The Dallas Cowboys could roll out as many as six rookies in Sunday night’s Week 1 matchup with the New York Giants, and the early read on their roles is pretty clear: some will be thrown right into the mix, while others may have to wait their turn.
Five of those rookies are 2026 NFL Draft picks, with one undrafted first-year player also on the 53-man roster. The only draft picks not on the roster are cornerback Devin Moore, who is opening the season on injured reserve, and wide receiver Anthony Smith, who was cut to get down to 53 before landing on the practice squad.
Among the rookies, Caleb Downs looks lined up for the biggest immediate role. During training camp, he spent most of his reps in the slot, and that’s where most of his NFL debut snaps are projected to come. Malik Hooker was regularly used at safety alongside Jalen Thompson when Dallas was in base looks during camp, but Downs is still expected to get work there as well, just not as much as in the slot.
Malachi Lawrence may have a tougher path to meaningful snaps. He didn’t generate much buzz this offseason and appears to sit behind Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku and Von Miller at the position, with James Houston possibly ahead of him too. Even so, the expectation is that Lawrence will get on the field for some defensive snaps in his debut.
Jaishawn Barham is another rookie who could carve out a real role early. He was a steady presence at training camp before his injury, then flashed in a big way in preseason Week 2. Dee Winters is still projected to start next to DeMarvion Overshown, but Barham should be part of the linebacker rotation as the LB3 and could also pick up some snaps at EDGE.
Drew Shelton’s outlook is murkier. He struggled badly in camp and the preseason, even though head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he was the backup left tackle behind Tyler Guyton.
The issue is trust, and it’s hard to see the Cowboys viewing Shelton as the first man up at either tackle spot. Broderick Jones is being kept on one side so he can focus on right tackle, but if Dallas has concerns about Shelton, Jones could be the one asked to handle left tackle duties if needed.
At defensive tackle, LT Overton is positioned behind Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Otito Ogbonnia, with Jonathan Bullard expected to be No. 4 if he’s healthy. That’s a question mark, though, because Bullard hasn’t been healthy all camp. Overton should see some action regardless, and his workload could tick up if Bullard can’t go.
Camden Brown rounds out the rookie group, and his path depends on how the receiver room shakes out. The assumption is that Brown sits at No. 6 on the depth chart behind Jonathan Mingo and KaVontae Turpin.
If that holds, the Cowboys probably won’t dress six receivers on game day behind CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, Turpin and Mingo. Even if Brown is active, his snaps would likely be limited to special teams, with little offensive work unless circumstances change.
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For now, the reaction around those moves has been mostly positive, which says something about how far a little financial breathing room can go with this fan base. Still, the Cowboys are entering Week 1 with the same kind of risk that tends to linger beyond the numbers on a spreadsheet, especially when the plan depends on players developing on schedule and the lineup avoiding unnecessary setbacks. Malik Daviss preseason fine for illegal helmet use was a minor footnote, but it served as a reminder that the margin for error is already thin before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]