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The Dallas Cowboys are set to be a young team in the 2023 season. After knocking off Tampa Bay in the first round of last year's playoffs, WFAA's Paul Livengood wrote in January that The Cowboys' average age of 25 years and nine months made them the youngest overall team to win a playoff game last season. With the draft in their rearview mirror, the Cowboys now have a couple rookies on the roster that could push that number even lower. Dallas needs more production from new and different players if they want to improve on last season. There are a few rookies that could help them do that and also a few veterans that could find their playing time slashed as a result.
Johnathan Hankins, DT
Here's the obvious one. The Cowboys didn't draft Mazi Smith in the first round to let anyone play in front of him, not even a decorated veteran like Johnathan Hankins. Hankins is still arguably the second best defensive tackle on the Cowboys' roster and he'll see plenty of playing time right next to Smith, but in his 11th season in the NFL Hankins won't be playing the same percentage of snaps he did years ago.
Smith's arrival means the Cowboys won't have to rely so heavily on Hankins as a run stopper. Hankins will be able to rotate in and out more with Smith, Osa Odighizuwa, and Neville Gallimore. The Cowboys' decision to draft a defensive tackle with their first round pick changes the whole dynamic in the middle of the defensive line. Hankins' playing time may decrease, but his impact may see a boost at the same time.
Kelvin Joseph, CB
Thinking of Joseph as a veteran doesn't feel fair considering he is still working on establishing himself in the cornerbacks rotation, but he's about to begin his third year in the league. Joseph was a player the Cowboys drafted in the second round in 2020 with plans to use him as a starter fairly quickly. At times he has flashed the skills that enticed the Cowboys to draft him in the first place, but injuries and inconsistent play have disrupted the Kentucky product's first two years in the league.
Joseph's role would have been pushed this year even if the Cowboys didn't draft a corner. DaRon Bland, Israel Mukuamu, and the rest of the Cowboys' young secondary sitting behind Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore will take up plenty of snaps once the season begins. After Dallas drafted Eric Scott Jr. in the sixth round of this year's draft, Joseph's role in the secondary could evaporate completely.
Scott was far from the best cornerback in the draft, hence the sixth round selection. He does, however, possess the frame and athletic skill set Dan Quinn has molded into a productive player time and time again over his coaching career. Scott's 40-yard dashes through the draft process both at the NFL Combine and at Southern Mississippi's pro day were unimpressive, but Scott blamed a nagging quad injury. A, 11'1″ broad jump and a 39.5″ vertical at his pro day should help alleviate concerns about the cornerback's athleticism. That's a lot of explosiveness packed in a 6'0″, 200-pound frame. Quinn's direction could lead Scott into a productive backup role early in his career.
Jake Ferguson, TE
The Cowboys have an embarrassment of riches at tight end right now. Peyton Hendershot could carve out a starting role in a few NFL offenses and he'll have to scratch and claw for every snap he gets with the Cowboys thanks to Jake Ferguson and this year's second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker. Ferguson will still play a pronounced role in the offense, but the arrival of Schoonmaker should make snaps and targets that much harder to come by for every tight end on Dallas' roster.
Multiple tight end sets were a staple of Kellen Moore's offense, but it's hard to know exactly how Mike McCarthy plans to use his tight ends. Ferguson and Schoonmaker very well could end up on the field together more often than not, especially in the red zone. If McCarthy opts for a primary receiving tight end, Ferguson would figure to be the starter when the season begins. With a talented player like Schoonmaker behind him, Ferguson should feel a sense of urgency to compound on his promising rookie campaign.
