DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys, and their fans, have crossed the threshold as this week the team reports to training camp where the quest to win a sixth Lombardi Trophy begins. With the offseason now complete, the switch flips to the 2023 season and how the Cowboys can break a title drought that’s over 25 years in the making.
There’s a growing sense of optimism with this team, but there’s a long way to go before finding out if these Cowboys are contenders. That starts with camp, and a group of 90 players. Not all of them will make the team, but we can take an educated guess at who will make the initial roster.
Here’s a prediction for what the 53-man roster could look like when Week 1 of the 2023 season rolls around Sept. 10:
QB – 2: Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush
There isn’t much to figure out here, at least. Prescott’s the starter and one of the league’s best quarterbacks. Rush, who hasn’t looked good in the last few preseasons, has a 5-1 record in the last two regular seasons when Prescott has been sidelined. He’ll be the primary backup.
The only question is if the Cowboys will roster a third QB? To ensure depth at other positions, two is all they’ll keep.
RB – 4: Tony Pollard, Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke
Pollard takes over as the lead RB, but the battle for the rest of the rotation is going to be fun to watch. Davis showed enough last season to stick, and if he improves in year 2, then he’ll have a bigger role. Vaughn arrives as a fan favorite already and his ability, despite his size, ensures that he makes the team as a late round draft pick.
Undrafted free agent Luepke makes it as an RB who can do a little bit of everything, and he fits the mold of old Mike McCarthy favorite John Kuhn. Luepke looks like he offers much more upside and should showcase the skills over the course of camp and the preseason to stick.
WR – 6: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, Simi Fehoko, KaVontae Turpin
The first four are set with Lamb leading the way, and Tolbert expecting to make a bigger impact in year 2. After that, it is anyone's guess, but Fehoko makes this prediction due to his familiarity with the West Coast system, which is what the new Dallas offense will have more principles in this year. Fehoko is also more of the bigger bodied receiver, which the team likes to have on the edges as a blocker, a role which was vacated when Noah Brown wasn’t re-signed.
Turpin will be the sixth WR but was primarily used as just a return man as a rookie, expect that to change. The Cowboys might be looking to get him the ball more in space this season.
Rookie undrafted free agent Jalen Moreno-Cropper is one to watch for, he could steal a job or force the Cowboys to keep seven WRs.
TE – 3: Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot, Luke Schoonmaker
There’s little to debate here, these are the three who will make up the TE room. The bigger question will be how the rotation filters out playing time. Who’s the starter? Which TE will quickest earn Prescott’s trust after the departure of security blanket starter Dalton Schultz. These are the questions that should be answered at Oxnard.
Veteran Sean McKeon could stick around for a fourth season in Dallas, but he’ll likely be a practice squad option, and ready if needed.
OL – 10: Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin, Terence Steele, Chuma Edoga, A.J. Bass, Matt Waletzko, Asim Richards
Injuries and uncertainty force the Cowboys’ hand to keep 10 offensive linemen. With Tyron Smith’s injury history, and Steele returning from ACL surgery in December, the team needs to protect itself.
The only real surprise here is that Bass makes it as an undrafted free agent. Bass has played multiple positions along the line and could wind up as the backup center, which might be his best spot.
DL – 10: DeMarcus Lawrence, Osa Odighizuwa, Johnathan Hankins, Micah Parsons, Mazi Smith, Sam Williams, Dorance Armstrong, Chauncey Golston, Viliami Fehoko, Dante Fowler
This is going to be one of the more interesting groups to watch this summer. The Cowboys could easily keep 11 defensive linemen and probably have 13 or 14 players who will be on NFL rosters when it’s all said and done.
The 10 DL who do make the roster includes two rookies – Smith and Fehoko – and Parsons should be listed as a DE rather than LB. Fehoko and Golston are also versatile players, moving around the line.
Veteran DE Fowler makes it in this prediction, which leaves off DTs Neville Gallimore and Quinton Bohanna.
LB – 5: Leighton Vander Esch, Damone Clark, Demarvion Overshown, Jabril Cox, Isaiah Land
Linebacker is a position where the Cowboys seem thin, but with how they use their safeties as hybrid players, only five are needed. The top four appear to be written in pen, but Land could make his case as the fifth LB if he can play on special teams.
Land is an undrafted free agent who had 27 sacks and 37.5 tackles for a loss over his last two seasons in college. He might take some time and need to bulk up, but that kind of production and ability could win him a job over last year's sixth-round pick Devin Harper.
CB – 6: Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland, Jourdan Lewis, Kelvin Joseph, Eric Scott
The defense has one of the top starting CB tandems in the league with Diggs and Gilmore. Bland and Lewis will compete as the starting nickel, while Joseph tries to finally live up to expectations in his third year.
Scott wins the final spot as a rookie; he has impressed the team during the offseason with his competitiveness and fits the prototypical CB the Cowboys like to employ with the third longest wingspan of any corner in the draft.
The sixth-round pick takes former third-round selection Nahshon Wright’s roster spot. It also spells the end for C.J. Goodwin, a veteran who has been one of the best special teams players for the Cowboys in recent seasons.
Safety – 4: Donovan Wilson, Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker, Israel Mukuamu
This might be the easiest group to get a handle on. The big three will play often and excel in defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s scheme. All are also versatile players, who can play near the line of scrimmage as well.
Mukuamu came on last year and showed that he had the versatility to play safety and CB at a high level.
The position is in as good a shape as it’s been in a long time and all four are solid players. The Cowboys might be able to keep five if they can find another position to short, in that case Markquese Bell could stick as well.
Special Teams – 3: Brandon Aubrey, Bryan Anger, Trent Sieg
Punter and long snapper appear set with Anger and Sieg, respectively. It’s the kicker that leaves some doubt. USFL standout Aubrey looks poised to beat out veteran Tristan Vizcaino, but the question is, will he be good enough to stop Dallas from bringing in a veteran option?
That’s one of the biggest storylines to watch at training camp for the Cowboys.
How many wins do you think this roster could achieve for the Cowboys in 2023? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.