8 under-the-radar Cowboys who could be suprise contributors in 2024

Nope, you’re not alone. Luepke has a golden opportunity in the Cowboys’ backfield. Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle are assumed to be the lead dogs in the race, but fans shouldn’t forget how well integrated the fullback was in Mike McCarthy’s Green Bay offenses. After a year of seasoning, Luepke could play a much bigger role than anyone is imagining. Well, almost anyone.

The odds-on favorite to move into the vacated Michael Gallup role a WR3 is former third-round pick Jalen Tolbert. Fans shouldn’t sleep on Brooks, however. The UDFA was impressive last summer and after an offseason of preparation he has a chance to move into the rotation next to Lamb and Brandin Cooks.

The Cowboys signed Eric Kendricks to play middle linebacker and then grabbed Liufau with their second third-round pick in April. The Notre Dame product was intriguing during Spring work, and if Kendricks shows any age, it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to see Liufau taking over the green dot and a spot in the middle of Mike Zimmer’s defense.

This one might be the longest odds as he’s nowhere near even guaranteed to make the team. However Dallas is razor thin at the nose tackle position and someone will need to emerge from a group of unknowns to compliment second-year DT Mazi Smith. Daxon is simply a dark-horse pet cat who would be a great story.

Thomas was just fifth in safety snaps for the Cowboys last year and three of the players who were ahead of him have returned, including Markquese Bell who spent his season playing linebacker but will now return to the secondary. Still, Thomas has shown something in his play and fans shouldn’t be surprised if he works his way into regular acclaim.

There’s an assumption that Bass is around the seventh-most important offensive lineman and that he doesn’t have a clear path to contributing without injury. That is rooted in the belief that third-round rookie Cooper Beebe is going to be battling with Brock Hoffman for starting center snaps, and that Tyler Guyton and Tyler Smith are the starting duo on the left side of the line. Bass showed promise in limited action in 2023 and he may be a revelation waiting to happen if given a true chance to compete.

Stephens wowed a lot of people in last year’s training camp before becoming one of three young players to suffer ACL tears. If his youth allows him to bounce back quickly, there’s certainly a path to playing time for the intriguing pass catcher. The assumption that last year’s second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker is locked into a key role shouldn’t be one, and Stephens could easily leapfrog Peyton Hendershot into a rotation role among the TE group.

Another member of the unfortunate rookie ACL group, Overshown was looking like an absolute steal as a third rounder out of Texas last season. The converted (while in school) safety was flying all over the field and if his rehab is full, expect him to be the run-and-chase weakside linebacker of the future for Dallas.