Cowboys 53-man roster prediction after preseason Week 1

Preseason Week 1 is in the books as the Dallas Cowboys had a night to forget against the Denver Broncos. As poor as the outing was, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Hardly any starters were out there for Dallas.

More concerning than the performance should be the constant penalties. This was a huge problem for them in the past and it seems like it might be getting worse rather than better.

Still, there were several young players who got a chance to show what they could do which makes it feel like a good time to once again predict the Cowboys’ 53-man roster for the 2022 campaign.

Cowboys 53-man roster prediction after Preseason Week 1

Quarterback (3):

Dak Prescott
Will Grier
Ben DiNucci

Dak Prescott isn’t going anywhere, so it’s no surprise at all to see him as the No. 1 quarterback on this list. After him, it’s not as easy.

Cooper Rush proved he was a capable option when he started against the Minnesota Vikings and led the Cowboys to a win in 2021. However, he just had an outing to forget in Week 1 of the preseason, and this comes after he’s had Will Grier nipping at his heels throughout training camp.

As long as Grier — who missed Week 1 with a groin injury — continues to play at the level he’s shown this offseason, he should be able to unseat Rush.

That could lead to Rush losing his job altogether. While he’s still more trustworthy than Ben DiNucci, it’s no secret that Mike McCarthy loves No. 17. And after DiNucci played well against the Broncos, he might have his excuse to keep his project quarterback for another season.

Running Back (3):

Ezekiel Elliott
Tony Pollard
Malik Davis

This front office is still trying to do all they can to convince the world they didn’t give Ezekiel Elliott the worst contract in the history of sports contracts. They did though, and everyone knew it before the ink even dried.

Still, they keep touting Zeke as the feature of their offense so he continues to be the No. 1 running back. This isn’t meant to say he’s not a capable player — and he will probably have decent numbers once again in 2022 — but anyone who pays attention can see that Tony Pollard is the better option.

Pollard is more explosive in both the running and passing game. He’s also better at breaking tackles, even though that might not be the narrative. Even so, he’s going to be the backup while also serving as the return man. The good news is that he will still get the ball often and has proven, despite not getting the touches he deserves, that he’s one of the biggest playmakers in the NFL.

As for the third running back, Malik Davis edges out Rico Dowdle. While Dowdle has been with the team longer, he has issues with durability and Davis proved in their game against Denver that he can make things happen when given a chance.

Dallas rarely uses a fullback and they do have Ryan Nall, but they decide to move in a different direction here. Last year, we saw they had no issue using a guard or tackle in this role and they could also slide a tight end into the spot when needed.

Wide Receiver (5):

CeeDee Lamb
Jalen Tolbert
Noah Brown
Simi Fehoko
Dennis Houston

Jalen Tolbert was someone the Cowboys really wanted to get involved against Denver, but they had no success at all. He was targeted seven times and ended up with just two receptions for 10 yards. The only pick in the game for Dallas came on a pass intended for Tolbert when Rush tried to force the ball to him on a fourth-and-two.

Still, he’s in line to be the No. 2 guy behind CeeDee Lamb when the season begins. For Lamb, his transition to the No. 1 guy after Amari Cooper was traded could prove to be difficult. He has more than enough talent but right now, they’re without Michael Gallup and James Washington, so he could be facing a lot of double, and even triple, team coverage.

Noah Brown is their most experienced receiver and he’s been a surprise in camp. He makes it as the third wideout but they need him to keep improving in the regular season as well.

The corps is rounded out with Simi Fehoko and Dennis Houston. Fehoko had the only touchdown against the Broncos and Houston hauled in an 18-yarder on third-and-12.

Both have been playing well throughout camp and edge out T.J. Vasher who is a rather tough cut to make after his performance in practices this summer.

**Michael Gallup, James Washington on IR

Tight End (4):

Dalton Schultz
Jake Ferguson
Sean McKeon
Peyton Hendershot

The Cowboys saw Dalton Schultz break out in 2020 when he took over for an injured Blake Jarwin, and he was even better in 2021. Still, they weren’t ready to commit to him long-term as Schultz was hit with the franchise tag this offseason. The two sides never came close to an extension and Schultz even grew frustrated enough to skip the voluntary portion of the offseason workouts.

Once the regular season starts, all will be fine as Schultz is going to take the field and try to prove his worth. Whether or not Dallas will actually pay is yet to be determined, but he will do his part as the starting tight end once again.

There are some younger options behind him, including rookie Jake Ferguson. The Wisconsin product was solid in his preseason debut, catching three passes for 29 yards. He’s the real deal and if Schultz does leave in 2023, he could find himself having a similar ascension.

Sean McKeon and Peyton Hendershot round out the roster and each has plenty to like about their game — especially when it comes to pass-catching. Hendershot did get called for a penalty but made up for it with a deep catch right afterward. Unfortunately, that didn’t count due to another flag, but he showed he can make the play when called upon.

Jeremy Sprinkle ends up being the odd man out as the veteran made a couple of mistakes against Denver including a dropped pass and a holding penalty.

Offensive Line (9):

Tyron Smith
Tyler Smith
Tyler Biadasz
Zack Martin
Terence Steele
Connor McGovern
Josh Ball
Matt Farinok
Matt Waletzko

The five starters are set for Dallas with Tyron Smith and Terence Steele at the tackle positions, Tyler Smith and Zack Martin at guard, and Tyler Biadasz in the middle.

The younger Smith, Tyler, had an up and down debut on Saturday night but he showed what the front office sees in him. He had no problem bullying his opponent but needs to work on his hand placement because he was flagged more than once.

Martin didn’t play, and in his absence, McGovern was only okay. There was an outside chance he could win the left guard spot which would move Smith to right tackle over Steele but that won’t happen any time soon.

Biadasz is also a player of concern but there really are no better options. Matt Farinok is the backup at center, but he’s not going to be better at this point.

As for their reserve tackles, Josh Ball was a problem in Week 1. He missed his rookie season so he will need time but he was beaten on multiple occasions and also drew some laundry. Matt Waletzko is further behind him but either way, an injury to Steele or Tyron Smith could be devastating.

With all that being said, keep an eye on Isaac Alarcón. He’s listed as a guard but played tackle against the Broncos and might have been their best on the night. If he keeps it up, he might force his way onto the roster.

Defensive Line (9):

DeMarcus Lawrence
Osa Odighizuwa
Neville Gallimore
Dante Fowler
Dorance Armstrong
Sam Williams
John Ridgeway
Carlos Watkins
Chauncey Golston

The Cowboys’ defensive line lost Randy Gregory in the offseason and Jerry Jones took a lot of heat for this. Not only did Jones and the front office put some language in the contract they had originally agreed to that upset Gregory, but then he continued to talk afterward and dig his hole deeper.

Having said that, not everything Jones went on about was wrong. Dallas does have the players on their roster to replace Gregory which includes free-agent addition Dante Fowler, Jr., and rookie Sam Williams. Both flashed on Saturday night, but they also had roughing penalties which is an issue to work on.

Of course, the leader of the line is still DeMarcus Lawrence but they expect big things from Osa Odighizuwa at defensive tackle as well. Neville Gallimore is their other tackle and showed his power with an early tackle for loss against Denver.

Dorance Armstrong and Chauncey Golston will be rotational pass rushers and Armstrong is a vastly underrated player coming off his best season as a pro.

As for their backup tackles, Carlos Watkins and John Ridgeway edge out Quinton Bohanna and Trysten Hill. Although, it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see Bohanna push Watkins if he continues to show development.

Linebacker (6):

Micah Parsons
Leighton Vander Esch
Anthony Barr
Jabril Cox
Luke Gifford
Devin Harper

Despite a less-than-thrilling reaction from the fans when his name was announced as the pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Micah Parsons turned into the leader of the Cowboys defense in a hurry last season. He showed versatility as he moved from linebacker to the EDGE and performed at a high level no matter where he lined up.

Parsons took home the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award after recording 13 sacks and forcing three fumbles. He’s expecting even more from himself this season and it’s hard to bet against him.

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In the starting lineup next to him will be Leighton Vander Esch, another former Round 1 selection. LVE was great as a rookie but faded out due in large part to injuries. He wasn’t retained on his fifth-year option but returned anyway on a one-year deal this offseason — and has looked better than ever.

As for the third linebacker, there will be a battle between veteran Anthony Barr and Jabril Cox. Barr recently signed as a free agent after spending eight seasons in Minnesota and Cox spent his rookie campaign injured. Cox is more of a speedy linebacker who can fly around the field, whereas Barr plays with power and can rush the passer when needed.

Luke Gifford makes the team since he’s a special teams stud and Devin Harper was a late-round pick who kept finding himself around the ball against Denver. He sticks around but when Damone Clark gets back to full health, his status could be up in the air.

**Damone Clark on IR to start the season

Cornerback (6):

Trevon Diggs
Anthony Brown
Jourdan Lewis
Kelvin Joseph
Nahshon Wright
DaRon Bland

After recording 11 picks last year, Trevon Diggs has become a household name. There are those who will say he’s overrated since he surrendered many big plays in 2021 but that happens when a player gambles as he does. Most teams would take that trade-off as long as the turnovers keep happening.

The Cowboys would surely like to see second-year player Kelvin Joseph start next to him but he has yet to show he can handle the job. He struggled against some of the Broncos’ reserves, even giving up a touchdown to Seth Williams.

Nahshon Wright was also beaten in the end zone as the 6-foot-4 cornerback was unable to break up a ball intended for 6-foot-0 Kendall Hinton. Neither will be cut going into year two but it means Anthony Brown will likely remain a starter and Jourdan Lewis will stay in the third spot.

Dallas goes deep at corner as they keep DaRon Bland in this prediction. Bland showed great instinct in his first game and had no problem being physical, finishing with five tackles.

Considering the questions they still have with Wright and Joseph, it would be hard to cut someone with promise, so Bland makes it to the opening day 53-man roster.

Safety (5):

Jayron Kearse
Malik Hooker
Donovan Wilson
Israel Mukuamu
Markquese Bell

For years with Jason Garrett and Rod Marinelli, the safety position didn’t matter. Dallas constantly balked at adding anyone via the draft before Round 5 and they were never interested in retaining a player who earned a pay raise.

With Dan Quinn, this seems to have changed. While they haven’t used an early pick on the position, they did add three free agents in 2021. Those players were Damontae Kazee (who worked with Quinn in Atlanta), Malik Hooker, and Jayron Kearse.

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Kearse turned out to be a star for Big D and led the team in tackles. Hooker started out slow as he was recovering from a ruptured Achilles but then turned it on as the season went along. Both were retained on two-year deals, giving this secondary some uncommon security at a position that has been a huge need in years past.

Quinn does like to employ three safeties often, which is where Donovan Wilson comes in. He’s a player who can make a huge impact but the question will be whether or not he stays as he nears the end of his rookie deal.

Second-year man Israel Mukuamu and rookie Markquese Bell are the final two that make it. Bell showed some promise in Week 1 and Mukuamu is a converted corner that can help in coverage.

Specialists (3):

Brett Maher
Bryan Anger
Jake McQuaide

Ever since Dan Bailey left, the Cowboys kicking situation has been a problem. When he was let go ahead of the 2018 season, they brought in Brett Maher, who knocked in a 62-yarder that season as well as a 63-yarder in 2019.

As impressive as those kicks were, he struggled overall and completed just 74.2 percent of his attempts in two seasons. Since his departure, Dallas has used Kai Forbath and Greg Zuerlein. Forbath was solid but they elected not to retain him and brought in Zuerlein in 2020.

The former Los Angeles Rams kicker had his share of moments over the past two years but was wildly inconsistent. With him in New York, the Cowboys turned to rookie Jonathan Garibay. His short stint was bad enough that Maher was brought back — and baring any unforeseen signings, he’s going to be the kicker in 2022.

While that might be the most unsettling position on the team, it’s the exact opposite for their remaining specialists. Bryan Anger is one of the best punters in the game and Jake McQuaide is never heard from because he never makes a mistake as the long snapper.

KaVontae Turpin has a shot to make it as a return specialist but he needs to show more than he did in his debut for that to happen.