The Cowboys have plenty of talented veterans on their roster, but these three rookies have a chance to crack Mike McCarthy's starting lineup.
This season is another Super Bowl or bust season for the Cowboys. Owner/General Manager Jerry Jones always has sky-high expectations for his franchise. Veterans will need to play like All-Pros to get Dallas to the promised land, but some help from this year's rookie class could go a long way toward powering this team to a deep playoff run.
The Cowboys didn't enter the draft with a ton of capital to work with, but the franchise did make a clear effort to fill obvious holes on the roster. That caused some reaches in terms of talent level, but it also means several rookies have a great chance to be immediate starters due to the lack of established talent ahead of them on the depth chart.
The first player on this list didn't hear his name called until Round 6 but is already turning heads at training camp.
3 Cowboys rookies who look like starters
3. Deuce Vaughn
Ezekiel Elliott's departure leaves a hole at running back. Tony Pollard returning from a significant injury further opens the door for rookie Deuce Vaughn to stake his claim to a spot in the starting lineup.
Vaughn may not be able to dislodge Pollard if both guys enter the regular season at 100%, but he has a meaningful role to play as a rookie. His elusiveness in the open field (as highlighted in the clip below) gives him a chance to turn routine gains into big plays for an offense that needs more explosion.
The 5-foot-5 running back isn't ever going to dominate a backfield in terms of volume, but that doesn't mean he can't emerge as a valuable starter for the Cowboys. Fans should not be shocked if he finds a way to start multiple games this year for Dallas.
2. Luke Schoonmaker
Dalton Schultz's decision to take his talents to the Texans was a clear blow to Dallas' offense this offseason. The Cowboys elected to fill his spot on the depth chart by spending a second-round draft pick on former Michigan standout Luke Schoonmaker.
Interestingly, Jones and his front office elected to choose a player who shares a lot of stylistic similarities with Schultz to replace him. Schoonmaker has a big body that should make him a reliable short and intermediate target for Dak Prescott, but like Schultz, he lacks the quick twitch athleticism required to threaten opposing secondaries on deep routes.
Schoonmaker's size does give him a chance to develop into an above-average blocker for the run game. That's the aspect of his game that will need to come along quickly if he's going to overtake Jake Ferguson to become the team's top option at tight end.
Schoonmaker is going to end up as the team's long-term starter at tight end and it should not take him too long to supplant Ferguson during his rookie campaign. He may never be a star, but he has a relatively high floor as a prospect. The Cowboys invested a high pick in his services and they will give him every chance to earn an immediate starting role as a result.
1. Mazi Smith
The idea that a first-round draft pick will emerge as a rookie starter is a common occurrence around the NFL. The Cowboys need Mazi Smith to give them that kind of production in 2023.
Specifically, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will be counting on the former Michigan man to boost his unit's run defense. That's the one skill that Smith flashed at a high level during his collegiate career. He should be able to occupy multiple blockers right away to free up the playmakers surrounding him for the Dallas defense.
Smith's lack of pass-rushing acumen is going to limit his ceiling at the NFL level, but that's not something the Cowboys will be overly concerned with in his inaugural season. If he can find a way to clog up the middle on first and second-down as a rookie the organization will feel like they got great value from him as a late first-round pick.
Fans hoping for flashy plays from the Cowboys' top overall draft pick may be disappointed by what Smith shows them this season, but his overall effect should be measured by how well his defense stops the run. If he can elevate Dallas' performance in that regard he'll be a mainstay in the starting lineup.
