Dallas Cowboys: The best practice squad in the NFL?

If reports are correct, the Dallas Cowboys were able to sneak multiple promising prospects onto their practice squad making it, quite possibly, the best in the NFL

Having a strong practice squad may not sound like a big deal, but as the closest thing to a minor league farm team, the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad could be an excellent a feeder unit throughout the season.

If reports are to be trusted, all of the Dallas Cowboys final cuts cleared waivers and Dallas was able to sign everyone they wanted to their practice squad this weekend. This came as a surprise to many since Dallas not only cut fairly well known players, but those players also shined in preseason. It’s seemed almost certain many of our “pet cats” (fan favorites) would be gobbled up by the competition.

But those fears did not come to fruition and all of those players were available to the Cowboys to retain on the practice squad.

As of right now, the Cowboys practice squad looks like this. (It could change in the very near future)

Clayton Thorson, QB
Jordan Chunn, RB
Mike Weber, RB
Cedrick Wilson, WR
Cole Hikutini, TE
Mitch Hyatt, OT
Daniel Wise, DL
Chris Covington, LB
Mike Jackson, CB
Donovan Olumba, CB
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 1, 2019

This matters because Dallas prides themselves on cultivating their own talent. To that point, Dallas is 4th in the NFL in fielding the most homegrown talent. According to Jason from Over the Cap, the Cowboys have 44 homegrown players on the roster.

Teams with the most "homegrown" talent on the roster:

1. Bengals- 48
2. Ravens- 47
3. Vikings- 46
4. Patriots- Seahawks, Cowboys- 44
7. Packers- 43
8. Falcons, Rams, Chargers- 42
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) September 1, 2019

It’s true, practice squad players don’t always have a clear path to the NFL. They face long odds to ever make a 53-man roster, let alone become an impact player. But this practice squad is not your ordinary unit.

The Players

A player like Daniel Wise, who absolutely exploded in the Cowboys final preseason game, clearly has NFL talent. If it wasn’t for the logjam of defensive linemen in front of him, he’d be on this team.

His natural athleticism and explosion is uncommon for a man his size and if he just hones his technique and improves his strength he can be a member a highly-productive defensive line rotation. And the ability to play either end or tackle only helps his chances of one day making the Cowboys roster. Dallas values position flex and seem willing to let Wise try his hand at both rather than force him into a specific role.

Mike Jackson also appears to have the skills to be an NFL boundary cornerback. But like Wise, depth and rawness kept him from making the roster. Donovan Olumba lacks the ceiling of Jackson (speed issues), but he could be plugged into the lineup today and thrive if the Dallas Cowboys deployed him correctly.

Mitch Hyatt looked pretty bad in the preseason, but his pedigree can’t be ignored and the idea of him one day becoming a swing tackle isn’t an absurd one. RB Jordan Chunn could have easily made the initial team as well. With Zeke’s status still technically uncertain, Chunn has already been called up to The Show *(edited to reflect recent roster move).