The Dallas Cowboys are revered for their drafting prowess. Of their last 15 first round picks, 12 of them have been selected to the Pro Bowl at least once.
Will McClay & Co. miss from time to time like every other general manager in the league, but they have built a reputation of hitting on almost every first round pick.
They have also hit on many late round steals. Current notable players include names like Donovan Wilson, Terence Steele, DaRon Bland, and Dorance Armstrong.
What exactly constitutes a “miss” in the draft? Certainly when a player is cut prior to his rookie contract being completed. Some might say if the player never makes a Pro Bowl, or if they aren’t offered a second contract.
The Cowboys have several young players looking to make a mark on the current team.
Today we will be examining three offensive players who can most help the 2023 version of the Dallas Cowboys by taking the next step in their development. Rookies are excluded from this exercise.
KaVontae Turpin
It seems odd to include a player on this list that is coming off of a Pro Bowl berth in just his first season playing in the NFL. However, that accomplishment came as a kick and punt returner, and not on offense.
As I’m sure most of you know by now, KaVontae Turpin was voted the MVP of the USFL while a member of the New Jersey Generals.
Turpin amassed a league-high 540 yards receiving and 4TD to go along with another 129 yards rushing and 1TD.
The speedy playmaker was brought onto the team as a wide receiver, but more for his talents as a return man. At 5’9″ 153lbs, Turpin makes up for his slight frame with electric play in the open field.
Turpin made the Pro Bowl as a return man after averaging 24.2 and 10.5 yards per return on kick and punt returns, respectively. However, he can still improve in that area of his game.
Throughout the season, Turpin missed opportunities to take returns all the way to the endzone on more than one occasion. The one that sticks out the most is running directly into the kicker in the playoff game versus San Francisco. A change in direction would have led to a certain touchdown.
If not for that mishap, we might be having a totally different conversation about how the Cowboys’ 2022 season ended. Improving on that vision to convert some of those “almost” returns into actual touchdowns will be a game changer.
For a team that was considered to lack playmakers outside of CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard, being able to deploy the shifty Turpin on offense would be a bonus for the team.
He finished with just four touches for 26 yards on offense in 2022. Load management may have been a factor in his lack of usage after already playing a full USFL season before signing with the Cowboys.
Early reports at OTAs (Offseason Training Activities) are that Turpin has been seen lining up with the first and second team offense. An increased role in the offense could elevate the Cowboys to a level strong enough to make a deeper playoff run.
Matt Farniok
With the departure of Connor McGovern to the Buffalo Bills in free agency, the starting left guard position on the Cowboys’ offensive line is up for grabs.
McGovern started 15 games there for Dallas in 2022, but they felt they had options behind him. One of those options is third year pro Matt Farniok.
The Cowboys drafted Farniok in the 7th round of the 2021 NFL Draft from the University of Nebraska.
After playing only 23 offensive snaps across three games as a rookie, Farniok played a heavy role in the offense at the start of 2023. An injury to McGovern in the first quarter of the game versus Tampa Bay in Week 1 forced Farniok to play left guard for 62 snaps.
He then started the next two games at left guard, totaling 111 snaps in the process before taking a step back into his role as backup when McGovern returned.
He played a handful of snaps in the next four games before being left out of the rotation completely.
Farniok should have the upper hand in the battle for the starting left guard spot ahead of journeyman Chuma Edoga and rookie 5th round pick Asim Richards.
The Cowboys have also spoken about experimenting with RT Terence Steele at left guard once he is ready to return from a torn ACL. I personally don’t believe that move is likely.
If Farniok can make the leap to be a serviceable starting left guard for Dallas, the domino effect would be positive results all across the offensive line.
It would allow second year player Tyler Smith to remain at left tackle, where he was playing great football his rookie season. It would also allow Terence Steele to remain at right tackle instead of playing out of position, and continue on his upward trajectory in his original spot.
Lastly, it would also allow an aging veteran Tyron Smith to play at swing tackle. Perhaps most importantly, he could also fill a mentor role on the offensive line. A role similar to what future Hall of Fame player Jason Peters filled just last season.
Farniok making the leap in his third season would spell good things for the Cowboys and their offense.
Peyton Hendershot
The running theme for the Cowboys after the Divisional round loss to the San Francisco 49ers was a lack of playmakers.
Tony Pollard exited in the third quarter with a high ankle sprain, which would later show a fractured fibula on top of that. CeeDee Lamb was left as the only viable playmaker on the offense.
Rookie undrafted free agent Peyton Hendershot has the ability to be a playmaker for this Cowboys offense.
The former Indiana Hoosier measures in at 6’4″ 254lbs, and set several tight end receiving records in college. His size can pose matchup problems when being defended by linebackers or safeties.
Hendershot appeared in all 17 games as a rookie, and was even credited with two starts. He didn’t get many opportunities, but he made the most of them.
Listed as the third tight end on the depth chart, Hendershot received 16 targets on the season. He caught 11 of those targets for 103 yards and 2 TDs.
If Hendershot can improve on his blocking, it may allow him to see the field more in 2023. As it stands right now, he is purely a receiving threat in special packages.
He also has to compete hard to avoid being listed as the third tight end on the depth chart again, or worse, not making the team.
Dalton Schultz fled south on I-35 to join the Houston Texans, but Dallas drafted Luke Schoonmaker in the second round of the draft. Not to mention Jake Ferguson is not going anywhere either.
Maintaining his 68.8% catch percentage with more opportunities could have a huge impact on the Cowboys’ offense in 2023.