Dallas Cowboys cornerback Nahshon Wright (25) is seen during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. Dallas won 43-20.
Earlier this week, we released a way-too-early projection of the Dallas Cowboys’ 53-man roster for the offensive side of the ball. In case you needed more validity to how early this process is: A day later, the Cowboys signed linebacker Willie Harvey Jr. and corner Gareon Conley from the UFL.
Point being, there’s a lot that can change for the Cowboys between now and the start of the season. We’re still over a month until the Cowboys will report to Oxnard, California, for training camp. The roster still has some flexibility for tinkering.
With that being said, it doesn’t hurt to make an educated guess on what the final opening-day roster, injuries aside, could look like.
We did the offense; now it’s time for the defense.
Defensive line (9): Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, Chauncey Golston, Marshawn Kneeland, Justin Rogers, Villiami Fehoko Jr., Sam Williams
Originally, I figured Golston would be a logical replacement for Dorance Armstrong, who followed Dan Quinn to D.C. in the offseason. That still could be the case. Golston could also, as minicamp indicated, potentially play more inside than that.
The defensive line – from a depth perspective and definitely not from a size standpoint – is probably the thinnest position on the roster. They could still add some competition before training camp. They worked out UFL defensive end Jonathan Garvin this week.
The toughest position battle might be at nose tackle, where there are three likely candidates. In this case we have seventh-round rookie Justin Rogers beating out veteran Carl Davis and undrafted rookie Denzel Daxon.
Johnson, a former undrafted free agent out of Liberty, is a player with a lot of potential, making him someone to watch in training camp.
Linebacker (4): Eric Kendricks, Damone Clark, DeMarvion Overshown, Marist Liufau
CUT: Willie Harvey Jr., Damien Wilson, Jason Johnson, Buddy Johnson, Brock Mogensen, Byron Vaughns
If you go back and look at the offensive side projection, you’ll maybe understand why the Cowboys, in this exercise, go thin at linebacker and safety. Maybe the Cowboys go with just three tight ends? Or maybe they limit their backfield by committee. Shoot, maybe they even trade one of their backup quarterbacks to open a spot?
In this exercise, they don’t, making for just four linebackers on the active roster.
Kendricks will be asked to lead the defense. Clark will move back to his original weakside spot, which he played prior to Leighton Vander Esch’s injury last season. Overshown will look to hit the ground running, once again, after impressing in his rookie preseason before suffering a season-ending injury. Liufau will compete for a rotational role and he’ll likely be a factor on special teams.
Could one of these other linebackers push for a rotational spot and a role on special teams? Harvey, Wilson and Buddy Johnson feel like the favorites.
CUT: Eric Scott Jr., Josh Butler, Josh DeBerry
The Cowboys just signed Conley, a former first-round pick, this week. Could he be the latest UFL find for Dallas? I think there’s a chance.
The top three corners for the Cowboys are solidified – at least once Diggs is fully healthy from his ACL recovery. Could that be in time for Week 1? We’ll see. If he’s not able to go right away, that could mean some early action for Carson, their rookie fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest.
ott would be a tough cut for Dallas. They used a pick in the 2023 draft to acquire Scott in the 2022 draft. He didn’t play during his rookie season in Dallas. Could he break into the active roster this season?
Wright is another interesting name. The former Oregon State corner will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. He has one interception in three seasons. He has the height, the length and the talent – could he put it all together if needed this season?
Butler is one name to watch. He’s someone who has impressed me in open practice viewing over the last year despite not being on the active roster.
Safety (4): Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, Juanyeh Thomas, Markquese Bell
The Dallas safety group, just like the corner group, is a talented one. And a mostly solidified one. Hooker and Wilson are the likely starters, once again. Thomas has proven his value beyond special teams, even making the case for more defensive snaps. Bell is back to safety after playing a ton of linebacker last season. It feels like a better fit for someone who can be a downhill playmaker in run defense.
Mukuamu and Wood are the tough cuts here. Mukuamu, like Wright, has a ton of potential. He certainly looks the part, but with this safety group it’s hard to break into the fold – especially if there’s a numbers crunch due to position needs elsewhere.
Wood is someone I’m excited to see this preseason. The East Carolina product is a hard hitter and someone who could earn a practice squad spot.
Specialists (4): Brandon Aubrey, Trent Sieg, Bryan Anger, C.J. Goodwin
Not much to say about this group. Aubrey was fantastic in his rookie season; could he avoid a sophomore slump? I’d bet on it. Anger and Sieg were also very good last season.
Goodwin, until further notice, should hold the title of special teams ace. There are some other competitors, including Thomas, who won special teams coordinator John Fassel’s internal special teams competition last season. Goodwin is 34, but I still think he retains his ace title and special teams leadership role.
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