{"id":13953,"date":"2025-05-01T01:28:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T01:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/13953\/"},"modified":"2025-05-01T01:28:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T01:28:16","slug":"what-holes-are-left-to-fill-after-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/13953\/","title":{"rendered":"What holes are left to fill after NFL draft?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Cowboys<\/a> added nine players in the NFL draft<\/a> \u2014 plus, a few undrafted names in the days that followed<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Where does the roster stand ahead of rookie minicamp this week?<\/p>\n

Below we took a look at each position in a pseudo depth chart as the month of April winds down:<\/p>\n

– * 2025 draft class<\/p>\n

Cowboys<\/p>\n

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.<\/p>\n

Offense<\/p>\n

Quarterback<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Dak Prescott <\/p>\n

Depth options: Will Grier, Joe Milton III<\/p>\n

Notes: Prescott is QB1. QB2? Still up for debate<\/a>. Grier has familiarity in Dallas, but the Cowboys traded away a 2025 fifth-round compensatory pick to acquire Milton in the offseason. That pick ended up being traded to Detroit. The Lions selected guard Miles Frazier from LSU. As for the Cowboys, Milton has some upside having impressed some personnel people in the 2024 regular season finale for the Patriots where he completed 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown. <\/p>\n

Running back<\/p>\n

Potential starter: JaVonte Williams <\/p>\n

Depth options: Miles Sanders, Deuce Vaughn, Jaydon Blue*, Phil Mafah*<\/p>\n

Notes: It\u2019s a wide open race at running back. With two names added in the draft, along with others added in free agency, this is one of the most notable unknowns heading into camp<\/a>. The Cowboys kept three running backs and a fullback on the roster last year. Williams rushed for 513 yards on 139 carries with four touchdowns in Denver last season. Can Blue and Mafah make an impact to support Williams? Sanders is the wild card as someone who can make plays. <\/p>\n

Fullback<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Hunter Luepke<\/p>\n

Notes: Luepke could be lumped in with the running backs, but his skillset lays claim to a more specific role in the offense. Former coach Mike McCarthy loved Luepke. Does new coach Brian Schottenheimer?<\/p>\n

Related:After NFL draft, it appears Dallas Cowboys have an RB committee with no chairman<\/a><\/p>\n

Wide receiver<\/p>\n

Potential starters: CeeDee Lamb, TBD <\/p>\n

Depth options: Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, Ryan Flournoy, Parris Campbell, Jalen Brooks, Jalen Moreno-Cropper, Kelvin Harmon, Seth Williams<\/p>\n

Notes: Like quarterback, which receiver steps up to become the No. 2 man remains to be seen<\/a>. Is there another trade or free agent signing on the horizon? Do the Cowboys bring back Amari Cooper<\/a>? He\u2019s got a home in the Dallas area and is open to returning. Cooper is seen as a progress stopper to Tolbert, Brooks and Flournoy. However, that trio hasn\u2019t shown us enough to convince you they\u2019re ready to take over. Mingo, a 2023 second-round selection from Mississippi, has just 60 catches in two seasons. He caught five passes with Dallas last year. Dallas didn\u2019t draft a wideout. It\u2019s a position lacking a playmaker next to Lamb. <\/p>\n

Tight end<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Jake Ferguson<\/p>\n

Depth options: Luke Schoonmaker, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Princeton Fant, John Stephens Jr.<\/p>\n

Notes: Ferguson is looking to rebound from a down year alongside a healthy Prescott in 2025. Will Schoonmaker continue to make strides and reward the Cowboys\u2019 2023 second-round investment? The Cowboys value Spann-Ford\u2019s skill set, particularly his blocking. <\/p>\n

Left tackle<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Tyler Guyton<\/p>\n

Depth options: Asim Richards, Hakeem Adeniji, Nathan Thomas<\/p>\n

Notes: The Cowboys dismissed any discussions of moving Guyton off this spot during the draft. He\u2019s the starter with Richards in contention as one of the swing tackles. <\/p>\n

Left guard<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Tyler Smith<\/p>\n

Depth options: Sahhdiq Charles, TJ Bass<\/p>\n

Notes: What else is there to say about a two-time Pro Bowler in Tyler Smith? Tell us.<\/p>\n

Center<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Cooper Beebe<\/p>\n

Depth options: Dakota Shepley<\/p>\n

Notes: The Cowboys thought of moving Beebe to guard before Tyler Booker was added to the roster. Having Booker and Beebe as starters are deemed to be a positive. <\/p>\n

Right guard<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Tyler Booker<\/a>*<\/p>\n

Depth options: Robert Jones, Brock Hoffman, Ajani Cornelius*<\/p>\n

Notes: Hoffman took the starting job when Zack Martin was out with his ankle injuries. Hoffman provides good depth along with Robert Jones. Booker, however, is the starter here and if he gets first-team reps in training camp, something Guyton didn\u2019t get last season at left tackle, it will confirm everything the team is saying about him. <\/p>\n

Right tackle<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Terence Steele<\/p>\n

Depth options: Matt Waletzko<\/p>\n

Notes: Steele is one of the leaders among the offensive linemen with Tyler Smith. Bostick and Waletzko will fight for a roster spot. <\/p>\n

\"DallasDallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) heads back on the field after the offense came up short on fourth down in the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Nov. 5, 2023.(Tom Fox \/ Staff Photographer)Defense<\/p>\n

Defensive end<\/p>\n

Potential starters: Micah Parsons, TBD<\/p>\n

Depth options: Dante Fowler Jr., Marshawn Kneeland, Sam Williams, Donovan Ezeiruaku*, Payton Turner and Tyrus Wheat<\/p>\n

Notes: Which edge rusher steps up to replace DeMarcus Lawrence? Parsons\u2019 spot speaks for itself. How will Kneeland and Williams return from injury? Can Ezeiruaku make an immediate splash as a rookie? Fowler returned in free agency<\/a> and signed a one-year deal. Turner is someone the coaches like. <\/p>\n

Defensive tackle<\/p>\n

Potential starters: Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith<\/p>\n

Depth options: Solomon Thomas, Jay Toia*, Justin Rogers, Earnest Brown IV, Tommy Akingbesote* and Denzel Daxon<\/p>\n

Notes: Odighizuwa received a big pay raise<\/a> in the offseason. But will Smith or perhaps one of the rookies become a proper running mate up in the middle? Thomas might push Smith for a starting gig in training camp. This group needs more talent. Last year, Cowboys added depth in free agency, this time a mixture of free agency and the draft. <\/p>\n

Related:With Cowboys\u2019 draft complete, where do WR2 position, Dak Prescott\u2019s injury stand?<\/a><\/p>\n

Linebacker<\/p>\n

Potential starters: Kenneth Murray Jr., Jack Sanborn and Maris Liufau <\/p>\n

Depth options: Damone Clark, Marist Liufau, Shemar James*, Buddy Johnson, Darius Harris and DeMarvion Overshown<\/p>\n

Notes: Overshown will be out for a significant amount of time. It\u2019s unknown who starts at middle linebacker and the two off-the-ball spots. Murray and Sanborn have experience, but do they have staying power? The coaches like Liufau, so it\u2019s possible he\u2019s got a secure spot. <\/p>\n

Cornerback<\/p>\n

Potential starters: DaRon Bland, TBD <\/p>\n

Depth options: Trevon Diggs, Kaiir Elam, Shavon Revel Jr.*, Caelen Carson, Josh Butler, Andrew Booth Jr., Troy Pride Jr., Kemon Hall, Luq Barcoo and CJ Goodwin<\/p>\n

Notes: Bland is the only starter known. Diggs (knee<\/a>) is out until maybe the back half of the year. Revel (knee) will be cleared in July. So, the outside corner with Bland is … Butler? Booth? Elam? Hall? Oh, boy. The slot corner? Carson, possibly. After he injured his shoulder, he just wasn\u2019t the same player last year. Lots of questions that won\u2019t get cleared up until training camp. <\/p>\n

Free safety<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Malik Hooker<\/p>\n

Depth options: Juanyeh Thomas<\/p>\n

Notes: Hooker appeared in all 17 games last season, while Thomas spent the majority of his snaps on special teams. <\/p>\n

Strong safety<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Donovan Wilson<\/p>\n

Depth options: Israel Mukuamu, Markquese Bell<\/p>\n

Notes: Wilson is in the second year (his last guaranteed) of the three-year extension he signed in 2025. Can Mukuamu and Bell keep increasing their roles? <\/p>\n

\"DallasDallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey (17) warms up with punter Bryan Anger (5) before an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Arlington.(Smiley N. Pool \/ Staff Photographer)Specialists<\/p>\n

Kicker<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Brandon Aubrey<\/p>\n

Notes: Aubrey has the starting gig locked down. Dallas may have another leg on the roster for training camp. <\/p>\n

Punter<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Bryan Anger<\/p>\n

Notes: See above. Replace \u201cAubrey\u201d with \u201cAnger.\u201d <\/p>\n

Long snapper<\/p>\n

Potential starter: Trent Sieg<\/p>\n

Notes: Sieg agreed to a three-year deal<\/a> to return to Dallas in the offseason.<\/p>\n

Kick\/punt returner<\/p>\n

Potential starter: KaVontae Turpin <\/p>\n

Notes: Turpin was named a first-team All-Pro<\/a> for his work returning kicks last season. Turpin will be asked to do more on offense. We\u2019ve heard that before. <\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/a>Dallas Cowboys waive RB Malik Davis, 3 others<\/a><\/p>\n

The Cowboys will have almost an entirely new running back room in 2025.<\/p>\n

\"Former<\/a>Why Troy Aikman thinks Shedeur Sanders slid so far in NFL draft<\/a><\/p>\n

Aikman feels \u201cthere\u2019s probably a lot more\u201d to the story of the draft process surrounding Sanders.<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/a>Cowboys need Trevon Diggs to attack knee surgery rehab after frustrations of the past<\/a><\/p>\n

Jerry Jones recently voiced concerns about Diggs taking rehab with the training staff as seriously as possible.<\/p>\n

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Cowboys added nine players in the NFL draft \u2014 plus, a few undrafted names in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13954,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2066],"tags":[2009,1121,230,1370,229,257,2461,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-13953","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas-cowboys","8":"tag-brief","9":"tag-ceedee-lamb","10":"tag-cowboys","11":"tag-dak-prescott","12":"tag-dallas","13":"tag-dallas-cowboys","14":"tag-dallascowboys","15":"tag-football","16":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114429985115611549","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}