Cowboys have a rare situation with their undrafted rookies, and it will make the coaches’ lives hard over the next few weeks
Cowboys UDFAs are making a statement early on.
Undrafted rookies are not supposed to make NFL rosters in Year 1 of their careers. But the Dallas Cowboys have a rare situation in their hands: They have multiple UDFA rookies that are looking like legit candidates to survive roster cuts at the end of the month.
Now granted, we’re only one game into the 2025 preseason and chances are only one or two will wind up being on the 53-man roster. But as of right now, at least they seem to have a shot. Over the last few years, the Cowboys haven’t shied away from carrying UDFAs on the team and this year is likely including one at minimum. For coaches, cutdown day is going to be slightly more difficult if these darkhorse rookies continue on a positive trajectory.
Let’s dive into some of the Cowboys’ undrafted rookies that shined in the preseason opener versus the Los Angeles Rams.
WR Traeshon Holden
Brian Schottenheimer confirmed Holden is moving up the depth chart as he continues to stand out in training camp and in the preseason. On Saturday, he had a 35-yard catch down the sideline in one of the biggest drives of the game for the Cowboys offense. Holden led the team with 42 receiving yards despite playing in only 30% of the offensive snaps.
“Traeshon has done that every day in practice — literally every day there’s been one or two big plays,” Schottenheimer said Saturday. “When you do that, you get noticed, and when you do that, you get more opportunities. I’m proud of him, and you’ll see him moving up the depth chart.”
CB Zion Childress
Childress was the second-best graded defender on the Cowboys by PFF and it’s easy to see why. The versatile defensive back out of Kentucky did a great job showing up in coverage allowing one catch in 14 coverage snaps. But as he worked from the nickel/slot, he also showed up in run defense, recording two stops.
Considering the Cowboys have a shaky CB room at the moment, Childress looked like someone who deserves a shot at making the team. Childress also played in almost half of the team’s special teams snaps.
S Alijah Clark
Though Clark didn’t have the best preseason opener, he led the Cowboys’ UDFA class in guaranteed money and has had a solid training camp. He has a chance of impressing the coaches before it’s too late.
Per PFF, he missed one tackle and allowed 44 yards in two targets his way. He split playing time working in the slot and in the box.
Others to keep an eye out for:
- TE Rivaldo Fairweather: When the Cowboys signed “Valdo,” it was clear he could be a big-sized red zone target. It took one game to prove that, bringing down a touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone. His blocking was decent, too.
- LB Justin Barron: A special teams ace in college, Barron was able to rack up a 50% snap count on special teams on Saturday. It might not be enough for a roster spot but let’s keep close tabs on him.
Dallas Cowboys News
Cowboys Nation can expect a better performance in Week 2 of the preseason after Brian Schottenheimer’s postgame message
Big week ahead.
