Dallas Cowboys Change Receiver Depth Chart After Rookie Shines

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI
By Bri Amaranthus | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 8:07 AM ET

Dallas Cowboys receiver Traeshon Holden is moving up the depth chart, per coach Brian Schottenheimer. After a strong NFL debut in the Cowboys' first preseason game vs. the Los Angeles Rams, Holden is catching the attention of his head coach.

Holden led Dallas with 42 yards receiving yards, which was highlighted by a 35-yard catch down the right sideline from quarterback Joe Milton III. The Cowboys may have lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 31-21, but Holden definitely walked away as a winner.

Cowboys Coach Brian Schottenheimer Is Changing Receiver Depth Chart

Schottenheimer was clear about Dallas' receiver depth chart and how impressed he is with the undrafted free agent Holden after training camp and his first preseason game.

"Every day he shows up, I mean he really does," Schottenheimer said of Holden. "Every day he makes a play. ... And when you do that, you get noticed, and when you do that, you get more opportunities, and just proud of him. ... You'll see him moving up the depth chart."

Holden proved that he's not just a training camp sensation in his first taste of real NFL action. In a position group full of stars like CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, it's important Holden makes every target count to make the Cowboys roster.

Grandma look at ya grandson https://t.co/CebHyhAWje
— Traeshon Holden (@Traeski11) August 10, 2025

If he keeps it up, Holden could be one of the most underrated NFL rookies in 2025 . Did Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott score with an exciting new offensive weapon?

Holden's Transition To The NFL

Holden's transition to the NFL came with a familiar face. The former Oregon Duck stand out is reunited with his former Oregon coach, now Cowboys receiver coach Junior Adams and Ducks teammate Ajani Cornelius, who Dallas added with the No. 204 overall selection of the 2025 NFL Draft.

"I'm very excited," Holden said of Adams. "He told me if he got a chance to come get me, he was coming to get me. He knows he got a dawg, and I'm ready to make it happen."

The 6-3, 220-pound explosive receiver showed how he excels in route running, with reliable hands to go along with his body control during his time in Eugene with the Ducks. Throughout his two seasons under Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Holden finished with 1,170 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 82 receptions. He was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference in 2024. Holden performed well as run blocker in college, a skill that could come handy in the NFL.

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Holden played the first two years of college at Alabama under coach Nick Saban, where he tallied 46 catches for 570 yards and seven touchdowns. He arrived to Eugene in 2023 and became an immediate contributor in the passing game for former Duck quarterbacks Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel.

He joins a Cowboys receiver room that is highlighted by Lamb, Pickens, KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Tolbert.