The Dallas Cowboys recently checked in at No. 24 in ESPN's rankings of players age 25 or younger. Part of that is because CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Smith, two of the NFL's best players at their respective positions, have aged out of the criteria.
Even if Lamb and Smith were eligible, though, Dallas still would have ranked in the bottom half of the league. That's not to say this roster is bereft of young talent, but it underlines the team's sloppy run of drafting.
Headlined by Tyler Booker and Donovan Ezeiruaku, the early returns on the 2025 class are encouraging. If Shavon Revel, Jaydon Blue, Shemar James, and Phil Mafah turn a corner in Year 2, the Cowboys could have another strong draft haul.
The same can't be said for Day 3 picks Ajani Cornelius and Jay Toia, who may already be living on borrowed time entering their second training camp.
Jay Toia could be victimized by the Cowboys' deep defensive tackle room
The first of Dallas' three seventh-round picks last year, Toia made the 53-man roster as a rookie. However, the defensive tackle room paled in comparison to what it is now. Micah Parsons was also on the 53, so Kenny Clark hadn't even arrived yet. In fact, Toia is the only interior defensive lineman from the pre-Parsons trade roster who's still around.
Osa Odighizuwa, Solomon Thomas, and Mazi Smith were all traded, while Perrion Winfrey was released. They've since been replaced by Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, Otito Ogbonnia, and Jonathan Bullard. As if that weren't enough competition, fourth-round pick LT Overton is also expected to log plenty of snaps inside, presumably as a 4i.
At 6-foot-2 and 342 pounds, Toia has intriguing upside as a true nose tackle. But he'll have to leapfrog a crowded veteran rotation. That reality was reflected in Todd Archer's 53-man roster projection for ESPN, which included Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otito Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, LT Overton, and versatile vet Tyrus Wheat, leaving Toia on the outside looking in.
Even factoring in year-to-year growth, Toia has his work cut out to make the roster. The practice squad feels like his most realistic path to sticking with the organization.
Ajani Cornelius risks being left behind if he doesn't shine in Cowboys camp
Cornelius may confront a similar reality in Oxnard. A sixth-round pick last year out of Oregon, Cornelius appeared in one game as a rookie, and it was only as a special-teams substitute.
Like Toia, Cornelius made last year's 53, but there's more competition at tackle after the Cowboys selected Penn State's Drew Shelton in the fourth round in April. Shelton operated as the second-string left tackle in minicamp, and third-year man Nate Thomas has experience at both tackle spots.
At best, Cornelius is fifth in the tackle pecking order, and Dallas may opt to keep an extra interior offensive lineman after second-string center Matt Hennessy landed on season-ending IR with a neck injury. That approach was reflected in Todd Archer's 53-man roster projection, which gave the final offensive line spot to third-year guard Trevor Keegan.
Cornelius has very little margin for error in camp. Showing some positional versatility would go a long way toward paving a path to making the team.
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