The Dallas Cowboys had one of the best offenses in the league last season. Unfortunately, they couldn't get a stop to save their lives, and their defensive shortcomings ultimately doomed their postseason chances.
With that in mind, Jerry Jones has left no stone unturned to bolster the team ahead of the 2026 season. As such, he will also be ruthless and pragmatic when it comes to moving on from players who haven't been up to the task.
That's why, after two years of playing sparingly and making little to no impact on the passing game, Jonathan Mingo might be fighting for his life in OTAs. Given how he's fared, it would be surprising to see him make the 53-man roster.
Jonathan Mingo is on borrowed time with the Dallas Cowboys
For the most part, the Cowboys' wide receiver room should be set. Of course, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will lead the way atop the depth chart, with Ryan Flournoy carving himself a role last season. Then, KaVontae Turpin and Marquez Valdes-Scantling should be locks to make the roster, leaving just one spot for Mingo, Camden Brown, Jordan Hudson, Anthony Smith, Tyler Johnson, and Traeshon Holden.
The Cowboys will most likely give Smith, their rookie seventh-round pick, a chance to earn his roster spot, and he should be ahead of the struggling Mingo in the pecking order. As for Campbell, he recently retired from the NFL, but even with Campbell hanging up his cleats, it's still an uphill climb for the 2023 second-round pick.
Mingo entered the league as a physical, big-bodied wide receiver who beat coverage with speed instead of crisp route-running. He hasn't refined his game one bit, and while the Cowboys could use him as a blocker, the former All-SEC player just doesn't bring enough playmaking abilities as a pass catcher.
So far, he's made 14 appearances (1 start) for the Cowboys, hauling in six catches on 21 targets for a total of 71 yards and zero touchdowns. Granted, it's not easy to stand out when you have to share touches with CeeDee Lamb, but he just doesn't seem to have it.
The Cowboys traded a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers to get their hands on Mingo. That was a solid move, as even though there were glaring red flags, his value as a former second-round pick made it a worthy gamble. The Panthers used that pick to get a solid backup RB in Trevor Etienne, so it's okay to admit they won this trade.
At 25, Mingo still feels like he has something to prove, but the chances of him doing it with the Cowboys feel like slim to none at this point.
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