3 Dallas Cowboys breakout candidates for 2025

How many times have we told ourselves that the Dallas Cowboys are going to need players currently on the roster to breakout in order for them to have a successful year.

Well, the same is being said this year.

The Dallas Cowboys are going to need a few guys to have a breakout type year for them to achieve what they hope to at the end of the season.

Three guys come to mind for me when thinking about this. Tell me what you think & trust me, it is okay if you don’t agree or want to add someone to this list, that is fine.

I would love to hear.

Marshawn Kneeland

The 2024 second-round draft pick out of Western Michigan logged 256 defensive snaps over 11 games.

He finished with 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, 11 pressures, one fumble recovery and one pass deflection in his rookie season a year ago.

With Micah Parsons on the sidelines due to his contract dispute, there’s been plenty of first-team reps available for the Cowboys’ younger edge rushers, and Kneeland is taking full advantage.

Now the question is, will Parsons suit up in the first game of the season next week, and if he does, how many snaps will he play?

Kneeland is going to be needed for a second year breakout for this defensive line.

Jalen Tolbert

Now, I would not have put Jalen Tolbert on this list if Jonathan Mingo did not get hurt.

That is the key here, with Mingo going down, Tolbert has the WR3 spot locked up for at least the first few weeks.

He has the chance to take full advantage and run away with it. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are going to get so much attention that it should wide it open for Tolbert to do damage.

Look for him to shine through the month of September. With the lack of a running game as well, he should have a big chance to get a lot of balls thrown his way.

Kaiir Elam

Have you seen the Dallas Cowboys secondary? It might be the worst in football outside of DaRon Bland until Trevon Diggs gets back.

Yet, a guy that I love is Kaiir Elam. I would not have said this less than a year ago, but this summer he has been one of the bright spots for the Dallas Cowboys.

A former first-round pick who had yet to find his rhythm with the Buffalo Bills, Elam was added (along with a sixth-round pick) in exchange for a fifth-and seventh-round pick. Dallas felt a fresh start would help him succeed, and so far, it appears to be working.

While it’s difficult to judge what the Cowboys’ defense will look like in the preseason, what Elam says can be judged is the unit’s play style, which translates into whether it’s starters or players deep on the depth chart in the game.