The Cowboys are bringing back the same offensive core in 2026, and that puts the spotlight squarely on a handful of players who need to take a real step forward.
Dallas overhauled the defensive side of the roster after the 2025 season, installing a brand-new coaching staff and adding plenty of new faces. Offensively, though, the approach is different.
The Cowboys are running it back with the same group, and that unit already looked like one of the league’s best last season. With every starter returning, there’s reason to believe this group can pick up right where it left off.
But last year’s production can’t be the ceiling. If this offense is going to be even better in 2026, several players have to raise their level. Here are the ones under the most pressure.
Tyler Guyton is first on that list. The 29th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has had a rough start to his Cowboys career, dealing with inconsistency and injuries through his first two seasons.
That has left the starting left tackle job open heading into training camp. Guyton and Nate Thomas are reportedly battling head-to-head for the spot, with No. 60 considered the favorite.
Dallas needs one of them to seize the job, because otherwise All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith would have to move back outside, which would only weaken the interior of the offensive line.
Jaydon Blue is another name that matters. The Cowboys re-signed Javonte Williams to keep him as RB1 and then didn’t do much else to upgrade the backfield, which leaves Blue as the projected No.
- He brings the kind of big-play ability that can matter as both a runner and a receiver out of the backfield, but he only appeared in five games last season and fell short of expectations.
If he wants to lock down the RB2 role, he needs a major jump in Year 2.
Cooper Beebe has already handled a tough assignment well, considering he had never played center before arriving in Dallas. He has started in the middle of the offensive line for the past two seasons and improved along the way, but Year 3 calls for more.
Beebe has the talent to push toward a first-time Pro Bowl season, though that only happens if he keeps developing. There’s still room for growth as both a run blocker and, even more, in pass protection.
If that happens, the interior of the line could become a real problem for defenses.
Brevyn Spann-Ford also deserves a closer look. Even though he played fewer offensive snaps than former second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker last year, Spann-Ford outperformed him and climbed to the TE2 spot behind Jake Ferguson.
The former undrafted free agent has gotten better in each of his first two seasons, and he could be more involved in 2026 if Dallas leans into more two-tight-end sets as rumored. The biggest area where he has to improve is as a receiver, where he needs to become more dependable and consistent.
Then there’s Joe Milton, who spent last season as Dak Prescott’s primary backup and appeared in only four games. Dallas added veteran Sam Howell to compete with him, and the two are reportedly battling for the QB2 job.
Milton has the edge in raw talent because of his arm strength and athleticism, but he still hasn’t shown the consistency needed to secure the backup role. If his accuracy and touch improve, he has a path to backing up Prescott.
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For a team trying to keep its passing game on track heading toward the 2026 season, those early gatherings matter, especially with Pickens still settling into the Cowboys rhythm after a spring that included a late arrival to OTAs before he joined the mandatory portion of the offseason program. The next question is how all of that translates once camp starts and the pads come on, because the Cowboys are counting on their new receiver to fit quickly into an offense that already has a lot of continuity. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Faces Another Massive Cowboys Decision On Quinnen Williams
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The timing matters because defensive tackle money keeps rising, and the Cowboys know how quickly a bargain can turn into a premium. Williams has already drawn enough attention to make an extension a real possibility before the season gets rolling, and Dallas may prefer to get ahead of that market rather than chase it later. [Read more 🡒]