Could rookie place kicker Jonathan Garibay be the Dallas Cowboys' 'Achilles heel' this season?

The Dallas Cowboys desperately needed an upgrade at placekicker after veteran Greg Zuerlein converted just 82.9% of his field-goal tries and missed six of his 48 extra point attempts last season. While "Greg the Leg" is now with the New York Jets, the Cowboys have undrafted rookie free agent Jonathan Garibay handling their kicking duties ahead of Saturday's preseason opener at the Denver Broncos. 

As Fansided's Matthew Conner noted over the weekend, Garibay endured "several bad days" early into training camp and missed an extra point while cameras were rolling. For a piece published Monday morning, ESPN's Bill Barnwell referred to the kicker position as a potential "Achilles' heel" for the 2022 Cowboys. 

"Garibay attempted only 27 total field goals for the [Texas Tech] Red Raiders, but he went 15-of-16 on those tries a year ago and was 49-of-50 on extra points," Barnwell explained. "So far, that hasn't translated to pro success, as he has reportedly struggled during camp, particularly during moments in which the Cowboys have asked him to kick on short notice to simulate clutch situations." 

Dallas also has Lirim Hajrullahu, 32, on the roster after he converted all eight of his extra-point tries and four-of-five field goals with the Cowboys and Carolina Panthers last season. Barnwell added that Hajrullahu made 83.3% of his field goals across six years in the Canadian Football League. 

"This feels like a situation (Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) will be evaluating after every missed kick," Barnwell wrote of the battle between Garibay and Hajrullahu.