While the draft is the easiest path toward finding impact players, the Dallas Cowboys have found success throughout the franchise’s history in finding talent in the undrafted free agent market. Some of their success stories include Hall of Famer Drew Pearson, Barry Church, Tony Romo and more.

Multiple players that were signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent are currently on the 90-man roster including Terence Steele, Markquese Bell, Hunter Luepke and more.

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This year, the Cowboys added nine players to their roster in the undrafted free agent market, as they look to increase competition and specific position groups.

“I’m telling them, don’t get caught up on where you are on the depth chart,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said about his approach to the undrafted additions. “Get caught up on did you win today? Did you have a competitive day? Were you the best version of yourself today? And if you did that, then you continue to stack days like that, you’re going to get noticed.”

Here are the nine additions from the undrafted market in order of their likelihood to make the 53-man roster after training camp.

Alijah Clark, Safety, Syracuse

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said in the team’s post-draft press conference that the team had signed its highest-graded undrafted player. That player was Alijah Clark.

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Clark, who played as a downhill safety for the Orange after transferring from Rutgers earlier in his college career, combined for 181 tackles in his final three seasons. He became a bit more active in the pass game in 2024 with his only career interception and five pass deflections.

The Cowboys signed Clark to the seventh-richest undrafted contract around the league with $234,000 in guaranteed money to go along with a $25,000 signing bonus.

Mike Smith, Defensive Back, Eastern Kentucky

A stocky, versatile defensive back that played in space as a free safety for Eastern Kentucky in his three seasons with the Colonels, Mike Smith arrives in Dallas as a strong contender to compete for a spot on special teams with his athleticism and tackling ability.

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Defensively, he will be able to push the safety room as the 10th-highest graded safety in all of Division I football last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished his college career with 150 tackles, seven interceptions and 25 pass deflections.

Justin Barron, Linebacker, Syracuse

Like his Syracuse teammate in Clark, Justin Barron received a sizable contract to sign with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent after a productive career with the Orange, signing a deal totaling $254,000. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Barron brings a different physical element to the linebacker room with his size. He pairs it with above average speed that saw him run a 4.68-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day.

Barron’s senior season at Syracuse saw him notch 93 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, along with two sacks and four pass deflections. He should have an inside track toward earning a special teams spot with his size and speed combination.

Zion Childress, Defensive Back, Kentucky

A native of Houston and a Texas State transfer, Zion Childress fits the mold of Schottenheimer’s draft class in that he was a two-time team captain for the Wildcats. Childress was a tackling machine during his time in college, totaling 283 stops over five seasons.

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At 6-foot, 195 pounds, Childress will compete for a spot on special teams as early as his rookie season. He received a contract totaling $135,000 from the Cowboys.

Rivaldo Fairweather, Tight End, Auburn

The Cowboys continue to seek out tight ends in the undrafted free agent market that specialize in paving running lanes at the point of attack for ball-carriers, and Rivaldo Fairweather fits that mold.

In addition to his abilities in the run game, he uses his wide 6-foot-4, 252-pound frame to box out defensive backs in receiving opportunities. In 2024, he hauled in 31 receptions for 372 yards and two touchdowns. The tight end room will have some competition for the fourth spot if Schottenheimer decides to carry that many on the roster, and Fairweather would factor into that grouping.

Traeshon Holden, Wide Receiver, Oregon

The Cowboys didn’t come away with a wide receiver in the draft, but they quickly moved on reuniting Traeshon Holden with wide receivers coach Junior Adams who recruited and coached him at Oregon. Of the nine undrafted signings, Holden signed the cheapest contract with no guaranteed money and just a $3,000 signing bonus.

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Holden will have a decent shot at earning a practice squad spot, but he will have to show some special teams value to earn that spot.

Bruce Harmon, Cornerback, Stephen F. Austin

A graduate of Rockwall-Heath High School, Bruce Harmon is the only DFW product in the Cowboys’ draft class, but it will be an uphill battle to find a roster spot. Harmon signed a contract worth $35,000 in guarantees and a $5,000 signing bonus, and he will now enter a cornerback room that has some holes to fill.

Harmon displayed above average athleticism during the pre-draft process to pair with college tape that shows him sticking to receiving assignments and rarely giving up the big play. He could factor in as a nickel option as a best case scenario or a developmental project on the practice squad as a realistic scenario.

Tyler Neville, Tight End, Virginia

Tyler Neville has one of the more fascinating stories of the Cowboys rookie class, as he overcame deafness as a baby and Stage Two Hodgkin Lymphoma as a teenager to become an NFL player after a college career at Harvard and Virginia.

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Still raw with a lot of the natural ability in his game, Neville brings a physicality that could earn him a roster spot to help pave running lanes in situational packaging. He will have to overcome his fellow undrafted free agent teammate in Fairweather as well as 2024 roster member Princeton Fant.

Josh Kelly, Wide Receiver, Texas Tech

While Kelly’s production over five seasons at three different programs stands out (3,251 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns), his pre-draft athletic testing did not stand out in the right way to earn a draft selection (4.7 40-yard dash).

Still, Kelly brings an intriguing frame at 6-foot-1, 186 pounds to the receiver room that could earn him some play in the preseason as a jump ball option. The odds remained stacked against him to find a spot onto the 53-man roster.