Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Projected win totals are a tough scene for the Cowboys. The Super Bowl was played 85 days ago and we still have 122 to go until the regular season kicks off, which means we haven’t even reached the halfway point of the offseason yet. But free agency came and went, the draft is in the books, and while a lot can happen between now and the start of the regular season, that didn’t stop a Vegas Sportsbook from releasing updated 2025 NFL regular season win totals this week, post draft. Bet MGM released their NFL Over/Under win totals for all 32 teams on Sunday and they have the Cowboys facing a tough season with just 7.5 wins. The top teams, with 11.5 projected wins each, are the Ravens, Bills, Chiefs, and Eagles. Here’s a summary of the win projections for all 32 NFL teams. AFC AFC East Proj. Wins Buffalo Bills 11.5 Miami Dolphins 8.5 New Engand Patriots 7.5 NY Jets 5.5 AFC North Proj. Wins Baltimore Ravens 11.5 Cincinnati Bengals 9.5 Pittsburgh Steelers 8.5 Cleveland Browns 4.5 AFC South Proj. Wins Houston Texans 9.5 Indianapolis Colts 7.5 Jacksonville Jaguars 7.5 Tennessee Titans 5.5 AFC West Proj. Wins Kansas City Chiefs 11.5 LA Chargers 9.5 Denver Broncos 9.5 Las Vegas Raiders 6.5 NFC NFC East Proj. Wins Philadelphia Eagles 11.5 Washington Commanders 9.5 Dallas Cowboys 7.5 NY Giants 5.5 NFC North Proj. Wins Detroit Lions 10.5 Green Bay Packers 9.5 Minnesota Vikings 8.5 Chicago Bears 8.5 NFC South Proj. Wins Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9.5 Atlanta Falcons 7.5 Carolina Panthers 6.5 New Orleans Saints 6.5 NFC West Proj. Wins San Francisco 49ers 10.5 LA Rams 9.5 Arizona Cardinals 8.5 Seattle Seahwaks 7.5 One really cool thing about this projection is that it has seven out of eight division winners from last year repeating as division winners this year (49ers take the NFC West from the Rams). Why would that be cool? Because it would be the first time this has ever happened in the NFL! In the 22 seasons since realignment in 2002, an average of only 3.5 teams per year repeated as division winners. Only three times, including last year, did six teams repeat. In 18 out 22 seasons (82%) four teams or less repeated at division winners. So why would a sportsbook put up such an unlikely scenario? Because the oddsmakers are simply trying to provide odds where the action from the betting public will remain even on both sides of the bet. And the betting public, by and large, believes that the most likely outcome in 2025 is going to be largely the same as the 2024 outcome. It’s called recency bias and is the tendency to think that trends and patterns we observe in the recent past will continue in the future. But predicting the long-term future based on what has happened in the past is often no more accurate than flipping a coin. We know that in the NFL, less than half of teams repeat as division winners from year to year, and that an average of about six to seven new teams make it to the playoffs every year. That means only half of each year’s NFL playoff participants make it back to the playoffs the following year. Yet every offseason or pre-season team ranking has last year’s top teams still sitting at the top. Why? Recency bias. There’s a chance, however remote you feel it is, the Cowboys could end up in the playoffs this year, just as there’s a chance that they could end up behind the Giants in the division. If they do, it has nothing to do with last year’s team, and everything to do with this year’s team. Can the Cowboys field enough healthy NFL-level cornerbacks at the start of the season, have they done enough to improve their pass rush, can they stop the run (like, at all), is there a WR2 hidden away somewhere on that roster, can somebody run the ball, and is the McCarthy complacency finally and irrevocably out of the building? These are some of the questions that will determine the course of the 2025 season, not where the team finished on the 2024 league tables. What happened in 2024 stays in 2024. It has no bearing on what has yet to happen in 2025. In the NFL, last year doesn’t matter. Anything can happen in the NFL. The NFL is intrinsically designed to be a parity-driven league; the draft, revenue sharing, the salary cap, compensatory draft picks, all the way through the schedule; everything about the NFL is designed so that every team from every market has a legit opportunity to compete year-in and year-out. Every year a team that nobody was thinking of as a contender suddenly strings together a couple of wins early in the year, starts playing like a good football team in the middle of the season and actually becomes a good football team as it clinches a playoff spot late in the season. Could the Cowboys be that team in 2025?

Sara Diggins / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Your Sunday morning Cowboys news. Will this Cowboys rookie duo take over the offense? – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star The Cowboys have two rookies looking to take over the backfield. The Potential Duo: Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah One week ago today, the Cowboys ran to the podium to secure an absolute firework in the fifth round. Two rounds later, they double-dipped at the position to bring in the exact opposite of that guy. Jaydon Blue, a speedster from Texas, was Dallas’ first choice at running back, and Phil Mafah, a big, strong runner from Clemson, became their second. The two could not be further apart in their skill sets, but that’s what could make them a special rookie duo. Blue, a 5’9, sub-200 lbs guy with legit 4.2 speed, can bring the boom with explosive runs or vertical receptions, while Mafah can flat out bulldoze you with his 235 lb frame. That kind of contrast in playing style is what this offense needs. Letting Blue and Mafah share the starting job would be looked at as a risk by some in the football world. They are both day-three draft picks after all. If we look at skill alone, however, they can both handle it, and Blue’s pass-catching ability stands out especially. He reeled in 56 passes over the last two seasons at Texas, which is a crazy number for a guy with the potential to be a dominant runner as well. Mafah has a similar trait when it comes to goal-line scoring. The Clemson product has rushed for 21 touchdowns over the last two seasons. In short, he can get you into the end zone. These two guys, if given the chance, have a lot of immediate impact skills to bring to the field, as well as sky-high potential. Cowboys giving 1st-round pick every chance to succeed after disappointing start – Reid D. Hanson, Cowboys Wire Cowboys are taking the slow and steady approach with last year’s first-round pick. Second chances aren’t guaranteed in life; not even for former first-round picks. When Tyler Guyton rolled snake eyes his rookie season, the Dallas Cowboys were under no obligation to wipe the slate clean and just hand him the job back. As their top pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Guyton wasn’t going to get cut from the roster or anything, but the Cowboys could have added competition to the mix and made things awfully uncomfortable for the second-year left tackle. Instead, they cleared the path for the young man to succeed. Not only did Dallas add offensive line guru Klayton Adams to lead the offense in 2025, but they allowed Guyton’s top competition from last season, Chuma Edoga, to leave in free agency. Edoga replaced and rotated with Guyton at LT in 2024 after the rookie’s maturity, focus and effort were called into question. Edoga himself wasn’t seen as much more than replacement level, but even still, his exodus over the offseason shows a certain degree of faith and commitment Dallas has in the former Sooner. Second chances aren’t guaranteed in life; not even for former first-round picks. When Tyler Guyton rolled snake eyes his rookie season, the Dallas Cowboys were under no obligation to wipe the slate clean and just hand him the job back. As their top pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Guyton wasn’t going to get cut from the roster or anything, but the Cowboys could have added competition to the mix and made things awfully uncomfortable for the second-year left tackle. Instead, they cleared the path for the young man to succeed. Not only did Dallas add offensive line guru Klayton Adams to lead the offense in 2025, but they allowed Guyton’s top competition from last season, Chuma Edoga, to leave in free agency. Edoga replaced and rotated with Guyton at LT in 2024 after the rookie’s maturity, focus and effort were called into question. Edoga himself wasn’t seen as much more than replacement level, but even still, his exodus over the offseason shows a certain degree of faith and commitment Dallas has in the former Sooner. From Amazon to the Cowboys: Shavon Revel Jr.’s story is just getting started – Tommy Yarish, Dallascowboys.com Third-round pick has had an amazing journey but its far from over. Shavon Revel Jr.’s road to the NFL has been the furthest thing from easy. From dealing with multiple devasting injuries dating back to high school to working long shifts at Amazon with his father, his journey to being selected in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Cowboys is an inspiring one. But it’s far from over. “Job ain’t finished,” Revel said. “I still have to go out there and prove myself to the coaches. I’ve got to go out there and show them what I have. You can always talk, at the end of the day, you’ve got to prove to the coaches what you can do.” The next chapter in Revel’s book will be overcoming the ACL tear he suffered three games into his final season at East Carolina. The surgery done to repair his knee was done by Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper, who Revel gave high marks to. “He did an extraordinary job on my knee,” Revel said. “For me to be walking the week after my surgery should tell it all. All the connections that he had just helped me connect with other people and open up opportunities for me to help me know more about the facility and the Cowboys.” Now about seven months removed from his injury, slowly but surely Revel is getting closer to making his way back onto the field and reaching his goal of being ready to play by the time the Cowboys head to Oxnard for training camp. “Right now I can pretty much do everything,” Revel said. “Running straight line, cutting, haven’t gotten too much into that, just trying to take it day by

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images The latest news from around the division. NFL analyst: Commanders still need edge rusher – Serena Burks, USA Today Like the Cowboys with WR2, Washington still needs to fill one major position. The free agency frenzy died down over a month ago, and the 2025 NFL draft concluded this past Saturday. After the conclusion of the draft, NFL teams began signing undrafted free agents and inviting them to mini-camps for further evaluation. But even in adding new faces and players to their teams, no team in the NFL did everything it needed to do this offseason. The Washington Commanders are no different; they made some great moves, but there is one position they didn’t handle. Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano says the one need the Commanders didn’t answer was with an edge rusher. Biggest need: Edge rusher They needed help off the edge even before they lost Dante Fowler and his 10 ½ sacks in free agency, and it’s been their No. 1 need all offseason long. Yet GM Adam Peters doesn’t seem to be very concerned. His only edge signing was Deatrich Wise, who turns 31 in July and had eight middling seasons in New England. They seemed like they were in a perfect position in the draft to grab an edge rusher in the first round, but they went offensive line instead. In fact, they didn’t take any edge rushers at all. So it’s really unclear where their pass rush is going to come from this year. He’s not wrong, in this case. The Commanders’ pass rush last season wasn’t great, and losing Dante Fowler hurts. Frankie Luvu has promise, but he’s not a true edge rusher. He did have eight sacks last year, plus 99 tackles, including 12 tackles for a loss. He also had an interception and recovered two fumbles. A veteran linebacker, Luvu can help on the edge, but it’s not his forte. Adam Peters can still add to the roster should he find a solution to this problem; the final 53-man roster won’t be set until August. But if he doesn’t bring in anyone else, the Commanders better have a plan for their pass rush, or it’s going to be a repeat of last year, only worse without Fowler. Phil Simms’ No. 11 to stay retired with Giants amid Abdul Carter search – ESPN New Giant Abdul Carter can’t get a jersey number. First, Lawrence Taylor. Now, Phil Simms. For Abdul Carter, the toughest part about being in the NFL might be finding a uniform number. Carter’s hopes of bringing the famed No. 56 of Taylor out of retirement were rebuffed last weekend by the Hall of Fame linebacker, who respectfully urged the New York Giants rookie to make his own mark instead. Simms then entered the picture when he said on FanDuel TV that he would be open to unretiring his No. 11 so that Carter, or fellow Giants first-round pick Jaxson Dart, could wear it. “I told some of my friends and people around me, ‘I’d let him have it in a second. Can you just help it a little or make it better?’” Simms said. “I think it would be a lot of fun. It wouldn’t bother me.” Carter, who wore No. 11 at Penn State, seemed keen on the idea, writing on social media: “It would be an HONOR.” But those hopes evidently were short-lived. Simms told longtime New York Daily News writer Gary Myers on Friday that he was “outvoted by his family” and his No. 11 will remain retired by the Giants. Eagles GM Howie Roseman on repeating as Super Bowl champs: ‘We understand that 2025 is a new year, and we haven’t won a game yet’ – Kevin Patra, NFL.com It’s a new year and every team has yet to win a game. The Philadelphia Eagles hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February, pulverizing the back-to-back champion Kansas City Chiefs. Philly enters 2025 keenly aware that the Super Bowl performance guarantees nothing moving forward. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman told Adam Schein on Thursday on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio that his club is preparing to be the hunted. “We understand that 2025 is a new year, and we haven’t won a game yet,” Roseman said. “In 2025, we’re going to have to do our best and work our hardest to have the kind of season that we’re looking for, and nothing in the past is going to guarantee future success.” The Eagles won their first Super Bowl in 2017, knocking off the dynastic New England Patriots. Philly couldn’t replicate the success of that club, going 9-7 each of the next two years and quickly bowing out of the postseason before sinking to 4-11-1 in Doug Pederson’s final season. The 2025 version of Philly Super Bowl winners is vastly different than that initial iteration. For one, there is stability under center with Jalen Hurts. The Super Bowl MVP is the clubhouse’s clear leader, and his contract ensures he’s going nowhere soon. Roseman also points out that this team is much younger, particularly on defense, with a core that can grow together. He also boasted about the pieces he’ll be able to add in the coming years to sustain success. “You’ve got to take the lessons we learned from that 2017 team and what we did there and this is a different group for sure, but also, you know, we’re building it a little bit differently,” the GM said. “This is a young team. I think we have two players projected on our defense that are over 25 years old. We’re extremely young, our core guys, they’re all in their twenties, so this isn’t like we’re just putting the band back together to make one last run, like we feel like we’ve got an opportunity here to continue to build our core players and keep our core guys together. We’ve got a lot of picks next year already, expecting comp picks, and we’ve made

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The Cowboys got one of the biggest draft steals in Shavon Revel Jr. The Dallas Cowboys came into the 2025 NFL Draft in a not so ideal situation when it came to their cornerback room. With Trevon Diggs recovering from a knee issue, the loss of Jourdan Lewis, Josh Butler rehabbing a torn ACL, and Caelen Carson coming off a tough rookie campaign, Dallas had to add another cornerback to help out DaRon Bland, who is looking to return to form himself. They chose to stick to their board and let the draft fall to them, and it paid off tremendously. With the 76th pick pick in the third round, the Cowboys took Shavon Revel Jr. out of East Carolina. He’s coming off an injury-plagued year, but Revel was still one of the highest ranked players in the draft. Matt Miller of ESPN released his rankings of the top 100 picks on Wednesday, and Revel landed at No. 26, just one spot ahead of Tyler Booker, who Dallas took with the 12th overall pick in the first round. My final overall ranking: No. 57 Revel’s elite size and playmaking ability had him looking like a first-rounder before he tore an ACL in September. The Cowboys didn’t need a corner in this draft, which shows how much they valued Revel. They got him nearly 20 picks lower than I had him ranked. This could be one of the biggest steals in this draft if he gets healthy and develops into a future starter. Revel could have been the top cornerback (except sometime CB Travis Hunter) taken off the board in the draft if it weren’t for his injury. It is largely because he was such a good performer in 2023 for East Carolina. He put up 54 tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception, 13 pass breakups, one sack, and a fumble recovery (scored a touchdown). Despite only playing in three games last season, Revel logged two interceptions, and he ran one back for a score. Revel is expected to be ready by training camp. This will give him the perfect opportunity to get out on the field and test his limitations while he gets back to playing shape. The Cowboys will need Revel to get up to speed and fast because even if Diggs comes back healthy and preforms well, he’s expected to begin training camp on the PUP list, and there’s concern that he won’t be ready for Week 1. Dallas will be in a situation where they’ll need Revel to be ready to start immediately if that’s the case. So, his rehab and how he responds to it is very important.

Photo by Todd F. Michalek/Syracuse Athletics/University Images via Getty Images Here is our report on defensive back Alijah Clark We begin looking into this year’s undrafted free agent signings made by the Dallas Cowboys and give you our scouting report on each player. Today we are looking at defensive back Alijah Clark from Syracuse. Alijah Clark DBSyracuse Orange Senior4-star recruit 6’1”188 lbs Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images History Alijah Clark, or also known by his nickname “Cinco” (a nickname given his mother when he started playing football at age five), was born on July 11, 2003, in Camden, New Jersey, Clark. He was a standout student-athlete at Camden High School, earning a four-star recruit status from 247Sports. He played both wide receiver and defensive back in high school, showcasing versatility with 21 receptions for 357 yards and four touchdowns on offense, and 22 tackles on defense during an abbreviated 2020 season. Clark’s collegiate journey began at Rutgers in 2021 where he appeared in seven games, recording six tackles, one tackle for loss, and one interception. He made his collegiate debut against Temple and notched his first interception against Michigan State. The following year saw Clark transfer to Syracuse where he started 11 of 12 games at safety. He tallied 56 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. Notably, he was not responsible for a single passing touchdown over 576 defensive snaps, contributing to a defense that ranked 14th nationally in passing defense. In 2023, Clark started 12 of 13 games, recording 66 tackles, five tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. His two fumble recoveries tied for third-most in the ACC that season. He had standout performances against Army (eight tackles) and Clemson (six tackles, two pass breakups). In his final collegiate season, Clark appeared in 12 games, accumulating 61 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception, and four pass breakups. He earned Defensive MVP in the Holiday Bowl after recording six tackles and an interception against Washington State. 2024 Statistics 591 Defensive Snaps326 Coverage Snaps61 Total Tackles3 TFL4 Pass Breakups1 INT92.3 Passer Rating Allowed 68% Completion Rate Allowed 1 Penalty NFL Combine/Pro Day 10-Yard Split- 1.53s (78%)40-Yard Dash- 4.50s (73%)Vert- 33” (19%) Broad- 122” (58%) Awards N/A Scorecard: Speed- 75Acceleration- 76Agility- 72Strength- 66Tackling- 64Run Defense- 75Zone Coverage- 73Man Coverage- 67Press- 66Discipline- 91 THE GOOD Has shown tremendous versatility having lined up as a split safety, in the box, and in the slot. He has the range to play deep and the toughness to fit the run as a box defender. In run defense he consistently takes good angles and doesn’t shy away from contact. Shows good route recognition and awareness, especially in zone coverage. Rarely caught out of position. Effective wrapping up, especially in one-on-one situations. Has very good work ethic, maturity, and resilience off the field. Vocal leader in the secondary. THE BAD Doesn’t possess good top-end speed, which could limit his range in single-high or deep coverage responsibilities in the NFL. Can struggle to mirror quicker slot receivers. His instincts are solid, but closing burst and hands could be more consistent. Lacks takeaways during his time in college. Only two interceptions and one forced fumble in 44 college games. When beaten initially, he lacks the ability to recover and contest plays downfield. UDFA HIGHLIGHTS Alijah Clark DBSyracuse ( : ACC Network)#DallasCowboys #Cowboys #NFLDraft2025 #Cuse pic.twitter.com/M5nL4BUXLB — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) May 1, 2025 THE FIT Alijah Clark is a smart, physical, and sensible safety who excels in zone-heavy schemes that allow him to read the quarterback and support the run. His toughness, tackling, and football IQ make him an interesting prospect who can contribute early on special teams and develop into a rotational player at the next level. He is best suited as a strong safety or in a split-safety look where he can operate downhill and keep the play in front of him. Clark brings leadership, physicality, and positional versatility to a defense. He’s a strong tackler, dependable in run support, and processes the game at a high level. His zone instincts and ability to quickly diagnose plays make him a valuable asset in coverage and run fits alike. He’s also durable and has shown improvement each season, with a strong close to his career. To thrive at the next level, Clark will need to refine his man coverage skills and turn more of his disruption into turnovers. While he won’t be asked to play single-high often, improving his range and straight-line speed would boost his ceiling and role flexibility considerably. It’s clear he has it between the ears, but now he needs to work on athleticism aspect to become more well-rounded. Clark fits Dallas’ need for depth, physicality, and football IQ in the secondary. He’s not the flashiest athlete, but he could quietly become a Matt Eberflus favorite as a steady, assignment-sound safety who doesn’t miss tackles, communicates well, and does the dirty work that lets stars shine. He’d a smart value signing as a UDFA, with a realistic path to contributing on special teams in Year 1. Clark could serve as a reliable backup early on and push for snaps in sub-packages or even as a rotational starter down the line. Clark’s toughness and consistent tackling would add value, especially on early downs and red-zone defense against the run, something this Cowboys defense has struggled with in the past. Clark could be a decent player initially to help on special teams and look to develop from there. COMPARISON: Vonn Bell, New Orleans Saints BTB GRADE: 264th CONSENSUS RANKING: 366th(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services, including BTB)

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Tyler Booker makes the rest of the offensive line look very interesting. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all the Cowboys’ 2025 draft picks was the first one, Alabama guard Tyle Booker. He walks in as a new starter, presumably replacing Zack Martin at right guard. But while that’s the natural assumption, another possibility is out there which could lead to greater change across the offensive line. Booker played left guard for the Crimson Tide last season. Transitioning OL positions upon entering the NFL is hardly uncommon; Martin himself was a left tackle at Notre Dame but immediately went to RG in Dallas. Tyler Smith was also a LT at Tulsa but immediately moved to guard as a pro. Cooper Beebe played guard and tackle at Kansas St. but became a center with the Cowboys. So yeah, it happens all the time, and asking Booker to stay at guard and just move from left to right is probably the least challenging transition there is. But again, Dallas’ picking Booker was a big surprise because the interior OL was low on the needs list compared to others. Smith and Beebe are locked in as starters and Brock Hoffman was competent last year when Martin got hurt. Dallas had already brought in veteran Robert Jones and Saahdiq Charles this offseason to compete with him, T.J. Bass, and other prospects. Compared to WR, CB, and other positions, it just didn’t seem like the spot Dallas would address on Thursday night. If the Cowboys were going to pick an offensive lineman early, a new tackle made way more sense. Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele were the weakest points on last year’s line. Steele is also a ripening cap casualty with $8.75 million saved next year as an outright release. A new OT could have provided immediate competition, or at least a new swing tackle, and at least someone to groom for next year if Steele’s gone or if Guyton doesn’t progress. Well, what if the Booker pick has more to do with Guyton and Steele than we think? Sure, this is total speculation, but let’s follow it through. You can draw a straight line from Booker to the likes of Hoffman, Bass, Jones, and Charles as the clear losers from his arrival. They’ve probably gone from competing for a starting job to backup spots at best. However, did Dallas add a new guard because they’re considering moving Tyler Smith to left tackle? Could Booker, again, a LG in college, be playing that same spot in Dallas so that Smith can provide an upgrade protecting Dak Prescott’s blind side? It’s not hard to imagine. While Smith is an All-Pro at left guard, he proved that he could handle LT duties in his rookie season. After preparing all offseason to play guard in 2022, Tyler returned to LT when Tyron Smith got injured and played there most of the season. It wasn’t always pretty, which was to be expected given the circumstances, but still good enough for the Cowboys to go 12-5 and win a playoff game. It stands to reason that Smith would be even better now at left tackle, especially if he gets a full offseason to prepare for it. And unless Guyton takes a massive developmental leap in his second season, Smith is probably Dallas’ best option for arguably the most critical position on the entire offensive line. That doesn’t mean Guyton wouldn’t start in 2025. He could be tried at right tackle, which he played in college, in a competition with Steele. Maybe he ends up there long-term given Steele’s contract situation. At the very least, Guyton could be a strong swing option this season as he works on his craft and towards starting again in his third year. This scenario opens the door back up for Hoffman, Jones, and that pack of interior options to compete for a starting job. It also allows for flexibility; Booker could still end up on the right side if one of those guys is particularly better at left guard. The offseason is the time for moving guys around and positional shifts, especially with a new offensive coaching staff shaking things up anyway. Odds are that Tyler Booker is here for the obvious, replacing Zack Martin as the Cowboys’ new right guard. But given the weakness at offensive tackle last year and the goal of deploying the best line possible in 2025, the possibility that his arrival facilitates Tyler Smith sliding left shouldn’t be ignored. It may be how Dallas gets their five best linemen on the field this season.

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’re back for another day of the Blogging The Boys in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Friday, May 2, 2025Thursday, May 1, 2025Wednesday, April 30, 2025 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!

Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images Tyler Booker showed leadership qualities well before he ever got to Tuscaloosa. When the dust settled on the 2025 NFL Draft for the Dallas Cowboys it was very obvious that they were focused on one particular thing, beyond football talent of course. Everywhere you look from the players who the Cowboys selected there is some level of leadership. Team captains decorate the draft class and it is apparent that new head coach Brian Schottenheimer wants a new band of leaders as he takes step one into what he hopes is a long career leading this team. Beyond the fact that this makes general sense, it also carries an extra bit of logic when we consider what has happened to the Cowboys as of late. Gone are longstanding players like Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, and as of last year, Tyron Smith. Turnover has been happening for a while. It is time for a new nucleus to lead the team into the great beyond. In hindsight this should have been more obvious in something the Cowboys would be looking for. A moment that stood out during the team’s pre-draft press conference was when David Moore asked Brian Schottenheimer if there would be any symbolism related to the first pick given that it would be the first under Schottenheimer’s watch. Schottenheimer deflected any sort of idea, but I don’t know how you can’t read into that on some level. Tyler Booker embodies all of these would-be ideas and evidenced a level of trust and leadership at college football’s mecca in the University of Alabama. The thing about Booker is that he has been playing under the metaphorical lights long before his days in Tuscaloosa as he finished high school action at the famous IMG Academy. Recently I was able to speak with IMG’s Director of Football, Kyle Brey, to learn about what Booker was like before his career took off in an exponential way. You can watch the entire conversation below. One of the things Brey said that stood out was about how Booker rallied his teammates during the days of the COVID pandemic. That was a trying time in ways that far supersede the game of football, but it obviously made the game a difficult one to navigate. Brey talked about how having Booker on their team was like having another coach on the field. He noted that it was apparent early on that he was a remarkable leader and someone who had a special ability to get players to rally around him. Since the Dallas Cowboys drafted Tyler Booker many people have learned what an outstanding leader he is, in addition to being incredible at the game of football. Loved talking to @CoachKyleBrey about Tyler and how all of that was evident during Tyler’s time at IMG Academy. pic.twitter.com/wIRT6yueUC — RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) April 29, 2025 When the Cowboys were putting out word before the draft that they wanted new leadership in the offensive line room there many wondered how this could be given that Tyler Smith, Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe are all young players in their own right. Obviously there are different types of leadership and it seems very obvious that injecting Booker into the room and culture is going to provide tremendous value. It also happens that Booker is going to be an incredible asset on the field as well. That is the perfect overall combination.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Cowboys hit the jackpot by drafting Donovan Ezeiruaku. The Dallas Cowboys needed wide receiver and running back help coming into the NFL draft. Edge rusher, while not at the top of the list of needs, was another position that had losses during free agency as DeMarcus Lawrence, Chauncey Golston, and Carl Lawson, who combined for 13.5 sacks in 2024, were not on the 2025 roster. It was expected that the Cowboys would grab at least one defensive player within the first three rounds, more than likely on Day 2. That’s exactly what happened when Dallas trusted their board and selected Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College with the 44th overall pick in the second round. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Matt Miller ranked the top 100 picks of the 2025 draft. Ezeiruaku came in at No. 14 on his list. My final overall ranking: No. 36 The Cowboys didn’t get their receiver or running back needs addressed early, but they did get a speedy pass rusher to help Micah Parsons. Ezeiruaku has excellent length (34-inch arms) and a dynamic first step with closing speed off the edge. He needs to add play power but provides great value in the middle of Round 2. Ezeiruaku will certainly need to add some offseason weight and get stronger to deal with NFL level offensive lineman. However, he comes into the league with an impressive tool bag as a pass rusher. He can win with speed. That’s his main advantage. Ezeiruaku also has a combination of moves that will help him succeed on the pro level. From the chop, swipe, spin, swim, ghost rush, you name it, Ezeiruaku can do it all. Another thing that’s impressive about Ezeiruaku is that he can rush from either side, which pairs well with a guy like Parsons on passing downs. It’s true that the Cowboys have Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland and Dante Fowler Jr. on the roster. The issue is that Williams is coming off an ACL tear and hasn’t taken the next step yet in three seasons. As far as Kneeland, he also missed time as a torn meniscus kept him out for five games (missed six total). So, that left Parsons and Fowler Jr. as the only sure weapons to rush the passer off the edge for Dallas. Getting a player like Ezeiruaku, who is technically sound and NFL ready as far as rushing the passer, is a huge win for Dallas.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Dallas Cowboys have announced jersey numbers for their rookie draft class. This time last week the Dallas Cowboys were in the middle of assembling their 2025 rookie draft class, and when they were all said and done, they received a ton of approval ratings. Soon enough there will be some legitimate football (so to speak) to sink our teeth into when it comes to the nine players who Dallas selected, but until then we are left to daydream as to what they are going to look like with stars on their helmets. But, Cowboys rookies do not wear stars on their helmets. It is part of the process of becoming a Cowboys player, having to earn it and all of that jazz. Something each player is issued though, obviously, is a jersey number. This is always a fun thing to see as some numbers just make sense for some players where others don’t. On Friday the mothership announced jersey numbers for their rookie draft class: Tyler Booker………………….. 52 Donovan Ezeiruaku………… 41 Shavon Revel…………………. 27 Jaydon Blue…………………… 34 Shemar James……………….. 50 Ajani Cornelius………………. 69 Jay Toia…………………………. 93 Phil Mafah………………………. 37 Tommy Akingbesote………… 72 We had known from the jump that Tyler Booker was going to wear 52 and on Thursday evening Shemar James shared a photo on his Instagram story noting that he had been assigned 50. As for the rest, it is worth noting that options are fairly limited. Consider that the Cowboys roster is currently at 91 players (they are allowed an extra thanks to an international exemption) so you don’t necessarily have a lot to choose from at this point in time. Something like Jaydon Blue in 34 or Donovan Ezeiruaku in 41 may seem awkward or strange, but it is worth noting that these can and likely will change once roster cuts happen further down the road. Which number feels best to you?