The NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror, and rookie minicamp is on the horizon for the Cowboys.
Dallas’ new crop of rookies will begin rookie camp on Thursday this week, giving them their first real chance to take the field as members of the Cowboys.
If there’s one thing the Cowboys have nailed in recent years, it’s their scouting process. They’ve done an excellent job replenishing the roster with young, cheap, starting-caliber players. This includes day three picks (Dak Prescott, Anthony Brown, Dalton Schultz, etc.) and undrafted free agents (like Terence Steele and Blake Jarwin).
While there are success stories on day three, the fact remains that you have the highest expectations for the players you take in the top 100. Any player picked in the first, second, or third round is expected to contribute in some capacity right away.
That puts a lot of focus on the three players the Cowboys took in the top 100 this year: OL Tyler Smith, DE De Williams, and WR Jalen Tolbert. Even if they don’t start right away, Dallas needs immediate results from them, especially with the departures of Connor Williams, Randy Gregory, and Amari Cooper.
Let’s take a look at what type of expectations are reasonable for these three players.
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Tyler Smith: Starting Left Guard
The Cowboys view Smith as their left tackle of the future. They know just how raw his technique is, but the traits are rare and worth the first round investment. When Tyron Smith’s time is over in Dallas, the Cowboys fully expect Smith to slide into that spot and become a Pro Bowl blindside blocker.
While left tackle is the future, taking the left guard job is the current expectation. Smith was a guard at North Crowley High School, but played tackle for his entire career in Tulsa. Dallas has a need at guard, and Smith has the ability to play it, so that’s where his career will begin.
Smith will have his growing pains in the NFL. There’s a lot of work to do, and the process won’t always be pretty. But it would be a significant failure for Smith if he were so far behind on technique that Connor McGovern was to win the job.
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De Williams: Generate Consistent Pressure on 3rd and Long
2nd round pick Sam Williams (or De Williams, as he recently told Blogging the Boys he would like to be known as) isn’t expected to come in and start right away. The Cowboys re-signed Dorance Armstrong, brought in former top 5 pick Dante Fowler, and still have Tarell Basham on the roster. There are plenty of veterans who can hold down the majority of the reps for 2022.
Where the Cowboys need Williams to make a difference is in 3rd and long passing situations. The downs where DeMarcus Lawrence kicks inside to rush from the 3-technique, and Micah Parsons comes on a blitz. Dan Quinn needs Williams to pin his ears back and go. Be the disruptive force in those situations that they lost with the departure of Randy Gregory.
The Cowboys want Williams and Chauncey Golston to be their future starters on the edge, but for 2022 they just need him to generate pressure and pick up a few sacks on third down. Get the opposing offense off the field. I wouldn’t expect Williams to play more than 30-40% of the defensive snaps this year.
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Jalen Tolbert: 33 Receptions, 507 Yards, 2 Touchdowns
I know those are very specific numbers for Jalen Tolbert, but they didn’t come out of thin air. Those are the exact numbers Michael Gallup put up in his rookie season. The Cowboys need Tolbert to be at least as good as Gallup was as a rookie. If they can get that sort of production out of him, the Cowboys will certainly feel good about where his career is headed.
Gallup likely isn’t going to be available for the first couple of games of the season as he rehabs from knee surgery. That means Tolbert will likely be in the starting lineup alongside CeeDee Lamb and free agent acquisition James Washington to start the year. That opportunity alone should give him a good shot at reaching Gallup’s rookie numbers.
Once Gallup returns to the lineup it will be interesting to see how much deference the coaching staff has to the veteran Washington. If Tolbert plays well enough at the beginning of the season, he could take hold of the third receiver role even once Gallup is back in the starting lineup. If there is a bit of a learning curve, he might sit behind Washington and continue developing.
Regardless of the role, the Cowboys should expect production that at least matches the output they got from Gallup in 2018.