Grading the Cowboys’ 2024 rookie class

Another year is in the books. It’s time to look back at the seven draftees and four undrafted free agents that made up the 2024 rookie class.

Coming off an overall disappointing 2023 class, this year’s group had a low bar to clear.

They managed to clear it, but just barely.

Once again, the picks of the first two rounds fell short of expectations.

Like the 2023 class, the third round and the undrafted free agents proved to be the Cowboys’ better players from the crop.

Here are the individual grades for the 11 rookies of 2024:

Tyler Guyton

(1st – LT, Oklahoma)

Tyler Guyton started the season strong, starting at left tackle in seven of the first eight games. He would only start four of the final nine.

He did not play in one game and was listed as inactive for another.

He was still dealing with an injury and stayed on the sideline for the loss to the Lions.

But he was a healthy scratch when Dallas fell to the Eagles at home three weeks later. It was truly a roller-coaster ride for the rookie.

Guyton was flagged 16 times during the year, two of them declined, for 125 yards.

He struggled with run blocking and at times in pass blocking too. In 2025, he might be better off moving back to right tackle where he played in Norman.

2024 Grade: D

Marshawn Kneeland

(2nd – DE, Western Michigan)

Marshawn Kneeland’s rookie year was disrupted midway through by injury. He ended up seeing action in 11 of the 17 games.

In limited action, he managed 14 tackles, two for a loss, recorded three quarterback hits and defended one pass.

But he did little to stand out, especially with both Sam Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence missing time. In the last game of the year, he missed two key tackles that allowed Washington to win.

With another training camp under his belt, he could have a better 2025 campaign.

But he has a lot of work to do.

2024 Grade: C

Marist Liufau

(3rd – LB, Notre Dame)

Marist Liufau started nine of the 16 games he played in during his rookie season. At first, he alternated with DeMarvion Overshown – the Cowboys’ 2023 third-round pick — as a starting linebacker.

He started the last four games of the season and had his best four-game stretch of the season, numbers wise.

Liufau recorded nearly half of his 50 tackles for the year in those last four games.

The Notre Dame rookie forced two fumbles and recovered one during the season.

He may have started off the season slowly, but he definitely picked up the pace as the season wore on. Maybe Dallas should always draft a linebacker in the third round.

2024 Grade: B-

Cooper Beebe

(3rd – C, Kansas State)

Cooper Beebe might go down as the cream of the 2024 crop. Again, the last two years at least, the Cowboys seem to have the third round of the draft dialed in.

A pity they can’t figure out the first two rounds, right?

Beebe was on offensive guard at Kansas State but moved over to play center for Dallas.

He started 16 games at center, playing every snap except for those he missed after getting injured early against the Bengals. He missed the following game before returning for the last three games.

Beebe was only flagged three times all season and was solid in both run and pass blocking with few mistakes.

If Beebe can continue to improve, the Cowboys should be set at center for a very long time.

2024 Grade: A

Caelen Carson

(5th – CB, Wake Forest)

Carson was on his way to being the Cowboys’ rookie of the year before injury derailed his season.

He started five games, was regulated to special teams in his sixth, and what proved to be final, game.

Carson finished with 27 tackles and four passes defended in his limited action. Given the defensive backfield’s injury situation, Carson needs to come back healthy.

2024 Grade: C

Ryan Flournoy

(6th – WR, SE Missouri State)

Ryan Flournoy was inactive for six of the 17 games. Of the 11 he played in, his best effort came late in the season.

In the 26-24 win over Tampa Bay, Dallas’ last win of the year, Flournoy caught all three passes thrown his way for 41 yards.

He finished with 10 catches for 102 yards but never found the end zone in the regular season.

He did make two tackles. And he lost one fumble.

2024 Grade: D

Nathan Thomas

(7th – OT, Louisiana)

Nathan Thomas spent the season on injured reserve. Enough said, right?

2024 Grade: D

Justin Rogers

(7th – DT, Auburn)

Justin Rogers was cut before the season began and spent some time on the Bengals’ practice squad. He resigned with Dallas back in December.

2024 Grade: F

Brevyn Spann-Ford

(UDFA – TE, Minnesota)

Brevyn Spann-Ford was destined for the practice squad behind Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and John Stephens.

Then Stephens got hurt and Spann-Ford made the active roster. Then Ferguson got hurt and Spann-Ford played in all 17 games.

He never got to start, but he did finish with nine catches for 88 yards. His best game was against Houston, where he had 42 yards on four catches.

Spann-Ford’s strong suit was as a blocker in the run game.

If the Cowboys do turn more toward the run game, he’ll play a big role in it.

2024 Grade: C

The Other UFDAs

Emany Johnson, Denzel Daxon, and Brock Mogensen were the other undrafted free agents. But all three remained on the practice squad in 2024.

The odds of any of the three remaining on the roster in 2025 are slim.

The Overall Grade

The 2023 draft class, aside from DeMarvion Overshown, has mostly been a disappointment.

The 2024 draft class is just barely ahead of the 2023 class at this point in their respective careers.

In fact, the 2023 undrafted free agents – Brandon Aubrey, Hunter Luepke, and T.J. Bass – outshined the 2023 class in rookie campaigns.

The 2024 class right now has more potential than the remaining 2023 class. It’s up to the coaching staff to draw that out.

2024 Class Overall Grade: C

Let’s hope the Cowboys draft a little better up in Green Bay this April.