Cowboys UDFAs with best chance of making 53-man roster

Jason Johnson, LB, UCF

In need of linebacker depth this offseason, the Cowboys signed veteran Eric Kendricks who has experience working with Mike Zimmer. They were also able to steal him away from the San Francisco 49ers, who originally agreed to a deal with Kendricks.

In the draft, they also added one linebacker, Marist Liufau. The Notre Dame product can make plays all over the field, evident by his six tackles for a loss and three sacks in 2023. However, he comes in with some scrutiny since he was taken one pick ahead of USC running back Marshawn Lloyd — who landed with the Green Bay Packers.

Dallas had a stronger need at running back but they elected not to reach at all this year, which is admirable. As for Liufau, he could find himself on the field early in a linebacker corps that features Kendricks, Damone Clark, DeMarvion Overshown, and Markquese Bell (a converted safety). They also brought back veteran Damien Wilson, who was with Dallas from 2015 through 2018.

All that being said, there's room for someone to break into the rotation at linebacker, which is arguably the Cowboys weakest position after running back. That's why it's worth keeping an eye on UDFA Jason Johnson.

A former Eastern Illinois linebacker, Johnson spent the past two seasons at UCF where he racked up 240 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, and four sacks. He was named to the First-Team All-AAC in 2022 and followed that up with a Second-Team nod in 2023.