The Dallas Cowboys are going to have an interesting summer. They’ve remade a large portion of their roster on defense, in an effort to get better players who are also better aligned with their new coaching staff. Even with all the changes, though, some fans might be surprised to learn that the battle for spots on the 53-man roster isn’t all that competitive.
Year after year, fans overlook that the majority of roster spots are locked in well before training camps begin in late summer. This will be no different for the 2026 Cowboys. In this roster prediction, 44 roster locks have been identified, leaving just nine spots up for grabs.
There are a handful of reasons for these being locks, ranging from a need for experience (which morphs a bit in years where new schemes are being installed) to salary. But most importantly, there’s normally a large gulf somewhere at each position in the areas of talent and health history.
Here’s a look at our first 53-man roster and 17-man prediction of 2026, divided into Roster Locks, Pretty Secures, and Think They’ll Make Its. We also through in a projection of who will constitute the 17-man practice squad.
53-Man Roster Locks (37)
These are the players where there is little doubt in their roster security.
53-Man Roster players who are Pretty Secure (7)
These are players who we think, barring injury or just falling flat on their face in training camp, and pretty safe bets to also make the roster.
53-Man Roster Bubble Players Who Make It (9)
This is where the real test is, the true roster battle winners from training camp.
Cowboys Practice Squad Predictions (17)
Full 53-Man Roster Predictions By Position
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys 53-man roster predictions: Locks, bubble guys, practice squad
Reporting by K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
