Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster prediction (Youth and Potential Edition)

Dallas Cowboys Running Back

Running Back (4): Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Nick Ralston, JaQuan Hardy

Two rookies make the cut here alongside the veterans Elliott and Pollard. While the two vets figure to dominate carries, there could still be opportunities for our developmental prospects in the not-too-distant future.

Dan Ruppert touched on how the Dallas Cowboys newest FB could make an impact on the team earlier in the spring. But JaQuan Hardy may be able to also. Hardy is equal parts “dazzle” and “nasty” and will likely harken memories of Marion Barber in his play. He’s functional in a variety of ways, up to and including short yardage and special teams.

Dallas Cowboys Receiver (5): Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Semi Fehoko, Brandon Smith

The top three should surprise no one. Barring a Gallup trade, the starting ranks look to be set. But if Dallas wanted to get away from Cedrick Wilson’s contract (over $2M as a WR4/WR5), they could opt for the extreme upside and big play ability of the rookie Semi Fohoko.

Fohoko is 6-foot-3, 220lbs, with legit deep speed. He can play outside and should be a functional blocker to boot. Joining him is fellow rookie WR Brandon Smith. A certified steal as an undrafted free agent, Smith was a coaches favorite at Iowa and someone who could surprise in training camp.

At 6-foot-1 and 218lbs, Smith could replace Noah Brown as the reserve blocking specialist initially. He has abnormally long arms (34 ¼) and has natural ball skills as well. He scored a TD one out of every 10 catches and looks like someone worth developing in 2021.