The Dallas Cowboys' 2025 NFL Draft class is getting very positive reviews and while that's always good news, it's not necessarily what other players on the roster want to hear.
That's why we're diving into seven players that were put on blast by this year's crop of rookies ahead of the regular season.
Now granted, to be "put on blast" means different things to different players players, they might represent a threat to their starting role, their long-term future, or even their 53-man roster spot. Let's start with one with a blurry future.
CB Trevon Diggs
This may come off as a reach for many considering Shavon Revel Jr. is a third-round rookie who might even miss the start of training camp. But here's the thing: Diggs' long-term future on the team is already getting blurry. His 2026 salary isn't guaranteed and the Cowboys have to start worrying about a potential extension for the younger DaRon Bland, whose deal is up after this season.
Diggs is expected to miss the beginning of the regular season, which means Revel Jr. could have a shot at competing for the starting role despite being a third-rounder (a big reason why he fell was his torn ACL injury but he's expected to be healthy by training camp.
I don't believe Diggs is being put on blast as far as his 2025 starting role but long-term, the Revel Jr. pick could spell trouble.
EDGE Sam Williams and Payton Turner
The addition of second-round draft pick Donovan Ezeiruaku makes things very exciting for the edge rusher group.
Assuming the Cowboys carry five edge rushers for the 2025 season, four appear to be locks: Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler Jr., Marshawn Kneeland, and Ezeiruaku. Who gets the fifth? Williams' talent and upside make him the early favorite but don't rule out Turner—a former first-round draft pick with a long injury history—that quickly. First of all, Williams is coming back from injury and hasn't played regular season football since 2023. He must stay disciplined as well as healthy, too. But it might be an "odd man out" situation for these two.
LB Damone Clark
It's still crazy to think Clark went from being a 17-game starter in 2023 to a two-game starter in 2024. It's safe to say the shift to Mike Zimmer's defense didn't go well for him. Before the first game is even played, Matt Eberflus is already painting a grim outlook for Clark: Since his hiring, the Cowboys have added free agents Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn and recently drafted Shemar James out of Florida.
Clark is a smart linebacker which could keep him in the mix but it's a room that got crowded very quickly. The fourth-year Cowboys made my initial 53-man roster projection in large part due to DeMarvion Overshown's injury but it won't be an easy task.
NT Mazi Smith
Smith is not going to be cut because he's the Cowboys' best shot at fielding an starting-caliber nose tackle. But before the Draft, there was virtually no competition for him at the spot. Can a seventh-round draft pick change that? I wouldn't bet on it because it's almost impossible to be confident on a Day 3 rookie nose tackle but at least Toia will be pushing him in practice.
iOL T.J. Bass
Bass lost last year's battle to back up Zack Martin to Brock Hoffman and now the list of contenders has gotten much longer. The Tyler Booker selection in the first round essentially closes the door at right guard and now Bass finds himself competing for a roster spot with Hoffman, sixth-round draft pick Ajani Cornelius, and free agent signings Rob Jones, Hakeem Adeniji, and Saahdiq Charles.
In other words, the Cowboys front office was on a mission to get guards in the building already and the NFL Draft added two more into the mix. Not particularly promising for Bass.
TE John Stephens Jr.
Once an undrafted free agent himself, Stephens Jr. likely finds himself fighting to be TE4 behind Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and Brevyn Spann-Ford. Though he's got an experience edge, it's not enough to truly consider it an advantage. The Cowboys signed two undrafted tight ends after the 2025 NFL Draft: Rivaldo Fairweather (Auburn) and Tyler Neville (Virginia). It's battle time at the bottom of the depth chart.
RB Deuce Vaughn and Miles Sanders
There's probably not a more obvious one than these two. Had the Cowboys only picked one running back, it felt like only one of them would turn out to be the odd man out. But by double-dipping with Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah in Day 3, it might be both of them. They'll need very strong training camps to force the Cowboys to consider cutting a draft pick. Perhaps Deuce Vaughn has an edge with the arrival of former Kansas State OC/OL coach Conor Riley to the team.
