Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart
By Jon Dove
The Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart has enough talent to win the NFC East, but there are still some areas of concern.
The biggest issue with the Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart comes on the defensive side of the ball and especially along the defensive line. They’ll need to figure that position out if they hope to make a Super Bowl run.
Quarterback
Starter: Tony Romo
Backups: Kellen Moore and Dak Prescott
The Cowboys are hoping to get a healthy season out of Tony Romo. His health will determine whether or not this team as a real shot a winning a Super Bowl. Grabbing Dak Prescott as a solid choice to help in the future.
Running Back
Starter: Ezekiel Elliott
Backups: Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris and Lance Dunbar
As much sense as it made, I was still a little shocked that the Cowboys pulled the trigger on Ezekiel Elliott. He’s an elite talent who will have tons of success, but it was just a year ago the Cowboys let Demarco Murray leave via free agency because they felt anyone could produce behind their offensive line.
Wide Receiver
Starters: Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams
Slot: Brice Butler
Backups: Cole Beasley and Devin Street
Someone out of the group of Terrance Williams, Brice Butler, Cole Beasley and Devin Street needs to step up and pull coverage away from Dez Bryant.
Tight End
Starter: Jason Witten
Backups: James Hanna, Gavin Escobar and Rico Gathers
Witten may only have a few more seasons left in the tank, but he’ll still get plenty of targets. This is likely Hanna and Escobar’s last chance to establish themselves as Witten’s replacement.
Left Tackle
Starter: Tyron Smith
Backups: Charles Brown and Chaz Green
Tyron Smith is one of the best left tackles in the league and an elite player. The depth at the position is also strong with Brown possessing experience and Green potential.
Left Guard
Starter: La’el Collins
Backups: Ronald Leary and Joe Looney
Collins is looking to improve on what as a shaky rookie season. However, there isn’t much to worry about as Collins is a hard worker and talented individual.
Center
Starter: Travis Frederick
Backups: Joe Looney and Jake Brendel
Frederick has established himself as one of the top interior offensive linemen in the NFL.
Right Guard
Starter: Zack Martin
Backups: Ronald Leary and Joe Looney
Martin is already an elite player while also showing improvement each year.
Right Tackle
Starter: Doug Free
Backups: Charles Brown and Chaz Green
Doug Free has a lock on the starting job, but this may be a spot where the youngster Chaz Green could emerge in the future.
Defensive End
Starters: Ryan Russell and Cedric Thornton
Backups: Charles Tapper and Jack Crawford
Suspended: Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory
Suspensions and injuries have really made the defensive end position a weakness. Ryan Russell and Cedric Thornton are the likely week 1 starters with rookie Charles Tapper in the rotation. After their suspensions, Lawrence and Gregory need to prove they can stay healthy and produce.
Defensive Tackle
Starters: Tyrone Crawford and Terrell McClain
Backups: Maliek Collins (injured), Casey Walker
Dallas is extremely thin at the defensive tackle spot which is made worse thanks to their lack of depth at defensive end. It’s possible we see Cedric Thornton get a lot of work at defensive tackle once Gregory and Lawrence are back in the mix.
SAM Linebacker
Starter: Anthony HItchens
Backups: Kyle Wilber and Damien Wilson
Anthony Hitches is a solid performer who should head into the season as a starter.
Middle Linebacker
Starter: Rolando McClain
Backups: Andrew Gachkar and Jaylon Smith (injured)
McClain is back in the mix and looking to build on what has been a solid start to his career with the Cowboys. Jaylon Smith is the wildcard here because if healthy he’ll see the field.
WILL Linebacker
Starter: Sean Lee
Backups: Damien Wilson and Kyle WIlber
Sean Lee is a playmaker who is a real difference maker. However, his issues staying healthy have really hurt the consistency of the Cowboys defense.
Cornerback
Starters: Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick
Nickelback: Morris Claiborne
Backups: Josh Thomas, Anthony Brown and Brandon McGee
The combination of Carr, Scandrick and Claiborne has a chance to be effective. However, they make too many mistakes as a group which leads to a lot of big plays on the back end. The entire secondary is more vulnerable because of the Cowboys issues generating a pass rush.
Safety
Starters: Byron Jones and Barry Church
Backups: JJ Wilcox and Kavon Frazier
It’ll be interesting to see how Byron Jones adjusts to the full time switch to safety. He and Barry Church have a chance to be a really effective duo. The depth here is also pretty strong with Wilcox having a ton of starting experience and Frazier raw athleticism.