Dallas Cowboys pre-training camp starting lineup prediction for Week 1: Cornerback surprises, new green dot defender, and more

Minicamp is in the rearview mirror and the Dallas Cowboys won't be taking the field together until training camp comes around in late July.

But while the Oxnard, California practice fields gear up for Cowboy football, I'm taking a stab at what the Week 1 starting lineup of the team will look like. 

Without any further ado, let's dive in. 

Cowboys offense: Who's WR3? 

• Quarterback: Dak Prescott
• Running Back: Javonte Williams
• Wide receiver: CeeDee Lamb
• Wide receiver: George Pickens
• Wide receiver: Jalen Tolbert
• Tight end: Jake Ferguson
• Left tackle: Tyler Guyton
• Left guard: Tyler Smith
• Center: Cooper Beebe
• Right guard: Tyler Booker
• Right tackle: Terence Steele

Javonte Williams as RB1 makes sense to me because he's the most well-rounded back on the team at this point. Is fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue more exciting? Absolutely. But he's also, you know. . . a fifth-round rookie. 

At wide receiver, Jonathan Mingo and Ryan Flournoy could give Tolbert a run for his money but I'm betting on the latter to be a part of the first team and as a No. 3 receiver, I have no complaints about it. 

There's potential for some unexpected changes across the offensive line but I'm keeping it simple for now. Watch out for Beebe playing at guard and Smith kicking out to tackle if Guyton struggles in training camp. 

Cowboys defense: Newcomer at Mike, CB frenzy

• Edge rusher: Micah Parsons
• Defensive tackle (three-technique): Osa Odighizuwa
• Defensive tackle (nose): Mazi Smith
• Edge rusher: Dante Fowler Jr. 
• Linebacker: Marist Liufau
• Linebacker: Jack Sanborn
• Cornerback: Kaiir Elam
• Cornerback: Caelen Carson
• Nickel cornerback: DaRon Bland
• Free safety: Malik Hooker
• Strong safety: Donovan Wilson

It does sound like Sanborn is the favorite to start alongside Liufau at linebacker and it even sounds like he'll be the middle linebacker and the bearer of the green dot helmet. He played for Eberflus at Chicago and showed flashes of standout play though this will be the largest responsibility he's had in the NFL. 

At cornerback, I'm making an educated guess that Bland will be playing in the slot. Multiple reports indicated Bland took most of his snaps inside in OTAs and minicamp and I can see the logic behind it. They like what they see in Elam—a former first-round pick that didn't do great in Buffalo—and he's only an option outside. With Trevon Diggs expected to return relatively early during the 2025 season, the "best three" might be Diggs, Elam, and Bland inside. 

One more observation: As excited as we are about second-round rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, I don't see him beating veteran Dante Fowler Jr. for the starting role opposite of Parsons. But I expect the rookie to get on the field a lot.