The Dallas Cowboys were back in action for the first time since January 2025. While the preseason does not count, there was plenty to take away from their loss to the Los Angeles Rams. No significant starters played, but some players who are expected to contribute this season did.
The preseason is all about giving the lower guys on the depth chart a shot to play. Some players take advantage of those opportunities while others tiptoe their way towards unemployment. That was the case for these players who may see themselves falling down the depth chart before next week's game.
3 Cowboys plummeting down the depth chart after Week 1 of the preseason
1. Andrew Booth
The Cowboys are beaten up at corner, to say the least. Trevon Diggs and Josh Butler are still recovering from injuries sustained last season and rookie Shavon Revel Jr. is carrying over an injury from college. Right now, the best corner in camp has been Kaiir Elam, but he did not see the field on Saturday. That left Andrew Booth to start on the outside as CB1. His day did not go well.
On the first drive, the Cowboys' defense got the Rams into a 4th and 6 near midfield. Stetson Bennett went right after Booth going against Xavier Smith. Smith beat Booth clearly and was able to haul in the pass to get the Rams inside the ten.
Had Booth played the receiver better, Bennett might not have looked his way and maybe the Rams do not convert. Just a few plays later, Blake Corum scored his first of two rushing touchdowns on the day. Booth's blunder set the tone for what was to come for this defense the rest of the game.
The Cowboys had high hopes for Booth as their third/fourth-string corner when they traded for him last year from Minnesota. So far, his time in Dallas has been disastrous. Injuries last season forced him into action and top receivers like A.J. Brown were able to beat him consistently.
If Booth cannot cover backup receivers in preseason, this coaching staff has to wonder if they can trust him on the field in Week 1 against the Eagles. Right now, he would be penciled in as likely the third corner alongside DaRon Bland and Elam but he is clearly the weakest of the more experienced corners.
If Booth starts the next two preseason games and does not show any improvement, he will fall down on the depth chart. Undrafted rookie Zion Childress led all Cowboys in tackles with six in the Rams game and had a flash play with a nice tackle for loss. The buzz around a player like him can only be bad news for Booth.
2. Hakeem Adeniji
The starting offensive line consisted mainly of players the Cowboys expect to be second string. Hakeem Adeniji got the start at right tackle. Unfortunately for him and the rest of the offensive line starters, the offense could not get going until he came off the field.
The play that stands out the most came in the second quarter. Already down by 14 with only one yard gained in the entire first quarter, Dallas was desperately needing some kind of spark on offense. After a holding penalty, the team got pushed much further back after Rams rookie Josaiah Stewart sacked Joe Milton.
Adeniji got beat like a drum on the play, completely getting run around. For a player the Cowboys might be looking at as a rotational guy on the offensive line, that is not a good look. With Tyler Guyton hurt, the Cowboys are looking for other tackles to step up.
What hurt Adeniji even more in this game was the presence of veteran La'el Collins. Collins came in to play right tackle late in the fourth quarter and the team began to almost immediately move the ball downfield more easily. There is a legitimate argument to be made that Collins should have started in the first place
It could be a good idea to give Collins the start at right tackle in the next game to see if he can prove he can back up Terence Steele. For Adeniji, that could very well mean a slide down the depth chart. The team is already familiar with Collins having brought him back a second time since he left after the 2021 season. Dallas will not hesitate to demote or even cut a player who is not producing.
3. Deuce Vaughn
It might be time for the Cowboys to get serious about giving up on the Deuce Vaughn project. Vaughn started the game and did little to stand out from the other running backs who took the field. He only had two carries for 11 yards. He might be the longest tenured back on the team, but Dallas brought in two free agents and drafted two other backs for a reason.
While the Cowboys rushed for 148 yards, the heavy lifting came from rookie Phil Mafah and Malik Davis. Jaydon Blue likely would have gotten snaps too had he not be injured in practice a few days ago. With three backs including the projected starters Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders not playing, Vaughn did nothing to prove he is worthy of being high on the depth chart.
When Dallas drafted Vaughn a few years back, the hype train had a lot climbing on board. He might have been a legend at Kansas State, but it is hard to look past his 5'6" frame. He has shown his ability to slip around guys and provide some explosiveness, but lately it has rarely showed. The NFL is a "what have you done for me lately" business and right now Vaughn has done little lately.
What really could push Dallas to waive him is the sudden emergence of Malik Davis. He averaged nine yards a carry with 63 rushing yards and made a huge difference on the team's final scoring drive.
With Davis only being back in Dallas for a few days and immediately showing out, things are not looking good for Vaughn long-term. It should not shock anyone if Vaughn sees less action this preseason and is possibly one of the final cuts.