Breaking down 2 QBs will get tryout chance at Cowboys’ rookie minicamp

The Dallas Cowboys rookie minicamp begins on Friday and will last the entire weekend. This minicamp gives the nine draftees and 20 undrafted free agents a chance to learn more about the NFL, get the lay of the land, and see the playbook. It also gives the coaches and staff a chance to see the rookies in action.

As mentioned, the Cowboys added a total of 29 players during draft weekend. However, none of them were quarterbacks. Why does this matter? According to NFL rules, players who have played in any regular-season NFL game are forbidden from participating in rookie minicamp. That means Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, and Ben DiNucci cannot play at the helm.

Because of this, Dallas is bringing in two quarterback prospects for the weekend at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on a tryout basis. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, those two quarterbacks are San Jose State’s Nick Starkel and New Mexico’s Terry Wilson. The likelihood is that these players will not beat out Cooper Rush for a spot in the depth chart, but they can still earn an invite to Training Camp based on their play this weekend.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, this isn’t Starkel’s first rodeo in rookie minicamp. The undrafted quarterback was asked to be a quarterback at the New York Jets rookie camp last weekend, where he thought he did very well.

Undrafted rookie quarterbacks Nick Starkel and Terry Wilson will serve as QBs on a tryout basis at Cowboys’ rookie minicamp

Starkel has made many stops around the NCAA. The Texas native started his FBS career with the Texas A&M Aggies before dropping behind Kellen Mond on the depth chart. He then transferred to Arkansas, where he played just eight games and had a not-so-great 53.8% completion rating. The 6-3 QB’s last stop was at San Jose State where he improved his game. In two seasons at SJSU, he collected 3,819 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. Here’s what the UDFA had to say about his opportunity with the Cowboys:

"“I’ve got four days: Thursday through Sunday where I am a Cowboy and I am playing for more. That is the attitude I have. My expectations are to go in there and work my tail off and show what I can do. Hopefully that lands me a spot for the next four days or whatever it may be.”"

Wilson spent most of his college career at Kentucky before transferring to New Mexico for his latest season. What stands out about Wilson is his rushing ability. He had over 1,000 rushing yards in college to go along with a 63.3% average completion percentage. At Kentucky, he earned the name “Terry Touchdown,” collecting 3,400 passing yards in three years. His transfer to New Mexico sadly didn’t help much. Wilson’s completion percentage dropped to 58% in his final collegiate year.

Again, it’s unlikely that either of these quarterbacks gives Prescott or Rush a run for their money. But this is likely a dream come true for both guys, who can earn a Training Camp invite with an outstanding performance.