Editor’s Note: Justin Rogers was waived on June 18, 2025 as the club shuffled their roster following minicamp.
If it feels like the Dallas Cowboys have a constant stream of hopeful nose tackles parading through The Star in Frisco, it’s because they have. While Dallas has moved on from throwing a ton of resources at the running back position, and finally invested in the safety spot, they’ve only taken one real swing at the nose tackle position in recent years. The failure of the first-round, Mazi Smith pick has likely scarred them, leaving the Cowboys to keep churning through options.
One such candidate is Justin Rogers, a second-year candidate trying to make his way onto the 53-man roster in 2025. Rogers was a double-SEC guy, attending both Kentucky and Auburn. After being drafted in the seventh round, the Cowboys cut him loose at the end of training camp and he was picked up by Cincinnati as they formed their 2025 practice squad. At the end of last season, the Cowboys poached him from there, adding him to their active roster, but he never appeared in a game.
Rundown
Position: Defensive Tackle
Age: 22
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 346 pounds
Hometown: Detroit, MI
High School: Oak Park (Oak Park, MI)
College: Auburn University (Highlight Video)
Draft: 2024, Seventh-round pick No. 244
Acquired: 2024 NFL Draft
Contract: Three-year deal (2024), $2.8 million
2025 Base Salary: $960k
Career Earnings: $407k (per Over The Cap)
Profile
Rogers is part of a collection of bottom-roster candidates trying to make an impression on new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and line coach Aaron Whitecotton. Once training camp rolls around, Rogers will look to compete with 2024 UDFA Denzel Daxon, and 2025 draft picks Jay Toia (sixth round) and Tommy AKingbesote (seventh round) for a spot in Dallas’ interior rotation. The club also has Earnest Brown as a longshot candidate.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys’ darts at nose tackle solution include 2nd time around for 7th-round pick
Reporting by K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
