At long last, we finally have a look at the Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster, even if there is a big old asterisk that this is the “initial” one, meaning we could still see changes before Week 1 kicks off on September 13th against the Giants.
The Cowboys made some headlines with a couple of notable cuts, and gave the Dallas faithful a sigh of relief that they did not waive a few fan favorites.
Here, I’ll go over the entire Cowboys 53-man roster and give you some analysis for each position group.
24 Total Offensive Players – Heavy at WR
3 Quarterbacks: Dak Prescott, Joe Milton, Sam Howell.
– There was some mid-preseason speculation that Dallas would only carry two quarterbacks this year, but Sam Howell provided a strong performance in their final game this past week and solidified his spot on the roster. Still, Dak Prescott is clearly QB1, and Joe Milton has earned QB2.
3 Running Backs: Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Hunter Luepke (Fullback).
Notable Cuts: Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah.
– We’ve arrived at the biggest surprise of the Cowboys’ “Cut Day.” The team is going into Week 1, at least for now, carrying just Javonte Williams and Malik Davis as their running backs, with Hunter Luepke staying on as the fullback. Jaydon Blue was waived, marking the end of his disappointing tenure in Dallas. Expect that this will not be the last movement from the Cowboys’ RB room this year.
6 Wide Receivers: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, Camden Brown.
Notable Cuts: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jordan Hudson.
– The headline in this group is that fan favorite and UDFA Camden Brown made the team after a sensational summer. Veteran Jonathan Mingo, as expected, also made the cut, so Dallas is going into the fall with six wide receivers on the roster. Brown may not play a ton initially, but this proves the Cowboys value him and his potential.
3 Tight Ends: Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker.
Notable Cuts: Michael Trigg.
– Despite the hype for UDFA Michael Trigg, it became pretty clear late that Luke Schoonmaker was going to be TE3 over him, and that is exactly what happened. Dallas is hoping for Trigg to make his way to the practice squad, but this group is set in stone for the start of the 2026 regular season.
9 Offensive Linemen: Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, Terence Steele, Broderick Jones, T.J. Bass, Ajani Cornelius, Drew Shelton.
Notable Cuts: Shiyazh Pete, Nick Leverette.
– Preseason star Shiyazh Pete was cut, which was unsurprising but notable due to his viral moments, and Nate Thomas was traded to Houston in response to the Broderick Jones trade. Other than that, this group is not too notable, though some wanted Nick Levertte over Ajani Cornelius. I think we could see even more roster movement (free agency, trades) for the OL room later.
26 Total Defensive Players – Light at LB
5 Defensive Linemen: Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otito Ogbonnia, LT Overton, Jonathan Bullard.
Notable Cuts: Jay Toia.
– This group is perhaps the least noteworthy of any, as we nearly all expected this exact unit to emerge as the 5 on the 53-man roster. It is headlined by Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, but the remaining three should see a major role for Dallas this season.
6 EDGE Rushers: Donovan Ezehriaku, Rashan Gary, Von Miller, Malachi Lawrence, James Houston, Tyrus Wheat.
Notable Cuts: Sam Williams.
– The cut on defense that made Blue-like headlines was the release of Sam Williams, a former second-round pick who was battling with Tyrus Wheat, who did make the team, and Marist Liufau, who has been moved to IR. The always-productive James Houston made it as well, which was questioned at times after the signing of Von Miller.
4 Linebackers: DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham, Shemar James.
Notable Cuts: Curtis Robinson, Justin Barron.
– The Cowboys 53-man roster is light at linebacker, at least in numbers. They decided against keeping a fifth linebacker behind second-year man Shemar James, which is likely due to the impressive play of rookie Jaishawn Barham. This will be a fascinating group to watch in 2026.
5 Cornerbacks: DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel, Ameer Speed, Caelen Carson.
Notable Cuts: Reddy Steward, Josh Butler, Derion Kendrick, Trikweze Bridges.
– I am absolutely throwing Reddy Steward in there as the most notable cut alongside Blue and Williams, as Ameer Speed seemingly came out of nowhere to take his roster spot. Caelen Carson also survived over Steward, which is a questionable move to many. Overall, this group hinges on the health of DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel.
6 Safeties: Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson, Malik Hooker, P.J. Locke, Markquese Bell, Alijah Clark.
Notable Cuts: Julius Wood, Zion Childress.
– Finally, the Cowboys have invested at safety, and it shows here with them keeping six on the 53-man roster. Of course, Caleb Downs and Jalen Thompson headline this group, but the depth is impressive throughout the unit. It should be noted that some had an issue with the team keeping Alijah Clark, the star of that special teams fumble against Philly last year, over preseason-emerger Julius Wood.
3 Total Special Teams Players – Elite Throughout
1 Kicker: Brandon Aubrey.
– You can’t say much that hasn’t been said already about this superstar; let’s just hope he keeps his insane momentum going in 2026.
1 Punter: Bryan Anger.
– The oldest player on the Cowboys roster is still great at his job — if Bryan Anger isn’t Dallas’s punter for all of 2026, something has gone horribly wrong.
1 Long Snapper: Trent Sieg.
– I won’t claim to be a long snapper expert, but Trent Sieg seems pretty good at his job, so congratulations to him on returning for another year in Dallas.
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