(Editor's Note: Who doesn't love lists? Throughout training camp, 'High 5' will provide a top five list for many of the critical topics surrounding the Dallas Cowboys 2024 preseason.)
Part of the normal training camp process is deciphering what the depth chart looks like after an influx of new talent and an offseason of work. Some positions have a lot to decide, others don't with their starters already decided. But that doesn't devalue the importance of roster depth.
Over the long 17 game season, the organization will need multiple players to step up outside of the initial group of starters. These are five non-starters who will be critical to the Dallas Cowboys 2024 success:
5. Juanyeh Thomas - There is pressure on the safety group this season. New defensive coordinator, new rotation without Jayron Kearse, and everyone with something to prove. Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker will see most of the snaps, but there's a legitimate need for the position depth to step up in a consistent rotation. Thomas fits that mold after showing some improvements as last year went on. He may be tasked with covering in the slot and filling the box, both are responsibilities Dallas needs Thomas to be ready for.
4. Rico Dowdle - It could be argued this is the first time in 15 years without a clear-cut starting running back on the roster. Early indications make it seem Ezekiel Elliott is the initial starter, but just to begin the running back by committee approach. Dowdle will likely be that second option, and possibly the top playmaker of the group. He averaged a team-high 4.1 yards per carry out of qualified ball carriers last season. So, while Elliott and others fill the pass protection and short-yardage void, Dowdle may be the only hope for the big play.
3. Caelen Carson - It may be a little unfair to put a day three draft pick this high on the list, but that's the position the cornerback room is in. All three starters are set, but as the team has seen in each of the last two seasons, injuries are likely to occur at the cornerback position and the depth will be tested at some point throughout the year. Carson is unproven, but also under the radar. He should challenge some of the returning depth for snaps in the event someone goes down, looking to fill the same void DaRon Bland did as a rookie in 2022.
2. T.J. Bass - With all the talk around offensive line position battles, T.J. Bass is a name that doesn't really come up. He was a pleasant surprise last season as a rookie, when he filled in at both guard spots and allowed just one sack in 344 total snaps. Despite his success, it doesn't appear he'll win a starting spot this year. Meaning his role will mostly remain the same, but even more crucial with a new-look and younger offensive line. His versatility gives the offensive line several combinations to extend their depth throughout the year.
1. Jalen Tolbert - At this very second, Tolbert is probably a starter at the wide receiver position while CeeDee Lamb holds out into training camp. Assuming Lamb returns, Tolbert should be the rotational third wide receiver, which has a major role in Mike McCarthy's offense. Since McCarthy arrived in 2020, the third wide receiver on the depth chart has tallied anywhere between 400 and 800 yards with multiple touchdowns in all four seasons. It's not hard to believe that Tolbert could hit or surpass these marks with a full workload.
