The Cowboys are still months away from the opener, but the early shape of the 2026 roster is already coming into focus. Between free agency, the draft, rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp, the team has been piecing together a working depth chart - one that will keep changing once training camp and preseason games arrive.
Three recent projections from Jon Machota of The Athletic, Joe Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News and Todd Archer of ESPN offer a pretty good snapshot of where things stand right now. And the biggest takeaway is simple: on offense, the real battles are mostly at the margins. On defense, there are only a few spots that still look truly up for grabs.
At quarterback, all three projections agree on Dak Prescott, Sam Howell and Joe Milton. That’s where the conversation starts, though not necessarily where it ends.
The question is whether the Cowboys keep one backup or two. Howell brings experience.
Milton brings athletic upside. The preseason should go a long way toward settling that one.
Running back is similarly unsettled behind the top names. Javonte Williams, Hunter Luepke and Jaydon Blue show up in all three projections, but the last spot is where the disagreement begins.
Phil Mafah appears in two of the three, while Malik Davis shows up in one. That’s the kind of competition that can swing quickly once live reps start piling up.
Wide receiver feels more stable at the top. CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin are all locked into every projection.
After that, it gets murky fast. Traeshon Holden, Anthony Smith, Jonathan Mingo and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are the names being floated for the remaining spots, which tells you the back end of the receiver room is still very much in flux.
Tight end has its own uncertainty. Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Luke Schoonmaker are in across the board, but Michael Trigg is the wild card after drawing some early buzz. Whether the Cowboys go with three tight ends or four is still an open question.
The offensive line is the least surprising part of the whole exercise. Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker and Terence Steele are all universal picks. The depth names are where the debate lives, with TJ Bass, Nate Thomas, Drew Shelton and Trevor Keegan appearing in all three projections, while Ajani Cornelius shows up in one.
Defense looks even more settled in a lot of places, though there are still a few spots worth watching. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence and Sam Williams are all projected at edge rusher by all three outlets. The fifth and possibly sixth edge spot is where the competition starts, with James Houston, Marist Liufau and Tyrus Wheat in the mix depending on the projection.
The interior defensive line is straightforward in these projections: Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Jonathan Bullard, LT Overton and Otito Ogbonnia are all listed across the board.
Linebacker has one notable battle. DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham and Shemar James are all included by the three projections, but Curtis Robinson and Justin Barron are fighting for that final spot in the different versions. Barron versus Robinson looks like one of the more interesting camp questions.
Cornerback has a similar feel. Daron Bland, Shavon Revel, Cobie Durant, Devin Moore and Derion Kendrick are all consistent names. The last spot is where the split appears, with Caelon Carson appearing in two projections and Trikweze Bridges in one.
Safety is cleaner. Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson, Malik Hooker and PJ Locke are all projected by each of the three.
And the specialists are unanimous: Brandon Aubrey at kicker, Bran Anger at punter and Trent Sieg at long snapper.
Taken together, these projections point to the same broad picture. The Cowboys’ roster has a lot of the core pieces in place, and most of the real drama is concentrated in depth roles.
That can change quickly, of course. Suspensions, trades, injuries and the usual chaos of an NFL season can blow up any projection in a hurry.
But that’s also how the back-end players get their shot.
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