3 Cowboys Who Have Locked Up a Roster Spot Before Preseason Finale

1. Ryan Flournoy, WR

Another late-round pick who has turned heads this offseason is wide receiver Ryan Flournoy. Taken in the sixth round at No. 216 overall, Flournoy was seen as an impressive developmental prospect. He has the ideal build for a wideout at 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds and ran a 4.40 in the 40-yard dash prior to the draft. Still, he played three years at Central Missouri, one year at Iowa Western Community College, and one at Southeast Missouri State before joining the NFL.

That's a lot of change during his collegiate career and no experience against elite competition. Despite this, he showed up to camp in Oxnard ready to impress. Flournoy played with poise and confidence while making one tough catch after another. He played so well that he was being compared to Dez Bryant.

It's clearly too early for those comparisons and the hype slowed down some after his debut. Playing against the Los Angeles Rams in the first preseason game, Flournoy had two receptions for 10 yards. Not only was his impact minimal but he dropped a pass and fumbled the ball on one of his receptions. Thankfully, the ball went out of bounds but it still could have damaged his confidence.

That wasn't the case, however, as Flournoy bounced back against the Las Vegas Raiders. This time, he caught four passes for 23 yards and scored a touchdown as well.

The road to the 53-man roster isn't going to be easy for any wideout with players such as Jalen Brooks, Jalen Cropper, Kelvin Harmon, and Flournoy fighting for spots. But at this point, it's hard to see any scenario where they move on from the rookie.

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