Five Dallas Cowboys position battles to watch in OTAs and minicamp
The Dallas Cowboys have officially kicked off their organized team activities (OTAs) this week, as they take a big step forward toward the looming 2026 NFL season.
While the eight practices are light in nature, they serve as the first sessions where coaches and players can run full team periods in practice to put offseason classroom work onto the field. Player performance isn’t quite homed in on like it is when the pads come on at training camp in early August, but the evaluating eye can see certain position battles take shape in OTAs based on the split of reps at certain position groups.
Heading into OTAs and mandatory minicamp later this month, here are five position battles to keep an eye on and see how the coaching staff divvies up snap count.
Who backs up Dak Prescott?
Last offseason, it was a big priority for the Cowboys to trade for Joe Milton III after letting Cooper Rush walk in free agency. The desire was to get younger behind Prescott, and the team certainly accomplished that. However, Milton didn’t offer the strongest of confidence in his preseason reps in completing 36 of his 65 passes for 397 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
One year later, he has competition for the backup quarterback job.
After signing Sam Howell in free agency, head coach Brian Schottenheimer called the job an “open competition” in March. Considering Howell brings a full season of starting experience from an NFC East opponent, Milton could have his hands full in proving he’s the man for the job.
Is the starting left tackle job up for grabs?
If you had to point to the biggest question mark on the offensive side of the ball, it would be the left tackle spot.
Last season, Tyler Guyton allowed 31 quarterback pressures in just 10 games, and lowering that number will be crucial in lowering Prescott’s overall cleanliness in the pocket after being pressured the sixth-most of any quarterback last season.
While the coaching staff and front office haven’t outwardly said that the job is an open competition, the moving pieces around Guyton signal that he might have to fight to keep his spot. Nate Thomas is entering his second season of being an option there after wowing the staff at OTAs last season, and the Cowboys used a fourth-round pick on a player with 34 collegiate starts at the position in Penn State’s Drew Shelton.
And if all else fails, the door still remains open for Tyler Smith to be kicked out to left tackle and T.J. Bass to slide into the starting left guard spot.
How do things shake out at outside cornerback?
After a 2025 season that saw the Dallas secondary allow more passing yards than any other unit in the NFL, the overhaul at the cornerback position was swift and direct this offseason.
Veteran additions such as Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick will compete with rookie Devin Moore and returners DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr. to determine who are the two outside cornerbacks. Who does the coaching staff give the upper hand to in OTAs? That will be important to watch when the media observes practice on Thursday.
With Caleb Downs expected to lock down the nickel cornerback spot, the competition will be fiery for the other two spots. Bland figures to be a near-lock for one of those jobs as long as he is healthy, leaving Revel, Durant and Moore along with Caelen Carson to compete for the last spot.
Who complements Javonte Williams at running back?
The running game for the Cowboys in 2025 was largely a surprise, as previously doubted Javonte Williams exploded for a career-high 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, after signing him to a three-year extension this offseason, the Cowboys desperately need a complement to Williams so that he doesn’t have to touch the ball 287 times again in 2026.
While the competition is truly the definition of wide open, Malik Davis brings the late season production that could earn him the bulk of the secondary first-team reps early in the offseason, but don’t be surprised if it’s Jaydon Blue instead.
The second-year fifth-round pick out of Texas battled “inconsistency”, in Schottenheimer’s words, throughout his rookie season on and off the field, but there seems to be more confidence in his 2026 approach. Fellow second-year back Phil Mafah also awaits now that he is fully healthy, and don’t discount the undrafted free agent Dominic Richardson from making some noise coming off a productive season at Tulsa in 2025.
Who handles green dot responsibilities on defense?
While this isn’t necessarily a position battle, per se, the battle for who handles the bulk of the communication responsibilities for the defense will be one of the biggest things to watch in the offseason.
Schottenheimer said after the draft that he has a favorite for who he thinks it will be, but he didn’t reveal it. Options include safety Jalen Thompson, linebackers Dee Winters and DeMarvion Overshown, and rookie defensive back Caleb Downs. Expect each to get some work during the offseason with the green dot to see how they handle the responsibilities.
