3 Cowboys veterans whose roles will be pushed by rookies

That means that the Cowboys are going to be heavily leaning on some of their incoming rookies to make an impact this season, which in turn could make it very challenging for the veterans are on the roster that may occupy those spots currently.

Marshawn Kneeland will challenge DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end

Some of the key departures during free agency for the Cowboys were Dante Fowler Jr. and Dorance Armstrong at defensive end. Granted, there are still Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, but this group needed some more bodies.

That's where second-rounder Marshawn Kneeland comes in. It's likely not many know much about Kneeland, who comes from Western Michigan, but this was a pick the Cowboys felt strongly about, believing he could instantly add toughness to the defensive line.

As of right now, the depth chart reads Kneeland right behind Parsons on the right side and Samuel Williams behind Lawrence on the left side. But if Kneeland proves worthy of his pick, he could be getting more snaps on the left side opposite Parsons.

Lawrence, 32, is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl season and the fourth of his career. He started all 17 games last season for the Cowboys and was a nice complement opposite Parsons. This looks to be his last year in Dallas, however, as it will be the final year on his deal. With this massive youth movement for the Cowboys looking to be underway this season, look for Kneeland to challenge Lawrence for snaps as he hopes to solidify himself as the future starting defensive end for the Cowboys.

Brock Hoffman and Zack Martin are set to be challenged by rookie Cooper Beebe

You can't really call Cowboys' center Brock Hoffman a veteran, per se, as this will be just his second year in the league. But there simply aren't a lot of veterans on this year's Cowboys team. Most of his playing time came from last season where he played in all 17 games, starting in two and mostly at guard. He'll be taking over for Tyler Biadasz as center this season after getting some playing time there last year when Biadasz was hurt.

Still unsure about the position, or the offensive line overall, Dallas chose Kansas State center/guard Cooper Beebe with their third-round pick to add to what will be a much different unit this season.

Protecting Prescott, of course, will be a priority, so with multiple new pieces means there might be a lot of shifting around of guys like Biadasz and Beebe at the center position. The only problem is, Beebe never played center while at Kansas State. That means who Beebe could challenge the most is veteran guard Zack Martin, 33, who is probably entering his last year with the Cowboys this season.

Marist Liufau will compete for a starting linebacker position that has little veteran leadership

The linebacker room was something the Cowboys desperately needed to address this offseason. They did end up signing veteran Eric Kendricks but more was still needed, especially with DeMarvion Overshown coming off a torn ACL injury.

Dallas decided to go with Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau in the third round with the No. 87 overall pick. Liufau is the type of linebacker that plays all over the field, excelling in the run or pass. He comes from the Fighting Irish with 29 games worth of experience where he racked up 118 tackles, 12 for a loss, four sacks, and one forced fumble.

Again, given how depleted the Cowboys' linebacker corps is coming into the 2024 season, there's really no reason that Liufau can't compete for meaningful playing time, if not a starting job under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. If there's one guy Liufau might have his sights on, it would be Overshown, who is actually currently second on the depth chart behind him at strongside linebacker, according to CBS Sports. But Overshown himself is no veteran, as he didn't even play a snap last season for the Cowboys.