Dallas Cowboys training camp is on the horizon, and plenty of spots are up for grabs. This roster is top-heavy and stocked with front-line talent, but reliable and quality depth is a real concern.
Most starting jobs are locked in, but a bunch of key rotational spots are available for the taking. With a new coaching staff, new schemes, and several players coming off injuries, the battles this year in Oxnard will matter.
The results of these competitions could shape the Cowboys’ 2025 season.
Who Makes The Final Cut At Running Back?
The most heavily contested position battle heading into Dallas Cowboys training camp is at running back.
Dallas completely overhauled the backfield this offseason, picking up two backs each in free agency and the draft. Right now, they have five running backs that they’re bringing to camp—six if you count Hunter Luepke as a running back—and not all of them are going to make the final 53. There aren’t enough seats at the table to feed everyone, so who is going to be left without a chair?
The Likely Starter Battle
The Cowboys brought in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders as free agents. The starting job will almost certainly go to one of them, with the one missing out likely to miss the final cut.
Williams likely has the leg up on Sanders right now. He’s three years younger—the average career lifespan for an NFL running back—and he has more of an RB1 physical profile than Sanders. Williams flashed promise as a rookie in Denver before a knee injury cut his sophomore campaign short. After disappointing years in 2023 and 2024, can he regain the form he showed in Year 1?
Sanders is older, but his high-end production exceeds Williams’. He wasn’t great in Carolina the last two years (in fact, he was bad), but he was a stud in Philadelphia in 2022, earning a Pro Bowl nod after rushing for 1,200+ yards and 11 touchdowns.
Williams is the more physical, bruising runner, while Sanders is shiftier and more explosive. The question becomes, what kind of running team do the Cowboys want to be? If it’s a between-the-tackles, run the ball down your throat style, that favors Williams. A more outside-zone scheme would favor Sanders.
Right now, the edge goes to Williams. This battle will be a fun watch at training camp.
Who Fills Out The Depth Chart?
In today’s NFL, teams typically carry four running backs. That leaves three spots for four players: the two rookies in Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, and the returning veterans in Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke.
Both Blue and Mafah are likely to make the roster. That might seem presumptuous—especially in Mafah’s case, considering he’s a seventh-rounder—but Dallas seems to really like both players. Blue is your classic change-of-pace guy, and all indications from the team this offseason indicate they’re keen on finding a role for him. Mafah is your Williams-style bruiser, and it’s not a huge leap to assume the team is looking to make Mafah-Blue its one-two combo of the future.
Vaughn looks to be the odd man out. Luepke is more of a fullback, and Dallas has no other players on the roster to fill that role. With the selection of Blue, Vaughn becomes redundant. Maybe he holds a spot on the roster if he becomes primarily a special-teams player, but as far as a ball-carrier, he’s likely out.
The remaining spots likely go to Blue, Luepke, and Mafah.
Who Will Grab The WR3 Role?
With the George Pickens trade, Dallas completely revamped their wide receiver room. CeeDee Lamb is locked in as WR1, and Pickens slides seamlessly into WR2. Behind them are a handful of players who could make a claim to that spot.
The Clubhouse Leader
Jalen Tolbert is the leader heading into training camp. He broke out in Year 3, with career highs in catches (49), yards (610), and touchdowns (7). His seven touchdown catches also led the team. With Pickens commanding more defensive attention this year, it’s fair to expect another step forward from Tolbert. The Cowboys invested a third-round pick in him, and 2025 might be his best opportunity yet to prove he belongs.
Jockeying For Position
Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy, and Jonathan Mingo will be an interesting triumvirate to watch this year at camp.
Mingo is the most intriguing of the three. He was acquired at last year’s trade deadline, so he’ll get a pass for doing nothing on the field in 2024. Jerry Jones was vocal about his admiration of Mingo coming out of college, and that may buy him a longer leash and extra reps in camp. The problem? Mingo just might not be any good. He’s a physical specimen—6-2, 220 pounds, sub-4.4 speed—but everything else you want in a receiver (route running, timing, hands, yards after catch) has been inconsistent.
Brooks and Flournoy are the less sexy names, but very much in the mix. They will have a real shot if either can earn Dak Prescott’s trust. Both guys were in the building last year (Brooks is heading into his third year), and this coaching staff appears open to rewarding performance over pedigree.
The wildcard is KaVontae Turpin. An All-Pro return man, he showed last year that he can be more than just a gadget guy on offense. When given an opportunity to run routes, Turpin was good. And more importantly, Dak trusts him. With a competition this wide open, he has as good an opportunity as any to slot in and take the job.
Lamb and Pickens will demand most of the attention. Whoever wins the WR3 job won’t need to carry the passing game—they just need to win in one-on-one coverage. For now, it’s Tolbert’s job to lose.
How Will The Edge Rotation Shake Out?
Micah Parsons is a superstar, and as long as he’s on the field, Dallas has a chance to disrupt any offense. But behind him, the edge rotation is crowded.
Dante Fowler Jr. will be the Week 1 starter opposite Parsons. He returns to the team after a productive year with Dan Quinn in Washington, and he will look to build on the 10.5 sacks he recorded in 2024. He brings familiarity and veteran savvy, but he’s clearly a short-term solution.
Second-round rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku has already earned praise from coaches and teammates. He’s twitchy, powerful, and fits the mold of what new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus wants. But how fast can he adjust to the NFL? If he stands out in Oxnard, he could earn snaps right away.
Payton Turner is a former first-rounder who never quite found his footing in New Orleans. He’s in Dallas on a prove-it deal, and camp will be his opportunity to prove he deserves reps in a crowded room.
Then there’s Marshawn Kneeland and Sam Williams, two players coming off season-ending knee surgeries. When healthy, Williams has shown pass-rush juice, but questions remain about consistency and maturity. He’s firmly on the roster bubble. Kneeland, meanwhile, flashed as a run defender—a trait this defense sorely needs. He could carve out an early role if healthy.
This is a deep group with a lot of overlap. Parsons will command double teams, so who steps up to take advantage?
Final Cuts Will Be Earned at Dallas Cowboys Training Camp In Oxnard
Training camp battles won’t just shape the back end of the Dallas Cowboys roster. They could determine the outcome of the 2025 season. This is a team with elite talent at the top, but depth is a legitimate concern.
At running back, the numbers game will squeeze out at least one veteran. At wide receiver, the WR3 spot is wide open behind Lamb and Pickens. And on the edge, it’s a crowded room full of “prove-it” players trying to earn rotational snaps opposite Micah Parsons.
If these competitions bring out the best in the roster, Dallas will be better for it. But if they don’t find answers, the cracks could show early.
Main Image: Chris Jones – USA Today Sports
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