Perhaps no team in the NFL lives and dies by the draft-and-develop philosophy more than the Dallas Cowboys. While they have been notoriously stingy in free agency under Jerry Jones, their ability to evaluate talent in the draft has helped them assemble a playoff-caliber roster.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys' batting average has not been as high in recent drafts. Their last two first-round picks - Mazi Smith and Tyler Guyton - have a lot to prove entering their third and second years, respectively, and they've had some bad whiffs in the middle rounds.
One position they have really struggled to bolster is nose tackle. Just a few weeks ago, Dallas released 2024 draft pick Justin Rogers. While Rogers has a long way to go in his development, fans were left scratching their heads that the team gave up on him so early into his career.
Cowboys may live to regret cutting DT Justin Rogers
While seventh-round picks are more or less dart throws, it is very rare that the Cowboys "give up on" draft investments before they ever play a snap.
It became clear early on that 2023 draft picks Viliami Fehoko (fourth round) and Eric Scott (fifth round) were not long for Dallas. But they weren't let go until their second seasons. That Rogers didn't even get one year to prove himself when NT is such a huge need is difficult to process.
Here is what NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein said about Rogers leading up to the 2024 draft:
"Rogers is a "what you see is what you get" nose tackle with a girthy build and film full of fistfights where he gives as well as he gets. He's built low to the ground and plays with a terrific anchor to ward off block finishes and stay on his feet. He has decent length for his size but not enough to consistently shed blocks, despite possessing the power to stack single blocks. Rogers is a drain-clogging nose capable of muddying the A-gaps for teams looking for depth and help slowing the run."
Again, we are talking about a seventh-round pick. Rogers has a lot of holes in his game, but his strengths align with Dallas has been searching for.
Read more: Failed Cowboys experiment might not make it out of Commanders training camp
The Cowboys like what they have in 2025 seventh-rounder Jay Toia, who could push Mazi Smith for the starting nose tackle job next to Osa Odighizuwa. They took Maryland DT Tommy Akingbesote with their final pick this year, but he is not ready to play in the NFL just jet.
What is so interesting about Rogers is that he was waived as part of the Cowboys' roster cuts in August. He swiftly signed to the Bengals practice squad, but Dallas managed to get him back in December by signing him off Cincinnati's practice squad.
It speaks volumes that two different defensive staffs have washed their hands of the Auburn standout, but why not at least give him training camp?
Hopefully, a combination of Smith and Toia get the job done. If not, the Cowboys will have to face some tough questions about why they pulled the plug on Rogers so early.