Training camp is about to put a few Cowboys under the microscope, and the names getting the most attention all come with a clear theme: prove it.
One of the biggest bounce-back bets centers on Kenny Clark. The former Pro Bowl defensive tackle was not a disaster in 2025, but he also wasn’t the same force he was in Green Bay.
That gap has been there since 2024, and the numbers back it up. Clark had 7.5 sacks and 61 pressures in 2023, his last Pro Bowl season, then managed just 77 pressures and four sacks over the last two years combined.
There’s reason to think Dallas may be able to tap back into that version of him. The key is a role change.
Clark has been at his best when he’s lining up regularly at nose tackle, something he hasn’t done in several years. In 2026, he’ll be back there in Christian Parker’s defense.
“I pride myself on being an all-around defensive tackle, but I’m primarily a nose tackle. That’s my bread and butter,” he said in 2025.
Whether that usage unlocks the old Clark is one of the more intriguing questions heading into camp, but the fit makes sense enough to believe it could happen.
Elsewhere, the Cowboys are also looking at a young offensive lineman who could be on the rise. Tyler Booker is the pick for a first career Pro Bowl, and the case starts with how smoothly he handled an impossible job: replacing Zack Martin at right guard.
Booker is not Martin, and nobody expected him to be. What he did do was keep the drop-off from becoming a major problem.
He’s got the look of a long-term starter at the spot, maybe for a decade or more, and a second offseason working with Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams should only help. Booker’s rookie year wasn’t spotless, especially in pass protection, but he delivered exactly what Dallas needed in the run game.
For a rookie, that’s a strong foundation. A Pro Bowl leap in year 2 is very much on the table.
On the surprise front, Phil Mafah is a name to watch in the backfield. The running back room behind Javonte Williams is still unsettled, and the second spot is there for the taking. Mafah, a second-year pro, dealt with a nagging shoulder injury much of last season, but he’s healthy now and trying to make a real jump.
At 6-foot-0 and 234 pounds, Mafah brings the kind of downhill, physical style that can separate him from the other backs on the roster. He could carve out a role in short-yardage situations and as a pile-mover, and he already found the end zone once last season against the Giants in Week 18. He’s also drawn notice this offseason, including at OTAs.
“Phil Mafah looked good with his first-team reps, grabbing a touchdown in red zone work,” Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. “Mafah has specifically drawn a lot of praise for his work this offseason, with one source saying he is ‘night-and-day’ different from last year.”
The defense has its own wild card in Marist Liufau. His move from inside linebacker to pass rusher makes his roster path more complicated, especially with so many edge players in the mix. Cowboys national scout Ross Wuensche recently said Liufau has “a new life” and that “he’s going to be a really cool matchup piece for us.”
Still, a position switch usually isn’t a great sign when it comes to roster security. Liufau does have one thing working in his favor: he ranked second on the team in special teams snaps last season, which could matter to special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen.
If the staff likes him enough on defense and Sorensen wants him on special teams, he could stick as a surprise. In one projection, though, he was left out.
The broader picture around the Cowboys’ offseason has drawn strong reviews too. NFL.com gave Dallas an A- after a busy stretch that included re-signing Javonte Williams, using the franchise tag on George Pickens, trading for Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, and drafting Caleb Downs at No. 11, Malachi Lawrence at No. 23, plus three other defenders in the first four rounds.
The defensive overhaul was the headline. Dallas attacked that side of the ball in a major way, and the draft leaned heavily in that direction for a reason.
The only thing holding the grade back from perfect was the lack of upgrades on the offensive line. If the new defensive pieces hit quickly, the Cowboys will head into 2026 with a roster built to contend in a tough division again.
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