DALLAS — In just a couple of weeks, training camp for the Dallas Cowboys will be underway and the fun begins for the 2023 season. The offseason is all but complete and the fight for the initial 53-man roster will be ratched up in earnest.
Most roster spots on the Cowboys are likely spoken for, but camp and preseason games should determine those last few players to make the team and settle the depth chart.
Here are the best position battles to look out for when the Cowboys arrive in Oxnard, California:
Defensive tackle: Johnathan Hankins vs. Mazi Smith
A major weakness for the Cowboys over the past few seasons was their run defense, and the team has seemed indifferent to putting resources into fixing the issue. That was until mid-season of 2022 when the team traded for one of the league’s premier run-stuffers in Johnathan Hankins. The veteran DT boosted the rush defense last year, and the Cowboys re-signed him this offseason.
To double-down on their commitment to stop the run, as well finding a more dynamic DT, Dallas selected Mazi Smith in the first round to beef up the interior of their defensive line. Smith offers more than just a DT who can clog the middle, his athletic profile suggests that he can also rush the passer better than he showed at Michigan. The veteran and the rookie will be battling it out to see who will be starting next to third-year DT Osa Odighizuwa, who led Cowboys DTs in sacks and tackles for a loss last year.
It’s always exciting to watch a high-round pick try to knock off an established player who does his job well, and that’s what Smith hopes to do in training camp.
Third CB: DaRon Bland vs. Jourdan Lewis
The Cowboys found themselves with a steal in Bland, a fifth-round selection in the 2022 draft. Bland was tied for second in the league with five interceptions as a rookie, despite playing in only a little over half of the team’s defensive snaps. Ironically, it was Lewis’ foot injury that opened the door for Bland to play more and he didn’t disappoint.
Lewis has been one of the more underrated slot corners since being drafted as a third-round pick in 2017. With eight interceptions over his first six seasons, Lewis is second to CB Trevon Diggs in picks for the defense since entering the league. Lewis is also a willing tackler at CB, a solid trait in coordinator Dan Quinn’s system.
Until the Week 6 injury last year sidelined him for the remainder of the year, Lewis had also been one of the more durable CBs for the Cowboys, missing just three games over the course of his career. Lewis’ recovery from the Lisfranc injury that robbed him from most of his 2022 season is expected to keep him on the PUP list to start camp, adding to the intrigue of the competition.
When Lewis is healthy enough to get back on the field, expect one of the best competitions at camp to settle the slot corner job.
Third DE: Dorance Armstrong vs. Sam Williams
The Cowboys had one of the game’s most ferocious pass rush units last season. The duo to spell sack maven Micah Parsons and stalwart veteran DeMarcus Lawrence consisted of Armstrong and Williams and they accounted for 12.5 of the defenses 54 sacks. Armstrong was second on the team with 8.5, and at 26-years old, he might be coming into his prime. More likely, though, is that 2022 was a career best season from Armstrong who likely tapped into his peak potential last year.
Williams, however, is expected to make a big leap in his sophomore season in Quinn’s defense. The rookie got just 27% playing time last year and still managed to get four sacks. A larger role is coming for Williams in year two and he could be the breakout star on defense for the Cowboys. If that happens, he’ll be ready to take over as the third DE in Dallas.
Starting TE: Jake Ferguson vs. Peyton Hendershot vs. Luke Schoonmaker
Dallas has one of the youngest sets of tight ends in the league and they are bursting with potential. Last year’s rookies Ferguson and Hendershot had good debut seasons combining for 30 catches, 277 yards and five total scores. That work was done with Dalton Schultz as the starting TE, limiting their output.
Now the veteran Schultz is gone, and the starting TE spot is an open competition. Ferguson and Hendershot have the edge heading into camp because of their experience, but Schoonmaker comes in with high expectations as a second-round selection. The rookie had a foot injury at minicamp earlier in the spring to serve as a setback to some of his development, casting more doubt about who is the top dog at TE.
The reality is it won’t matter who is listed as the starter because the Cowboys will use a plethora of two and three TE sets. All three TEs should see significant playing time, but it would be nice to see one separate themselves from the others to give quarterback Dak Prescott the kind of security blanket that he enjoyed with Schultz.
Fourth WR: Jalen Tolbert vs. Simi Fehoko vs. everyone else
The top three wide receivers for the Cowboys can compete with any trio in the league. However, after the big three, it gets a little dicey.
Last year’s third-round pick Jalen Tolbert looks like he’s ready to put his disappointing rookie season behind him and make an impression in year two. Tolbert’s been working out with Prescott and following veteran WR Brandin Cooks’ lead this offseason, which should pay dividends. The skill set is there for Tolbert, he just had a steep learning curve as a rookie, and he appears to be ready for a larger role in the offense.
Fehoko has just three catches in two seasons, despite having little competition in his path last year. There is data to support a third-year breakout for Fehoko, which is common in the NFL, but he’ll need to take big steps to become a productive receiver in Dallas.
When Noah Brown signed with the Houston Texans this offseason, it opened a role for Fehoko as a big-bodied WR who’s a downfield blocker and an occasional option in the passing game. He doesn’t need to have 50 catches to help the offense, but Fehoko needs to prove he’s a valuable WR to keep around.
Dennis Houston came out of the gate as the team’s third WR last season, but it didn’t last long. Houston caught just two passes in two games. Rookie seventh-round pick Jalen Brooks could play his way into the conversation, but fellow rookie, and undrafted free agent WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper might be the wild card. There’s some buzz about Moreno-Cropper, but we’ll see if it’s still around in mid-August.
It doesn’t matter who it is, someone needs to step up and become a reliable fourth WR.
Kicker: Tristan Vizcaino vs. Brandon Aubrey
This feels like one of the more intriguing battles in training camp, the one to see who is going to be the kicker when the Cowboys head into the season. Currently, neither option instills much confidence as they are both inexperienced, but the hope is that one kicker will emerge as a legitimate choice.
Aubrey was signed after his season in the USFL, in which he was nearly perfect.
The only kick Aubrey missed for the Birmingham Stallions was an attempt from over 50-yards out, so he has the accuracy to connect on the makeable tries. That would be a change from last year’s kicker, Brett Maher, who was outstanding from deep, going 9-11 from over 50-yards but fell apart in short situations in the playoffs.
Vizcaino is the incumbent and the favorite to win the job but he also didn’t show enough this offseason to prevent the team from adding another option. Over the course of his career, Vizcaino is 11-12 but without hitting on a kick from over 47-yards while also missing five extra points.
The Cowboys have one of the best rosters in the NFL, so they really cannot afford to be held back by a kicker. In a league where many games are won by a razor thin margin, and kickers need to make big kicks, Dallas needs to get this right. They’ll have training camp and the preseason to figure it out with the hope that one kicker emerges as the clear-cut winner or the team is prepared to pivot to a proven veteran.
Which camp battle do you think will be the most heated for the Cowboys this summer? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
