Remember when Jerry Jones said the Dallas Cowboys were going to go "all in" during free agency a year ago? Yeah, that obviously didn't turn out to be a thing, as America's Team spent an NFL-low $18.85 million once the market opened, signing 11 players to one-year contracts.
But of those 11 signings, only five were external additions. And one of those didn't even take a single snap, that being defensive lineman Albert Huggins, who was waived before the regular season began.
Another of those five was Ezekiel Elliott, which technically counts as an external signing but certainly didn't feel like it. And that turned out to be an absolute disaster anyway.
The other three—Eric Kendricks, Carl Lawson, and Linval Joseph—combined to take 1,586 defensive snaps, so at least there was some level of production there. But still, "all in" doesn't exactly describe how things went down last year.
The Cowboys have been much more active in 2025.
In addition to re-signing Osa Odighizuwa, C.J. Goodwin, Brock Hoffman, Tyrus Wheat, Juanyeh Thomas, Markquese Bell, Trent Sieg, Dakoda Shepley, KaVontae Turpin, and Bryan Anger, Dallas has added 10 new players to the roster thus far, signing eight and acquiring another two via trade.
- Javonte Williams, RB
- Miles Sanders, RB
- Parris Campbell, WR
- Robert Jones, G
- Dante Fowler Jr., DE
- Payton Turner, DE
- Solomon Thomas, DE
- Jack Sanborn, LB
- Kenneth Murray Jr., LB (trade with Tennessee Titans)
- Kaair Elam, CB (trade with Buffalo Bills)
On the flip side, of course, Dallas also lost several players, as DeMarcus Lawrence (Seahawks), Chauncey Golston (Giants), Jourdan Lewis (Jaguars), Chuma Edoga (Jaguars), Cooper Rush (Ravens), and Rico Dowdle (Panthers) found new homes.
So, what do all of these moves mean for the Cowboys' depth chart?
Dallas Cowboys depth chart sees at least five new players sliding into the starting lineup
Of the 10 new players the Cowboys have added, five would seemingly crack the starting lineup if the season started tomorrow, those being running back Javonte Williams, right guard Robert Jones, defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., and linebackers Jack Sanborn and Kenneth Murray Jr.
Actually, let's make that six. With Trevon Diggs possibly missing the start of the 2025 campaign after undergoing knee surgery, Kaiir Elam would likely start at cornerback opposite DaRon Bland. We'll keep Diggs in his starting spot for the moment, but he may not be out there for Week 1.
Who you won't see on the Cowboys' depth chart is DeMarvion Overshown, who's expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL in his right knee during a Week 14 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals this past December.
Keep in mind, of course, that the 2025 NFL Draft has yet to occur, so plenty of things could change in the near future.
For now, though, this is how we see the Dallas Cowboys' depth chart following the first wave of free agency.
You'll notice 12 spots on both sides of the ball as we're accounting for the fullback position on offense and the nickelback position on defense.
Offense (3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB)
Position | Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
QB | Dak Prescott | Willl Grier | — | — |
RB | Javonte Williams | Miles Sanders | Deuce Vaughn | Malik Davis |
FB | Hunter Luepke | — | — | — |
WR | CeeDee Lamb | Ryan Flournoy | Jalen Brooks | Seth Williams |
WR | Jalen Tolbert | Jonathan Mingo | Jalen Moreno-Cropper | — |
WR | KaVontae Turpin | Parris Campbell | Kelvin Harmon | — |
TE | Jake Ferguson | Luke Schoonmaker | Brevyn Spann-Ford | Princeton Fant |
LT | Tyler Guyton | Asim Richards | Nathan Thomas | — |
LG | Tyler Smith | T.J. Bass | — | — |
C | Cooper Beebe | Dakoda Shepley | — | — |
RG | Robert Jones | Brock Hoffman | Jack Anderson | — |
RT | Terence Steele | Matt Waletzko | Earl Bostick Jr. | — |
Defense (4-3)
Position | Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LDE | Dante Fowler Jr. | Payton Turner | Tyrus Wheat | Luiji Vilain |
LDT | Mazi Smith | Solomon Thomas | Justin Rogers | |
RDT | Osa Odighizuwa | Earnest Brown IV | Denzel Daxon | — |
RDE | Micah Parsons | Marshawn Kneeland | Sam Williams | — |
WLB | Kenneth Murray Jr. | Damone Clark | Brock Mogensen | — |
MLB | Jack Sanborn | Buddy Johnson | Darius Harris | — |
SLB | Marist Liufau | — | — | — |
LCB | DaRon Bland | Caelen Carson | Josh Butler | C.J. Goodwin |
SS | Donovan Wilson | Israel Mukuamu | Markquese Bell | — |
FS | Malik Hooker | Juanyeh Thomas | — | — |
RCB | Trevon Diggs | Kaiir Elam | Andrew Booth Jr. | Troy Pride Jr. |
NB | Kemon Hall | — | — | — |
Special Teams
Position | Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PK | Brandon Aubrey | — | — | — |
H | Bryan Anger | — | — | — |
P | Bryan Anger | — | — | — |
LS | Trent Sieg | — | — | — |
KR | KaVontae Turpin | Juanyeh Thomas | — | — |
PR | KaVontae Turpin | — | — | — |
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