Dallas Cowboys football is officially back. It wasn't all pretty at So-Fi Stadium - that's an understatement - but it was great to see the team back on the field in a competitive setting. Before you know it, the Cowboys will be kicking off the NFL regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4.
It stands to reason that there will be a lot more roster shuffling before final rosters are due, but we took a stab at predicting which players will make the team with one preseason exhibition in the books.
Dallas Cowboys' 53-man roster prediction after first preseason game
Quarterback (2): Dak Prescott, Joe Milton
The backup job is wide open after Milton's rollercoaster Cowboys debut. Even if Milton shows improvement over the final two preseason games, Saturday's dud, for lack of a better term, Grier may have a role on this team as more than just an emergency quarterback. For now, Grier misses out by a hair.
Running back (5): Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Jaydon Blue, Hunter Luepke, Phil Mafah
It would not surprise if Dallas tinkered with the RB room again if injuries continue to pile up. As things stand, though, these five deserve to make the team. If Mafah plays like he did on Saturday the coaching staff will have a spot for him. And if the numbers get tight and Sanders can't get healthy soon, we'd be fine with the Cowboys leaning on the two rookies and keeping Williams.
Wide receiver (6): CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Brooks
This will be one of the tougher decisions the coaching staff makes. Schottenheimer was very complimentary of undrafted rookie Traeshon Holden after the loss, but Jalen Brooks performed well and was a starting gunner on the punt team with captain C.J. Goodwin in Tuesday's joint practice vs. the Rams. Ryan Flournoy was Dallas' best separator on Saturday, so this battle is far from over.
Tight end (3): Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker
There might be room for one of John Stephens or Princeton Fant to make the team, but Ferguson, Spann-Ford and Schoonmaker is a solid trio. Neither Stephens nor Fant played against the Rams. It stands to reason that they will play a ton of snaps this coming Saturday against the Ravens. That game should bring a lot more clarity to the TE position.
Offensive line (9): Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, Terence Steele, Nate Thomas, Brock Hoffman, Asim Richards, T.J. Bass
Make no mistake: the offensive line group is far from settled. Bass was one of the best players on the field for Dallas at So-Fi Stadium, so he currently has the inside track over veteran signee Hakeem Adenihi, who didn't have a great game against the Rams. Meanwhile, Richards earned a 89.2 pass-blocking grade from PFF on 31 pass-blocking snaps.
Defensive tackle (5): Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, Solomon Thomas, Jay Toia, Perrion Winfrey
Winfrey has all but played his way onto the 53-man roster. He was comfortably the team's most disruptive interior defender against the Rams. The same can't be said for seventh-round rookie Jay Toia, whom fans had high hopes for amidst a strong camp. It's doubtful that Toia's roster spot is in jeopardy, but how he performs over the final two preseason games could determine whether the front office brings in another DT before the regular season.
Defensive end (5): Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Marshawn Kneeland, Sam Williams
Micah Parsons is the obvious elephant in the room here, but we full expect him to sign an extension before the season.
For what it's worth, James Houston was the 54th player on our projection. It would not surprise if he snuck on over Turner, a former first-round pick of the Saints who inked a one-year deal with Dallas in March. Turner has been fine in camp and didn't do much on Saturday.
Houston, on the other hand, had multiple pass-rush wins against the Rams and has made more waves in camp than Turner despite signing in late June following a successful workout. He should be the sixth DE if the Cowboys choose to keep that many, not Turner.
Linebacker (5): Jack Sanborn, Marist Liufau, Kenneth Murray Jr., Damone Clark, Shemar James
The Cowboys might be better off at linebacker until DeMarvion Overshown returns than anyone thought. Marist Liufau played with his hair on fire and seems primed for a year two jump. Clark has played well in camp, but did not cover himself in glory vs. the Rams. Rookie Shemar James finished with four tackles and two defensive snaps on 34 defensive snaps, per PFF.
Cornerback (6): DaRon Bland, Kaiir Elam, Israel Mukuamu, Troy Pride Jr., Zion Childress, C.J. Goodwin
This roster is so depleted at cornerback that they might not have the luxury to keep longtime special teams ace C.J. Goodwin. That could open up a spot for Kemon Hall despite a rough outing on Saturday, but he was outshined by both Mukuamu and Childress. This group could be in big trouble until Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel Jr. get healthy.
Safety (4): Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, Juanyeh Thomas, Markquese Bell
Unlike cornerback, the Cowboys are set at safety. It would be nice to see undrafted free agent Alijah Clark make it back to the practice squad. Markquese Bell had a difficult time on Saturday, but he's likely not going anywhere after he re-signed on a multi-year deal this offseason. Juanyeh Thomas, meanwhile, offers versatility as a box safety and nickel cornerback.
Special teams (3): Brandon Aubrey, Bryan Anger, Trent Sieg
No analysis needed here. This unit is one of the strengths of the team.