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5 players the Dallas Cowboys absolutely need to have a strong preseason

By Mauricio Rodriguez,

4 hours ago

Dallas Cowboys preseason football is only three days away as they get ready to play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, with whom they're also holding a joint practice on Thursday.

Although coaches are emphasizing starters' work on practice more than preseason games these days, the exhibition showdowns from August can still define so much for players looking for a roster spot or a particular role.

Additionally, the team needs some of its players to have a strong performance in the preseason as they continue to evaluate what they've got on the roster. Here are five players that the Cowboys absolutely need to have a strong preseason.

1. QB Trey Lance

It's not that the Cowboys' 2024 season hinges on how third-string QB Trey Lance plays football this August. But if the showing is bad, that trade they pulled off with the San Francisco 49ers is going to continue to age poorly. Lance has had ups and downs in practice so far but not beating Cooper Rush for the QB2 role would be far from a good look for the former No. 3 overall pick.

The Cowboys know Lance needs the reps and they plan on giving them to him. This preseason could be his biggest chance to prove he's got starting quarterback potential and who knows, if he balls out, the Cowboys could have a very deep QB room and maybe even get something for him in the trade market at some point in 2024.

2. DE Marshawn Kneeland

The NFL is not always fair to incoming rookies: While many agreed Kneeland needed some time before gaining a big role while he developed his pass rush toolbox, the Cowboys will call on his high upside right away following Sam Williams' season-ending injury.

Kneeland wins with power and strength and excelled as a run defender while at Western Michigan. When the preseason starts, Kneeland should be at the top of your players to watch list, as the kid rocking DeMarcus Ware's No. 94 is set to play a lot per Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer. Specially with Micah Parsons lining up off-ball more this season, the Cowboys need their second-round draft steal to pay off dividends in advance.

3. LT Tyler Guyton

Guyton handled Micah Parsons with ease in the Cowboys' first padded practice but it was just one practice, after all. There are not many players as important to this team's success in 2024 than the first-round rookie.

Guyton getting preseason reps will be particularly important for him after missing multiple practices this and last week due to illness. How does he hold up in his first NFL game?

4. DT Mazi Smith

Smith is different from everyone else on this list because he's the only one with an essentially guaranteed starting spot. But Mazi is expected to play significant time as he needs the reps while preparing himself to play a different brand of football than he did as a rookie, when he struggled to maintain weight and ended up playing as an undersized nose tackle.

"He’s doing good, he’s learning a new style," Cowboys DL coach Jeff Zgonina told reporters via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "We’re a little bit different than they were last year (...) He’s gotta get his conditioning going because he’s coming off the injury. But he’s in a good spot."

5. Bonus: The linebacker room, yup. All of it.

Okay, yes, I'm cheating with this one but I couldn't go with just one linebacker. The Cowboys need their linebackers to deliver on the hype after a season of struggling against the run. Chances are Eric Kendricks won't get much playing time but Damone Clark, DeMarvion Overshown, third-round rookie Marist Liufau, and former UFL standout Willie Harvey will all likely spend a good chunk of time on the field.

Liufau has impressed coaches with his football IQ as a rookie and was even listed as a starter over Overshown on the team's unofficial depth chart.