Film room: 3 dark-horse players with the best chance to make the Dallas Cowboys’ roster

Despite our continued efforts to predict the Dallas Cowboys’ opening day roster, a couple of unheralded players -- dark horses, if you will -- seem to sneak their way onto the 53-man roster each year.

In 2019, offensive tackle Brandon Knight sneaked his way onto the roster to the surprise of many (except yours truly). Linebacker Luke Gifford had little buzz behind his name at this time last year, but after an interception in the opening preseason game (despite opening his hips in the wrong direction), it became clear he had an inside track to make the roster. He eventually made the team despite missing the last couple of weeks of camp due to injury.

Who can forget the kicking competition that no one knew about in 2018, when Brett Maher, the darkest of dark horses, made the team over Dan Bailey, one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history.

If there’s anything we’ve learned in recent years, it’s that when it’s cut-down time in Dallas, the only way to eliminate surprise is to expect the unexpected.

Considering the limits on offseason activities amid the coronavirus pandemic and the new regime in place, the cut down to 53 players in Dallas could be even more chaotic and full of surprise than it has been in the past.

With that in mind, let’s look at a few dark horses who could make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster.

Jon’Vea Johnson, WR

There was a time during training camp last season when Jon’Vea Johnson appeared to have the inside track to the 53-man roster.

Johnson’s deep speed was a problem for Dallas’ secondary and his mature route-running ability enabled him to have success against some of the best defensive backs the Cowboys had to offer (above clip). The undrafted receiver obviously still had his fair share of warts, but he was undoubtedly one of the most impressive youngsters at the start of camp.

But a case of butterfingers plagued Johnson through the preseason and latter portions of camp, as his confidence appeared to plummet with each pass that clanked off his sub-9-inch hands (which only compounded the issue). Johnson led the team with three drops during the preseason -- two more than any other Cowboy, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Cowboys ended up using his shoulder injury to stash Johnson on injured reserve, giving him nothing but time to rebuild his confidence and shore up his ball skills.

This year’s training camp will reveal whether Johnson spent enough time honing his craft. It will be easy to identify if he’s more consistent at the catch point or still plagued by the same issues that caused his roster chances to dwindle last year.

While Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb’s roster spots are secure, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will fill in the two or three spots behind them. If Johnson comes to camp with better ball skills and reinvigorated confidence, he has a real chance to make the roster despite his dark-horse status.

Cooper, Gallup and Lamb are all great receivers -- possibly the NFL’s best receiver trio -- but none of them are true burners who can be utilized as field stretchers in the offense (Cooper has the speed to do it, but he’s such a nuanced route runner that it’d be an inefficient way to utilize his skills), which is why Johnson’s 4.4 speed and field-stretching ability could fill a role.

It won’t be easy. Johnson will have ample competition for a spot behind the Cooper-Gallup-Lamb trio, including a fellow deep threat who actually made the 53-man roster last year in Devin Smith. Johnson doesn’t have Smith’s size, experience or draft pedigree, but he’s a better route runner who can actually contribute on special teams. An inability to contribute on special teams is the main reason Smith struggled to see the field last year even though he made the roster.

So next time you’re working through a potential 53-man roster projection with the Cowboys’ current talent pool, don’t forget about Johnson.

Mitch Hyatt, OT

Last year at this time, Mitch Hyatt was everyone’s favorite dark-horse candidate to make the roster -- to the point where “dark horse” was no longer appropriate -- and it made a lot of sense on paper.

Hyatt was a four-year starter for a top program at Clemson, where he accumulated a couple of trophy cases worth of accolades, including All-American honors as a junior and senior (consensus first-team recognition his last year) to go with the school record in snaps and games played.

But the tape revealed a player whose skill set didn’t match the accolades, which is why I was confident Knight would make the roster over Hyatt despite the latter receiving a much bigger bonus and more guaranteed money to sign with Dallas as an undrafted free agent.

This became clear early in training camp and was confirmed once the preseason arrived. Though Hyatt mostly performed well against his fellow undrafted teammates during camp, he struggled mightily whenever he was matched up against most others. Hyatt lacked the play strength to properly anchor against power and create movement in the run game. Hyatt compounded his issues by being penalized heavily throughout the preseason -- he was called for three penalties in four games, second-most on the team.

Despite his struggles, Hyatt did enough to earn a spot on the practice squad after being waived during the cut down to 53 players. While we don’t have access to most of Dallas’ practices throughout the season, Hyatt must’ve impressed the coaching staff because the team elevated him to the 53-man roster in December -- a spot he maintained until the season’s end.

Entering Year 2, a new coaching staff really does benefit Hyatt’s roster chances. If Marc Colombo was still running the O-line, it may have been hard for Hyatt to overtake Knight or Cameron Erving for a reserve spot. Joe Philbin won’t enter camp with those same prejudices, which benefits Hyatt.

While the pandemic has obviously changed the typical offseason process, players typically see the biggest jump in strength from Years 1 to 2, which would be hugely beneficial to Hyatt’s roster chances. Improved play strength should allow Hyatt to be effective enough to really vie for a spot on the roster.

Given the roster’s current construction, it seems likely the Cowboys will keep two reserve offensive tackles on the 53-man roster -- same as last year -- meaning Hyatt, Erving, Knight and undrafted rookie Terence Steele will all compete for those final spots.

While it’d be wise to categorize Knight and Erving as the favorites to win those spots, Hyatt’s chances shouldn’t be discounted.

Francis Bernard, LB

Anyone who’s been following my work since April’s draft knows that Utah’s Francis Bernard is my favorite undrafted free agent signed by the Cowboys. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he’s included on a list of dark-horse candidates to make the roster.

Standing at 6 feet, 234 pounds, Bernard is one of those undersized, sideline-to-sideline linebackers who’s capable in coverage that’s become en vogue around the league. Playing on an uber-talented Utah defense that had six players selected in this year’s draft, Bernard finished second in tackles (solo and total) and interceptions in 2019.

While he was surrounded by NFL-caliber talent, Bernard was the leader of the defense and lauded for his football intelligence. “His smarts and his football knowledge are what allowed him to make a ton of plays for us this year,” Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley said, via the Deseret News.

He may have gone undrafted, but Bernard’s motor and effort level are top-10 caliber -- to the point where he can turn into a detriment if without adequate checks and balances. Bernard often strains so hard when pursuing ball carriers that he struggles to break down and come to balance at the tackle point, leading to a bevy of missed tackles (missed 17.2% of his attempts).

If the Cowboys can harness Bernard’s motor and get him to play with more control, then they may have struck gold in undrafted free agency.

Nonetheless, if Bernard makes the Cowboys’ roster, it will be because he proved himself on special teams. Luckily for him, everything about Bernard’s skill set points to someone who should develop into a special teams ace under coordinator John Fassel’s tutelage, as he has the football intelligence, athleticism, effort and mentality necessary to thrive in the third phase of the game.

If I had to make one way-too-early prediction as to which undrafted free agent had the best chance to make the roster, it’d be Bernard.

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