7 Winners and 4 Losers from Cowboys Preseason Finale: New roster locks emerge, unexpected rookie WR shines
The Dallas Cowboys preseason has come to an end. Who stood out (and who didn’t) in the last game before roster cuts on Sunday?
As we did in each of the first two Dallas Cowboys preseason games, it’s time to look at the winners and losers of the night. With 30 players not wearing pads, the team clearly entered the game with a clear vision of what the roster will look like.
So with that in mind, the first two winners of the list are roster bubble players who joined the group of players not playing in the preseason and thus seemingly secured a spot on the team.
Winner(s): 2 new members of ballcap club
With this being the preseason finale, it’s important to mention those players who sat for the game, the ultimate case of roster security. Not taking the field boded well for:
- WR Jonathan Mingo: He’s clearly on the 53-man roster as WR5 over undrafted rookie receiver Camden Brown. The latter can still make it but Mingo not being asked to play confirms he’s above on the depth chart.
- TE Luke Schoonmaker: The former second-round pick wasn’t considered a roster lock after being demoted to TE3. Him being a healthy scratch for the preseason finale confirms him as a member of the 53, though.
Loser: OLB Sam Williams
Williams missed an easy tackle on first down that led to a 33-yard gain by the Saints. It wasn’t his first mistake of the game. Even after Marist Liufau (who he was seemingly competing for the final spot at OLB) exited the game with a wrist injury, he didn’t do enough to turn around the battle. I don’t think he’s on the 53.
Winner: DT Tommy Dunn Jr.
Dunn Jr. had a nice tackle for loss to force the Saints into a third-and-long situation. He’s been having a nice preseason. The Cowboys are deep at DT and he is a long shot for the 53 because he needs time (see the Saints’ third-quarter rushing touchdown). But if he clears waivers, I envision him as a priority practice squad target.
Winner: OLB Tyrus Wheat
Wheat was another player recording a TFL. Obviously, he’s a roster long shot. But between Liufau’s injury and Williams’ struggles, he did enough to position himself in the conversation for the 53. Most likely, he makes the practice squad. He can also contribute on special teams.
Loser: QB Joe Milton + Winner: Sam Howell
Milton entered the game as a preseason standout but on Friday, you could see some of the impatience and inaccuracy issues that costed him in 2025. He’s probably still QB2 ahead of cuts. But he was given the chance to start and end the QB competition once and for all and he failed to do it.
Meanwhile, Howell had a standout game with a 130.6 passer rating. He completed a 52-yard pass to Jordan Hudson down the field and later found him again for a 26-yard touchdown. Howell found tight end Mitchell Van Vooren for his second touchdown of the game before running for a game-tying second-point conversion.
The competition for QB2 might bleed into the regular season after all. It’s been a fun one.
Loser: S Markquese Bell
This is not about how Bell played (film will reveal more) but Bell playing into the second quarter one week after sitting for Week 2 despite being healthy is intriguing. Maybe it was a number things with Shavon Revel Jr. joining the healthy scratch DBs and Bell needing to play?
Mingo and Schoonmaker not playing maybe affected special teams units? All I know is this is a weird development and seemingly not a positive one for Bell.
Winner: WR Jordan Hudson
This time it’s another undrafted rookie receiver making the list! The SMU product caught the biggest play of the offense, a 52-yard grab from Sam Howell. He later made an impressive catch in the end zone for six. He led the team in receiving yards with 97 in four grabs.
He’ll be a priority practice squad target, though he might seek a return to college football.
Loser: TE Michael Trigg
Trigg needed a big game to make a push for the 53. Unfortunately, he ended the first half with three targets and no catches. All three times, the ball hit his hands. Not the end of his career or anything like that, but consider him a practice squad candidate at this point.
Winner: K Brandon Aubrey
Yeah, it’s true. Aubrey, a human being after all, did miss a 57-field goal attempt. But you know how he responded? By nailing a 58-yard attempt right down the middle. As the kids say, he is him.
