4 crucial things we learned in Cowboys' preseason finale vs Raiders
- Will Grier gets proper sendoff
- 2022 UDFA belongs on the final roster
- Rookie shines bright in first real opportunity
- All good on the kicking front?
By Jerry Trotta
2. Hunter Luepke is legit
Cowboys have waited patiently for the Lupeke breakout and it happened just in the nick of time. Luepke was an afterthought in the first two weeks of preseason, but he burst onto the scene with 58 rushing yards and 60 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches as the lead back.
At 6-foot-1 and 234 pounds, Luepke profiles as a mauler between the tackles, but he showed versatility in his game. He not only popped as a receiver with his soft hands, but created yards after the catch. He even made three defenders miss on a catch-and-run before his touchdown.
Luepke is simply the perfect FB/RB hybrid for a Mike McCarthy offense. What that means for the North Dakota State product's roster chances is open for interpretation, but the Cowboys would regret outright releasing him.
At the very least, Luepke belongs on the practice squad for backfield insurance. He was impressive in pass-protection and showed a little bit of everything in his first extended run as the lead dog in the backfield this preseason.