The Dallas Cowboys will once again enter the 2024-2025 season with a roster full of veterans and high expectations, though multiple young players on the roster could seemingly make the jump to become high-impact players in the upcoming year.
After losing multiple players, such as running back Tony Pollard and offensive tackle Tyron Smith, in free agency, the Cowboys will need multiple players to exceed expectations if the franchise wants to compete for a Super Bowl.
The ability to break out as a player is available to everyone who is currently listed on the Cowboys’ roster, but only a few names stand out as the most likely players to make this jump.
Rico Dowdle, Running Back, 6-foot and 215-pounds
Although Dallas opted to bring back running back Ezekiel Elliott after he spent last season with the New England Patriots, the team still has a definite need for someone who can get to the outside and create separation with his speed.
Dowdle has an opportunity to step into this role early in the season and claim his spot as the team’s lead running back, a role he has been unable to claim in any of his seasons with the team.
While Dowdle had limited opportunities during the 2023-2024 season due to Pollard’s prevalence as the team’s lead running back, he made the most of his 89 carries with an average of 4.1 yards per carry.
Elliott has been a fan-favorite Cowboys player since joining the team in 2016 but has shown signs of decline over the past few years. This culminated in a 2023-2024 season with the Patriots in which he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry behind Rhamondre Stevenson.
A potential abundance of opportunities coupled with the decline of Elliott’s abilities leaves the door open for Dowdle to step in as the team’s lead running back early in the year, a role he could claim as early as training camp.
Mazi Smith, Defensive Tackle, 6-foot-3-inches and 337 pounds
The Cowboys selected Smith with the 26th pick in the 2023 draft, and many expected the defensive tackle to enter the league and immediately make an impact on the team.
However, Smith struggled to find his footing in his rookie season and managed to pick up just 13 total tackles and only one sack through 17 games played.
As a result, the bar for improvement for Smith’s second year in the league is not set terribly high, though he could be set up well for a bounce-back season with Dallas.
Smith could make an impact on a Cowboys team that struggled to stop the run for the entirety of the 2023-2024 season.
Dallas allowed opposing teams to rush for an average of 112.35 yards per game during the 2023-2024 season while permitting an average carry of 4.2 yards. Both metrics ranked among the bottom for teams contending for a Super Bowl.
New Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has a history of emphasizing rush defense on his teams, which could benefit Smith in his ability to see the field more consistently while also learning techniques that seemed lacking at times during his rookie season.
As a former first-round pick on a team searching for run-stopping consistency, Smith could step into a role that would give him even more playing time in his second season.
Jalen Tolbert, Wide Receiver, 6-foot-1-inches and 195 pounds
Tolbert will enter his third season with the Cowboys after being selected by the team with the 24th selection in the third round.
Despite recording just 24 receptions and 280 yards with two touchdowns across his first two seasons in the NFL, Tolbert has been one of the most discussed breakout candidates for the Cowboys before next season.
Most of Tolbert’s career production came last season, totaling 22 receptions and 268 yards across 17 games.
The Cowboys allowed wide receiver Michael Gallup, who finished with the third most receiving yards on the team among wide receivers, to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders on a one-year contract worth up to $3 million.
Dallas’ willingness to let Gallup walk on a cheap contract indicates that the team might believe in one of its other receiving options on the team.
Tolbert will likely be competing with Jalen Brooks and KaVontae Turpin to take over for Gallup as the third option at wide receiver behind Ceedee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, who have each locked themselves in as the first two options at the position.
Cooks has previously raved about the growth he has seen from Tolbert over the past few seasons, saying in May that it has been “awesome to see him grow” in his communication with quarterback Dak Prescott and that “the time is now for him.”
“The way that he’s able to talk about a route or the way he’s able to tell the quarterback the way he sees things, he’s not shy anymore,” explained Cooks, per NFL.com.
Although Tolbert is the favorite to win the role as the Cowboys’ WR3 before next year, he will still have to prove to his teammates and coaching staff that he is prepared to take the next step.
Leading into the 2024-2025 season, the Cowboys will need multiple players to step into expanded roles if they want to win the Lombardi Trophy.
Dallas will begin its year with a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on August 11. Two more preseason games will follow, and the regular season will begin with an away game against the Cleveland Browns on September 9.