2022 Cowboys draft class must earn contract extensions

For all the talk about Micah Parsons’ contract situation, fans are forgetting about a slew of players who need extensions. Outside of Tyler Smith, the entire 2022 Cowboys draft class is up for new contracts after the 2025 season.

That’s a huge deal for the make-up of Dallas’ roster. Five players from that class, ranging from the second round to the fifth, have made considerable impacts during their young careers.

When you have the big contracts on the books, like Dak Prescott’s, CeeDee Lamb’s, and at some point, Parsons’s, you can’t afford to keep everybody.

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There will be players from that stellar class who walk in free agency due to financial constraints.

The only question is, who earns a contract extension? Despite the early success and name recognition of some of these players, they have all fallen short within the past year. Whether from injuries, suspensions, or lackluster performance, these guys need to step up.

What will it take for them to stay in Dallas long-term? That’s what we’re here to discuss. Let’s talk about what needs to happen, extension-wise, for the important pieces of that Cowboys draft class.

Jalen Tolbert and Jake Ferugson: The Offensive Pieces

Dallas’ third and fourth-round picks, Jalen Tolbert and Jake Ferguson, enter 2025 in a similar situation. Both weapons for Prescott have seen highs and lows, and could see a decrease in targets this season.

Tolbert, 26, has improved every year of his NFL career, and he is now coming off a 610-yard, seven-touchdown season.

He was asked to step up with Lamb and Brandin Cooks missing time, and all things considered, he did that. Tolbert became a reliable target for Prescott, and later the backup quarterbacks, as he stretched the field and stayed healthy.

However, with George Pickens entering the fray, his spot in this offense is in question. He is now in a contract year, and how he produces in 2025 will dictate if the Cowboys want him back.

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Ferguson was a top option for Prescott in 2023 and set the bar high in the process. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to follow up his Pro Bowl-caliber play last year.

The former Wisconsin Badger saw a significant drop-off in every statistical category, and if that happens for a second year in a row, it’s hard to see Dallas taking an interest in paying him. They have tight end depth and stardom at wide receiver already.

On the other hand, if he comes back to his 2023 form, it could become a no-brainer for the Cowboys to extend him. These two guys are legitimately on the bubble heading into 2025 and beyond.

DaRon Bland and Sam Williams: Defensive Question Marks

With Ferguson and Tolbert, the question is whether they can return to, or continue, their upward trajectory. When it comes to DaRon Bland and Sam Williams, however, the story is very different.

After an All-Pro selection and Defensive Player of the Year candidacy in 2023, Bland seemed on track to be a star in the Dallas defense. Injuries had something to say about that in 2024.

Bland could not stay healthy after breaking his foot last summer, and ended up playing in just seven games, and recording zero interceptions.

Nobody is questioning his talent, but the Cowboys just paid Trevon Diggs after a huge season, just for injuries to derail the early portion of that contract. We still don’t know if he’ll ever return to his peak.

If 2025 comes and goes, and Bland again fails to stay healthy and ball out, we could see the front office avoid an extension with him. If he dominates, they will give him his money and figure out the rest later.

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Williams is in a much more dire situation than Bland, whom the Cowboys could look to keep even if he doesn’t return to his 2023 level. This is a do-or-die year for the former second-round pick.

He has had a tumultuous tenure with Dallas that has included arrests, a suspension, an ACL tear, penalties, and glimpses of brilliance.

Nobody can deny his potential and athleticism, but the outside noise, injury, and on-field mistakes have cost Williams big time. His contract is up after this year, and barring a big explosion, we won’t see Dallas pay him.

Could this finally be the year for the 2022 Cowboys draft class to come together and ball out for contracts, or will we see more of the same ups-and-downs?