3 different Cowboys 53-man roster projections pinpoint contested roster spots

I’m not revealing any major secrets here, but if the past 15 years or so that I’ve been intensely following the Dallas Cowboys training camp have taught me anything, it’s that rosters are largely set before the offseason program even begins, and most of the extra players brought in are little more than sparring and training partners for the roster locks.

That is the stark reality of NFL life.

Injuries, standout performances in camp, and the occasional suspension provide the opportunity for maybe a handful of players each year to work their way onto the roster, but that’s pretty much it.

To get a better feeling for what the contested spots could be on the 2026 Cowboys roster, I took a look at three separate roster projections. One from from our old friend Mike Fisher at CowboysRoundtable.com, one from the always reliable Jon Machota of The Athletic, and one from our very own Connor Livesay.

These three projections should give us a good idea of where public sentiment currently stands regarding the 2026 Cowboys roster. I’ve combined all three projections in the tables below, one for the offense and one for defense and special teams combined. The tables highlight (in yellow) the spots that do not yet appear to be locked down. Look closely, and you’ll see there aren’t many of those spots left, at least if these projections are anything to go by.

Not too many surprises for the offense, and there really only seem to be four spots up for grabs.

At QB, the consensus seems to be that the team has invested too much in Milton to just let him go – though there is an expectation that Sam Howell will challenge for the backup spot.

At RB, the question is whether the Cowboys will carry three or four players; Phil Mafah would really have to show up in camp to grab one of the last roster spots on the 53.

At WR, the final spot seems to be the contested one, and don’t discount Marquez Valdes-Scantling here, he might be a safer option for 2026 than either Mingo or Holden.

At TE, the spots look fixed, but the team could easily opt for just three tight ends, and the odd man out in that case may not be Michael Trigg but Luke Schoonmaker.

Finally, the only two truly contested spots appear to be the last two offensive line spots, and at this point you can make a case for almost every lineman to fill one of those two spots. A lot here will depend on how training camp plays out.

On defense and special teams, the situation is very similar, with competition likely only for the last backup spots.

At outside linebacker and safety, the only question is whether the Cowboys go long at those spots and keep an extra guy, and the fifth ILB spot also seems to be contested to some degree.

The cornerback position may be the most contested in camp, but again, it’s likely to be about just the two last spots at the position, but there will be a lot of players contesting those two spots.

As far as projections go, these three have probably summarized the general sentiment about the roster pretty well at this point of the season.

Suspensions (knock on wood), trades, injuries (knock on wood three times), and other things of that nature (knock on wood) tend to disrupt these projections. But that’s also where depth guys then get to step up and seize their opportunity.

What’s your take on the combined projections above, and which of your pet cats didn’t make the cut on any of the three projections?