By Jamal Baker
NDG Sportswriter
The Dallas Cowboys are slated to play their final preseason game Friday against the New Orleans Saints and will have to determine their 53-man roster by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Certain position groups throughout Dallas’ roster have healthy depth but others are pretty thin and have question marks heading into their regular season opener versus the New York Giants on Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium.
Let’s predict who will make the team and grade each position group based on my projection.
Quarterbacks (2)
Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III
Prescott is heading into his 11th season as the starting quarterback for America’s Team and has cemented himself as a top seven quarterback in the league. Milton is a quality backup with a live arm.
Grade: A
Running Backs (4)
Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, Malik Davis, Hunter Luepke
Williams is the unquestioned bell cow of the group while each of the other three options present unique threats to attack defenses in complementary roles.
Grade: B+
Wide Receivers (6)
CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, Camden Brown
This position features two top ten receivers in the league in Lamb and Pickens. Mingo earned his spot by having a great summer and Brown has proven to be a hidden gem.
Grade: A+
Tight Ends (4)
Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker, Michael Trigg
Trigg oozes with bigtime potential, and I do not believe Dallas will let him walk out the door. Schoonmaker is a cut candidate but the former second round pick will look to prove his worth for one more season.
Grade: B+
Offensive Linemen (9)
Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, Terence Steele, T.J. Bass, Nate Thomas, Ajani Cornelius, Drew Shelton
A starting interior of Smith, Beebe and Booker is a major strength, however starting tackles Guyton and Steele leave room for improvement in this group.
Grade: B
Defensive Tackles (5)
Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otito Ogbonnia, LT Overton, Jonathan Bullard
Dallas finally solved the interior defensive line weakness that has haunted them for years. Opposing offenses will now find it difficult to run the ball up the middle.
Grade: A-
Edge Rushers (6)
Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, James Houston, Von Miller, Sam Williams
Miller still has juice left in the tank on the field and his arrival in Dallas will be a welcomed addition to a young unit off the field as well.
Grade: B
Linebackers (4)
DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham, Justin Barron
Quiet as kept, this group has flown under the radar, however if they are healthy all season, watch out. Key words—speed and physicality.
Grade: B-
Cornerbacks (5)
DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel, Devin Moore, Reddy Stewart
The cornerback room is concerning and will have plenty to prove heading into next season. Here’s to hoping defensive coordinator Christian Parker can work his magic with this unit.
Grade: C+
Safeties (5)
Jalen Thompson, Caleb Downs, Malik Hooker, P.J. Locke, Markquese Bell
Dallas will have a versatile safety group that can end up being a strength of the defense.
Grade: B+
Special teams (3)
Brandon Aubrey (K), Bryan Anger (P), Trent Sieg (LS)
No worries at all with these three.
Grade: A+
Very interesting topic and insight into what Dallas brings to the table this year. Go Cowboys!