogging The Boys you’ll get a daily Cowboys version of this game. We’ll be rotating between current Cowboys and some of our old favorites and not so well-known options. You can still play the SB Nation version. You just need to go to sbnation.com, where it lives on the front page every day. You can play the game below and share your results in the comments or on social media. Please share any and all feedback about the game, both good and bad. You can post feedback in the comments, but we also have a Google Form. We’re past the beta stage of the game, but it’s still a work in progress. See Blogging The Boys in-5 game instructions below the game. If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Blogging The Boys in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Cowboys player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images This would be an instant upgrade to the Cowboys’ defensive front. Coming into the offseason, the Dallas Cowboys knew they had work to do to fill some holes before the NFL draft, and the defensive line was one of the key areas. They’ve made several moves in regard to the unit, with bringing back edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. being the most noteworthy. When taking a look at the free agent market, there’s another name the Cowboys should consider, and it’s veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell. Of course, in the world of the NFL, any player north of 30 is considered old. Campbell is looking father time directly in the face and holding up very nicely. In 2024, his 17th in the league, Campbell finished with 52 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, 12 quarterback hits, and also recorded five batted passes at the line of scrimmage for the Miami Dolphins. Campbell recorded a defense grade of 82.3 per Pro Football Focus, which was seventh among all defensive lineman. Also, his 85.9 run-defense grade was ranked first for all defensive lineman. With Campbell’s help, the Dolphins were ninth against the run last season and were fourth in total defense. That alone should make Campbell appealing to the Cowboys. They were terrible against the run last season and haven’t been the best going back to the Dan Quinn era. Campbell could come right in and help a guy like Osa Odighizuwa and also work with Mazi Smith to anchor the interior of the defensive line and help in turning that aspect around. With Campbell still being able to get to the quarterback, he can assist in moving the pocket as well and set up guys like All-Pro Micah Parsons and the aforementioned Fowler to make plays off the edge. Campbell played on a one-year deal worth $2 million with a $1.2 million based salary last season. Dallas currently has the ninth-most cap space at $38.5 million per Over The Cap. So, from a cost standpoint, getting Campbell is more than doable for the Cowboys.

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images Amid all the good things the Cowboys have done this offseason, there’s still one glaring hole that needs addressed. After two weeks of free agency, the Dallas Cowboys have done a good job filling holes on their roster. They’ve lost some key players, but they have been, let’s just say, selectively aggressive in replacing them. The team is certainly active and that’s something. One area that still needs attention is the backup quarterback spot. Last season, they had two backups on the roster, Cooper Rush and Trey Lance. As of right now, neither will be returning, meaning the Cowboys will be forced to go a different direction after counting on Rush for the majority of his eight seasons with the Cowboys. Rush’s time in Dallas was weird. He was an undrafted free agent in 2017 and relegated to third-string behind Prescott and Kellen Moore. He had a great showing in preseason and eventually took over as the second-string quarterback when the team released Moore who was then signed to the practice squad. In 2018, the Cowboys drafted Mike White in the fifth round, but he struggled and was eventually sent packing. Rush thwarted any attempt to push him off the roster during his first three years in the league. It was his gig. Oddly enough, it was a gig that didn’t require him to do much on the field. Rush never started a game from 2017 to 2019 and only threw one pass for two yards. In 2020, amidst a coaching change, the Cowboys went another direction at backup quarterback. Even though Prescott hadn’t missed a single game through his first four years, the team spent a little extra money and signed Andy Dalton in free agency. They also selected Ben DiNucci late in the draft, who was a favorite of new head coach Mike McCarthy. With two new quarterbacks, Rush was released. He was signed the very next day by the New York Giants, who just so happened to have Jason Garrett as their new offensive coordinator. Rush didn’t make the team with the Giants and the Cowboys conveniently re-signed him in October after Prescott had his gruesome ankle injury and Dalton suffered a concussion. He was still stuck behind DiNucci and another backup quarterback, Garrett Gilbert. While four quarterbacks played for the Cowboys in 2020, Rush wasn’t one of them. He never played a snap that season for anyone. Rush was back in the saddle as the team’s primary backup the following year, beating out both DiNucci and Gilbert. And this go round, he finally had his number called. From 2021 to 2024, Rush made 14 starts covering for the injured Prescott. Over the next two seasons, he was 5-1 as a starter, causing the Cowboys to re-up on him with a two-year, $5 million extension. Rush finished his time in Dallas with a 9-5 record as a starter with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While he was never anything flashy, he proved to be an effective backup who could hold down the fort as a short-term replacement. But now Rush is gone. His departure doesn’t bring about much sadness for Cowboys’ fans. The Baltimore Ravens signed him to a two-year, $6.2 million deal (with incentives that could raise the value to $12 million) to hang out behind their All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson. Rush signing elsewhere leaves a hole at the backup quarterback position for the Cowboys. After that incredible four-year start where he never missed a game, Dak has missed time in four of his last five seasons. In two of those seasons, he’s missed at least half the season. He’s missed a total of 24 games in five years. The Cowboys have been without Prescott 30% of the time over the last half-decade. And it’s not likely to get much better. Prescott will be 32 when the season starts. Assuming he plays at least six games this upcoming season, he will surpass Tony Romo and have the second most starts at quarterback for the Cowboys, trailing only Troy Aikman. Currently, Will Grier is the team’s backup. Similar to Rush, Grier gets a second chance in Dallas. He was originally signed in 2021 after DiNucci was released. He never saw action with the Cowboys and was released when the team traded for Trey Lance. Speaking of Lance, the team spent a fourth-round draft pick gambling on his potential, only to realize what the San Francisco 49ers already knew. He just doesn’t have it. The Cowboys’ plan at backup QB is unclear. There’s not much left to choose from in free agency as 16 backups have already been signed. The best free agent backup QB left on the market is the 40-year-old Joe Flacco. That means the team’s best chance to get a viable backup is April’s draft, however, that could be a little tricky as well. The good news is the Cowboys have some extra Day 3 picks thanks to compensatory picks, but these picks are so late in the draft that the top 10 college prospects should be gone by then. That means the Cowboys are grasping at straws to find a quality quarterback late in the draft. It’s scary when you think about it. Nothing feels worse than when Prescott goes down and if the team doesn’t have someone giving them a fighting chance, that’s a bad spot to be in. We’ll pass judgment come summertime when it’s clearer what they’re doing, but right now they aren’t sitting in a good place when it comes to having a good backup plan at quarterback.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images After Parsons signs, whose turn is it after? After a flurry of transactions, including reuniting with edge rusher Dante Fowler after a one-year stay in Washington and re-signing Osa Odighizuwa to a four-yea, $80M contract, the Dallas Cowboys aren’t finished opening their checkbook. Terence Parsons, the brother of All-Pro edge rush Micah, had teased on X that his brother and the Cowboys had begun discussing a new contract. However, it’s been reported that the talks have not been substantial although Parsons has said that 40M annually would make him the “happiest man alive.” Striking a deal would not only be important for the Cowboys and Micah Parsons’ financial security, but also would impact other players on the roster. Currently, Parsons is playing out the last year of his rookie contract on a fifth-year club option with a cost of $24M. Signing Parsons to a long-term contract is the Cowboys current highest priority, but what about after that? Here are the players who should be next in line for new deals right after Parsons. Tyler Smith Though there was a lot of cynicism about the selection of Tyler Smith in the 2022 draft, he has exceeded all expectations. He played admirably as a rookie left tackle and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team. Where he really thrives is at left guard. Since making the transition full-time to that position, he has been exceptional. He’s a powerful mover in the running game and has good athleticism in getting to the second level of a defense. Smith is also a very effective pass blocker. Smith struggles with penalties occasionally, but his overall impact far outweighs that. He’s made the Pro Bowl the last two seasons and is only improving. At 23 years old, he’s got so much more potential to realize. Next year will be his fifth-year option season. The Cowboys should move now and secure one of their cornerstone pieces for the future. DaRon Bland DaRon Bland is one of the more instinctual cornerbacks with excellent ball skills when healthy. He played in the slot as a rookie before moving to the boundary corner because of injuries. Even then, he showed he could hold his own and cemented himself as a playmaker. In year two, Bland erupted. He had nine interceptions and returned an NFL record five of them for touchdowns. He was named to the All-Pro team for his efforts, and things were looking up for his third season. DARON BLAND JUST BROKE THE NFL SINGLE-SEASON RECORD WITH HIS FIFTH PICK-SIX OF THE YEAR‼️ (via @dallascowboys)pic.twitter.com/BTjADFUah5 — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 24, 2023 Unfortunately, injuries derailed Bland’s third year as he spent most of the season on injured reserve with a nagging foot injury. That shouldn’t scare Dallas from making a deal with Bland. In fact, it should motivate them. Bland’s value is lower than it would’ve been had he been healthy last year. After Parsons strikes a deal, then Dallas should ink Bland to a short-term deal with frontloaded money in case injuries persist and Dallas won’t be tied to an injury for an extended time. Tyler Smith and DaRon Bland are the obvious ‘next up’ options, but there are some down-roster players that may make sense to lock up now. Brock Hoffman & Juanyeh Thomas Lastly, we’re grouping Juanyeh Thomas and Brock Hoffman mainly because of their status as exclusive rights free agents. You get the sense that both of them have a chance to be integral players for the team in the next few years. A pay increase for each would raise eyebrows because of the cost, yet both have a part to play for the team. Hoffman is a versatile lineman who can play either guard or center, and when he gets the chance to play, he is a rugged bulldozer who opens up running lanes and plays with an edge through the whistle. Keeping him in the fold alongside Cooper Beebe and Tyler Smith gives the Cowboys a formidable trio in the trenches to run the football behind. As for Thomas, he has proven to be a reliable player on special teams but also boasts many traits you covet in a prototypical safety. He’s got great length at 6’3” and has a good understanding of how to play the ball in zone coverage as a robber in the middle of the field. He’s also unafraid to tackle near the line of scrimmage. Thomas and Hoffman might be the two best sneaky signings the team could make once Parsons gets his money.

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images The Cowboys are still adding talent and options for their 2025 roster, but one position that may already be set is tight end. Beyond just having enough bodies, Dallas could even have a competition brewing at the top of the depth chart between incumbent starter Jake Ferguson and third-year prospect Luke Schoonmaker. It’s easy to assume that Ferguson will just waltz right back into his spot as TE1. But there are reasons that the Cowboys may not dismiss Schoonmaker outright. While draft pedigree only goes so far, Ferguson was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and Schoonmaker was a second-rounder the following season. So just in terms of sheer investment, Dallas obviously put more into acquiring Schoonmaker and may expect a greater return on the field. Granted, coaches won’t hold down superior talent to help make the scouting department look good. Just look at how quickly CB DaRon Bland, a fifth-round pick in 2022, leapfrogged second- and third-round picks Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright from the previous year’s draft. So regardless of which round or even which day a guy was selected, if he’s clearly the superior talent then he’ll generally get rewarded. A year ago, there was no debate about who was the superior option between our two tight ends. Ferguson was coming off a breakout season as a top-ten producer at the position while Schoonmaker, with just eight catches as a rookie, was already being labeled as another second-round mistake. Many were upset even when he was drafted, seeing it as a waste given was Ferguson had already flashed in his own rookie season. After 2023, those critics were all the more emboldened. But things feel different ahead of 2025. Missing three games and playing hurt most of the year, plus missing his starting quarterback for half of it, Ferguson’s numbers took a dive. Dropping from 71 to 59 catches wasn’t that bad considering the circumstances, but he went from 10.7 yards per reception to just 8.4 and was held out of the endzone completely. If Ferguson and the Cowboys offense get back in form this year, he could easily bounce back. But if Schoonmaker is also about to make a third-year leap in his development and on-field potential, things could get interesting. One of the reasons he was a second-round pick was a superior athletic profile than Ferguson. Assuming their combine numbers still hold true, Schoonmaker is quicker, faster, and slightly bigger. So if he’s putting things together in terms of technique, that could push him closer to the starting job. Also, from a roster management standpoint, Ferguson’s on the last year of his contract and Schoonmaker’s goes one year longer. That extra season at low cost would benefit Dallas and could motivate them to give Schoonmaker opportunities to compete. At the very least, it could prompt more of a timeshare between the players as Dallas would still like Ferguson to have a market in 2026 free agency, which helps their compensatory pick formula. The change in coaching staff could also breed more competition. New coaches mean new sets of eyes and strategies for how to utilize talent, plus less attachment to what players have previously achieved. And if Dallas is going to increase focus on the run under Brian Schottenheimer, how Ferguson and Schoonmaker handle run blocking could mean more than it did when Mike McCarthy was in charge. There are other factors at work here, of course. Players’ approach to the game and chemistry with teammates also drive success, which is an area that Ferguson appeared to excel in during his breakout season. There were plenty of guys through the years who had more athletic gifts than Jason Witten but they could never beat him as a worker, leader, and in how well he clicked with QB Tony Romo. Ferguson could still easily best Schoonmaker in these critical areas, which will also show up on the field. But unlike all that time when Witten had the TE position in a stranglehold, Jake Ferguson hasn’t earned enough clout to go unchallenged. If Luke Schoonmaker is ready to step up in Year 3 and show the world that he was worthy of his draft pick, we may have a true camp battle on our hands. Hopefully, no matter the result, it produces two capable weapons for the Cowboys’ offense this year.

Brett Davis-Imagn Images Your Sunday morning Cowboys news. Miles Sanders hints at Dallas Cowboys’ new offensive identity – Matt Galatzan, SI.com The new running back in town tips the hand of the Cowboys offense and what the plan will be this year. The Dallas Cowboys are going to look different in 2025. Not only does Dallas have a slew of free agent signings and players acquired through trade, but they also, of course, have an entirely new coaching staff led by head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Naturally, with so much change, there are plenty of questions surrounding what exactlty the team’s new identity could be under the new staff – particularly on the offensive side of the ball under first year offensive coordinator Klayton Adams. And according to freshly signed running back Miles Sanders, there is going to be a focus on a physical run-first attack on offense. “The plan for the offense is to go through the run,” Sanders said via DallasCowboys.com. ”You don’t get too many places where the offensive coordinator is an offensive line coach, and I know he’s playing a big part in the plan, I’m excited.” Obviously, running the football was a major weakness for the Cowboys for the majority of the 2024 season, with Rico Dowdle’s late-season emergence standing as the only silver lining to their rushing attack all season. So it should be no surprise that the team would look to improve that part of their offense in a big way. Spagnola: Making no bones about run intentions – Mickey Spagnola, DallasCowboys.com More talk about the running game in Dallas. Exhibit C: This, too, is no oversight. Schottenheimer, not only the head coach, is also running the offense and will be calling plays. He didn’t hire a traditional OC, sort of what his support role as OC for Mike McCarthy was that past two seasons. Oh no, he hired a noted offensive line coach in Klayton Adams, the past two seasons the O-Line coach in Arizona, where in 2024 the Cards finished seventh in rushing yards with a franchise 16-year high of 2,451, an average of 144.2 a game and 5.3 a carry, with 18 rushing touchdowns. This with running back James Conner leading the way with 1,094 yards and eight TDs, along with quarterback Kyler Murray running for 572 on 78 carries. And in 2023, the Cardinals finished fourth by averaging 139.1 yards a game along with 17 rushing touchdowns, Conner going for 1,040 yards and seven TDs and Murray just 284 yards and two scores. When Adams was asked if he might still have a hand in coaching the offensive line while the OC, he said, “I definitely won’t stay away from that.” Then comes the new offensive line coach Conor Riley, the former offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Kansas State the past six seasons. The Wildcats the last two seasons averaged more than 200 yards rushing and 32 points a game. Check this out: In 2023 with Deuce Vaughan a rookie with the Cowboys, K-State still averaged 204.1 yards rushing a game and scored 32 rushing touchdowns. And this past season the average jumped to 215.5 a game and 21 rushing touchdowns. Riley knows why Schottenheimer came calling. “Coach Shottenheimer has talked about it. It’s going to be a physical, physical identity. He’s made it very clear we have to win up front, and we have to win up front on both sides of the football. And then along with that, how do we take advantage of that physicality and utilize the play-action game and getting the ball in the playmakers hands?” Riley said, the Cowboys doubling down with the offensive line, and really tripling down since Ramon Chinyoung remains as the O-Line assistant. Cowboys’ first-round pick is becoming clearer and clearer – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat Dallas may already shown their intentions with how recent transactions have played out. We also know Dallas was interested in wide receiver Cooper Kupp to some extent. Needless to say those four positions – receiver, cornerback, linebacker and defensive tackle – are the biggest needs on the roster. After the first wave of free agency, though, it is becoming increasingly clear what position the front office will target with the No. 12 overall pick. Cowboys are clearly targeting a wide receiver in first round of NFL Draft While the Cowboys has clear needs at corner, receiver, linebacker and defensive tackle, they have at least added one player at those positions. They have yet to add a new receiver. As of this writing, Dallas has added LBs in the form of former first-round pick Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn, who impressed under Matt Eberflus in Chicago. They traded for former Bills first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam and signed veteran defensive tackle Solomon Thomas as insurance behind Osa Odighizuwa at the three-tech position. Wide receiver is the one outlier. The front office didn’t show much urgency to re-sign Brandin Cooks, who inked a two-year, $13 million pact with the Saints. That’s a good deal for an aging receiver, but nobody would have batted an eye if Cooks was brought back given the state of the WR room. CeeDee Lamb is a top-five player at the position, but Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy leave a lot to be desired. Tolbert is best served as a WR3 and Turpin is more of a gadget player than a downfield threat. There is a cavernous hole at WR2. While this is not the draft to need a receiver, there are three prospects worthy of a first-round selection: Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, Missouri’s Luther Burden and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka. Cowboys 2025 draft: 10 sleepers in this year’s draft – Mike Poland, Blogging the Boys Keep these names in mind this April when the Cowboys are on the clock. 1. QB Kurtis Rourke (Indiana) Rourke is considered a sleeper in this year’s NFL draft because he has the size, arm talent, and experience that NFL

Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Asking for your take on these Cowboys’ draft scenarios The Dallas Cowboys are prepping for the NFL draft after making some moves in free agency. With holes still on the roster, we solicited questions about possible scenarios for the team in the draft. Here are five that could be in play. Cast your vote on each and leave your opinions in the comment section. The Dallas Cowboys have the choice of offensive tackle Will Campbell (LSU), running back Ashton Jeanty (Boise State), and cornerback Will Johnson (Michigan) at pick 12. Who should they take in that scenario? Cornerback is a huge need for Dallas with questions about two starting spots unanswered (Trevon Diggs injury, Jourdan Lewis departure). On the offensive line, a player like Campbell available is hard to pass up, even with his shorter arms. Running back is still one of the team’s biggest needs and in a class full of talent, Jeanty is clearly at the top. Drafting a wide receiver with either of the team’s first two picks is a very smart draft strategy? Dallas has an abundance of down-roster receiver talent, but with Brandin Cooks out of the building, the team is in desperate need of a WR2. This year’s wide receiver class has talent, but it’s not as deep as previous years. Taking a position of need that has limited supply could be the best way to go, but that limits their draft plans. Does the addition of Solomon Thomas preclude Dallas from taking a defensive tackle (or nose tackle) in this year’s draft? Or is it still a major need? Dallas added two defensive linemen during free agency, one of those was ex New York Jets player Solomon Thomas. He’s spent much of his career as a rotational player on the defensive line, but he’s remained productive. During his last two seasons with the Jets he tallied 8.5 sacks, 57 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. But how do we feel about drafting a defensive tackle in light of this addition? The Cowboys are in the market for a backup quarterback, who would be your choice in Day 3? Cooper Rush is in Baltimore, Trey Lance is out of here, the team needs to get a backup quarterback in this year’s draft. Which WR/CB combination is best? Vote on which first/second round combination you prefer.

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images Dallas has plenty of players who need a bounce-back year in 2025. Pressure and the Dallas Cowboys go hand in hand. Regardless of the talent on the roster, the Cowboys are consistently the team under the most pressure to perform every season. This upcoming year is no different, and after a disaster of a season in 2024, Dallas is under increased pressure to turn things around this fall. With that theme in mind, today we take a look at three players on Dallas’ roster who are under the most pressure to perform well in the upcoming season. Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images 1) QB Dak Prescott When you’re the star quarterback of America’s Team, there will always be immense pressure to deal with. Dak Prescott is no stranger to this, and the 31-year-old signal-caller will again be under pressure to perform in 2025. Prescott is coming off one of the most disappointing seasons of his nine-year NFL career. While a mid-season hamstring injury did limit him to playing in just eight games, his performance during those eight contests was subpar for his standards. On the year, Prescott completed just 64.7% of his passes, the second-lowest mark of his career. His Passer Rating (86.0) and QBR (45.3) followed suit, both the worst he has put on record since entering the league back in 2016. He also finished 25th in the NFL in EPA+CPOE (0.050/min 250 snaps) and 22nd in EPA/Play (0.018). Plenty of contributing factors led to Prescott’s down year, and the lack of impact moves last offseason set him and the rest of Dallas’ offense up for failure from the start. The Cowboys have still need to make some moves on the offensive side of the ball yet, but there seems to be a strong belief they will add a few playmakers to help make Prescott’s job easier in the draft. No matter who’s lining up beside him, as long as he’s the starting quarterback, Dak Prescott will always be the most scrutinized and under-pressure player on the Cowboys’ roster. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 2) DE Sam Williams One positive for the Cowboys to look towards in 2025 is the return of pass-rush specialist Sam Williams. The 2022 second-round pick was poised to have a breakout campaign in 2024 but, unfortunately, tore both his ACL and MCL at the start of training camp, forcing him to miss the entire year. Williams’ injury occurred at the end of July, so the 25-year-old figures to be ready to go for the start of the regular season this September. If that ends up being the case, that’s big news for a Cowboys’ defense that will really need someone to step up and help their pass rush alongside All-Pro Micah Parsons. Dallas lost a pair of defensive ends, Chauncey Golston and DeMarcus Lawrence, in free agency this month, making it even more imperative Williams hits the ground running in his return. The Ole Miss product is also entering the final season of his rookie contract, giving him even more incentive to put together a solid year before hitting the open market. Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images 3) OT Tyler Guyton When the Cowboys drafted Tyler Guyton with the 29th pick in last year’s draft, they hoped they had found their next Tyron Smith. Unfortunately for Guyton and the Cowboys, the 23-year-old could not hit the ground running during his first season in the league, putting together a rather uninspiring rookie year. In 15 games (11 starts), Guyton allowed 26 total pressure, 14 QB Hurries, and six sacks. Guyton’s Pro Football Focus offensive grade of 49.4 was the worst among all offensive linemen on Dallas’ roster. One big problem area for the first-round pick during his rookie year was penalties. The 23-year-old was flagged 18 times during the 2024 season, the second most of any player in the league. Despite his struggles, the Cowboys have not gone out this offseason and acquired a veteran left tackle, making it extremely likely Guyton will be back as the full-time starter this year. If this is the case, Dallas will need a much better version of Guyton if they want to have any shot of making a return to the playoffs.