The Cowboys have 16 new rookies on the roster, and potentially more on the way, from the 2026 NFL Draft and the signing of undrafted free agents. While more players will be added between now and training camp to fill out the 90-man roster, we thought we’d take an early look at a potential depth chart using all of the new players Dallas has acquired so far this offseason.
By our count, Dallas currently has 83 players committed to the team in some way, shape, or form. Those include the drafted rookies, the currently reported UDFA signings, and players like George Pickens, T.J. Bass, and others with unique situations beyond a standard contract. If our math is right, the Cowboys should add at least seven new players before camp begins in late July. How many of those players are additional UDFAs, veteran free agents, or pickups from other means remains to be seen.
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Especially in the “TBD” of it all is whether or not Dallas adds more potential starters or key role players. Many would still like at least one more starting-caliber linebacker to be brought in, so perhaps one of the Bobbys (Wagner or Okereke) is on the radar. The Cowboys waited until the seventh round to address any of their offensive skill positions (WR Anthony Smith), so maybe additional depth at RB, WR, or TE could be looked at.
On the other hand, the rest of the roster may be filled out by just “camp bodies.” Another arm at QB, another leg a kicker or punter, maybe a few more offensive and defensive linemen: just guys who are there to avoid overworking your roster favorites. If those prove to be the bulk of the remaining additions, then this projected depth chart may look pretty accurate by the time we’re in Oxnard.
This chart won’t show every single player, but only those who project to be a fourth-stringer or higher. Apologies to those who aren’t listed, like RBs Israel Abanikanda and Dominic Richardson. We hope you wow us this summer and force your way into the conversation!
QB: As already mentioned, maybe they bring in a fourth guy to handle practice reps. But they’ll want to give Milton all the snaps he can take for his continued development, plus Howell needs plenty of work to get acclimated to the system. The Cowboys have gone with just three QBs in camp before, and it would make sense this year, given the need to see as much of Howell and Milton as possible to decide who wins the backup job.
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RB: Dallas had opportunities to add some more options last weekend, but they seem content with the current setup. It would appear that Davis, Blue, and Mafah are headed into a fight for the backup job, barring a veteran free agent being added in the coming week. At least one of those three won’t make the 53 if everyone’s healthy, so it should be a fun camp and preseason watching them battle.
WR: The bottom half of the depth chart is going to see quite a competition! After Flournoy, the only guy who probably has a roster spot sewn up is Turpin, but more for his return specialist role. How much offensive work he gets depends on how things shake out with Mingo, Campbell, Holden, and the rookie additions. Anthony Smith and Jordan Hudson should make things interesting and make the veterans sweat.
TE: Maybe the draft’s biggest surprise on offense is that Dallas didn’t take one. But there was a lot of praise for Spann-Ford late last year, so they must be content with their top two. Schoonmaker and Fant are now the guys in question, and UDFAs Michael Trigg and D.J. Rogers should spark some debate for the last spot or two at tight end.
OT: If he hits the ground running, Drew Shelton could immediately supplant Nathan Thomas as the swing tackle. We’ll also have to see how Ajani Cornelius fits in after spending his rookie year in street clothes. While currently listed as a tackle, Baylor’s Sidney Fugar may be moving to guard as a pro. It would make sense given the lower numbers there.
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G/C: This is one area that needs a few more bodies, unless guys like Cornelius and Thomas are going to get more inside work. But the starters and backups feel fairly certain, barring any surprising surges from new arrivals.
EDGE: It will be very interesting to see how things shake out between Ezeiruaku, Gary, and Lawrence as a trio. We’ll see plenty of all of them, but who “starts” will likely vary with the opponent. There should be healthy competition for the depth spots between Houston, Williams, and Wheat as well. If Liufau can make a successful transition to OLB, then maybe he gets in the mix, too.
DL: When Dallas is in a base 3-4, Ogbonnia is expected to play traditional nose tackle. That won’t be nearly as common as nickel, though, and then we’ll see more of the rotations and versatility of all these linemen on display. After reportedly beefing up to 287 pounds for his Alabama Pro Day, Overton is being seen more as a DL for Dallas than an EDGE.
LB: This is clearly where the Cowboys need more bodies before camp. They still only have five true off-ball linebackers, and one of those is Overshown. He is currently expected to be a full camp participant, but we’ll see how the summer goes. Barham is officially an ILB for Dallas, at least to start his career, and how he performs in that role will be one of the biggest stories of August.
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CB: When the Cowboys are in nickel, Bland and Revel may still be the only two corners on the field. Caleb Downs is expected to play nickel CB, so that would pull Hooker or Locke on the field more as the other true safety across from Thompson. We’re expecting to see lots of different looks and usage of different players under Christian Parker, so the traditional depth chart may not mean much compared to actual snap counts by the end of the season.
S: While many rookies often have to earn their starting job in camp, Downs should be an exception. If he’s going to be the field general that everyone’s advertising, he needs to start building communication with fellow starters immediately. That may sting for a veteran like Malik Hooker, but who knows if he even makes the roster given all of these new additions at safety?
Well, that’s how we see it. And again, this is just how we see things looking for the start of camp and based on current talent. More players are coming, and we’ll see if any of them walk into higher depth chart spots or just fill out the bottom of the offseason roster. Barring those moves, though, this seems the likeliest spots for our new arrivals to start camp alongside our returning Cowboys.
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