Dallas Cowboys fans posed the perfect breakout question, and the answer says everything about 2026 roster
Breakout players are often the difference-makers for NFL teams. The Dallas Cowboys have multiple breakout candidates, but who would benefit the team the most? It’s a difficult question.
Breakout players are everything in the NFL. The lack of them can derail a team’s season while their emergence can turn non-playoff teams into contenders. Naturally, it’s only fair to ask who could step up for the Dallas Cowboys?
But better than that is a question I came across social media from a self-described fan account. If you could magically choose who gets a breakout season, who would it be?
Who is the ideal Cowboys breakout candidate?
The post I’m talking about, which you can see below, isn’t an open-ended question. Instead, it’s a multiple choice one (we all used to prefer those, didn’t we?). And it’s one that got me thinking. While we can’t actually choose who breaks out, let’s have some fun breaking down all the options.
The list of options: Left tackle Tyler Guyton, edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., and running back Jaydon Blue.
Note: Shoutout to @swagonpoint on X for bringing up the question.
As I often found myself doing on my student days, let’s start by eliminating the weakest candidate. I’m sorry but it has to be Jaydon Blue. I apologize because it would indeed be exhilarating to watch Blue’s speed and explosiveness translate to the NFL level. And paired with workhorse Javonte Williams, the Cowboys rushing offense would be seriously dangerous.
But Blue breaking out wouldn’t move the needle a whole lot for the 2026 Cowboys. They already have Javonte Williams leading the pack and while Blue must improve to be RB2, he would be my last choice.
The next name I would cross off the list is cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. Again, it would be fun for the Cowboys to have a shutdown cornerback. But even if Revel Jr. “breaks out,” it’s probably unrealistic betting on that to happen. In today’s NFL, one could argue there’s no such thing as a shutdown corner. I think there are better candidates on the list.
It comes down to Guyton and Ezeiruaku
Few positions are as valuable to a roster as left tackle and edge rusher are. So my two finalists are Guyton and Ezeiruaku. And I have to tell you, I might as well flip a coin. Here’s the case for each:
- Tyler Guyton: The Cowboys offense would have “best in the NFL” type potential. There’s no question pass protection at tackle is currently the unit’s biggest weakness. Though Dak Prescott led an explosive passing game in 2025, most big plays came off of play-action and max protect looks. The problem with that is that it’s tough to depend on them to get big gains. Guyton breaking out would open the dropback game even further.
- Donovan Ezeiruaku: While Guyton’s breakout season would raise the Cowboys offensive ceiling, Ezeiruaku’s would raise the defensive floor. A good, productive pass rusher helps the entire secondary as quarterbacks have less time to make a play. Dallas needs its defensive overhaul to work for them to be playoff contenders.
My final vote
As enticed as I am by the possibility of a near-perfect offense, I’m going with Ezeiruaku. The Cowboys offense is already one of the league’s best and I trust Prescott to keep the passing game working in spite of unideal protection on the edges.
But nothing would elevate the defense more than Ezeiruaku breaking out and becoming a serious pass rushing threat. After watching the Cowboys lose too many high-scoring matchups, give me the defensive improvement.
Despite the many defensive additions to the team, the truth is the roster remains filled with question marks. One of them is if they can consistently pressure the quarterback. It may come down to Ezeiruaku.