The preseason is over, the roster is set (for now), and the Dallas Cowboys have officially begun the next phase of their 2026 season. For some players, that meant the end of their time in Dallas. For others, it meant achieving the goal they had been working toward since training camp opened.
There were plenty of interesting roster decisions, but three players in particular stood out because of what they showed during training camp and preseason, and what their roster spots could mean for the Cowboys
moving forward.
WR Camden Brown
There may not have been a bigger preseason surprise on the Cowboys roster than Camden Brown. The undrafted rookie wide receiver out of Georgia Southern entered training camp fighting for a spot in a crowded receiver room. With CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, and Kavontae Turpin locked in, Brown was competing with a number of players for what could have been the final roster spot.
Instead, Brown made the team. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound receiver showed enough throughout camp and the preseason to convince the Cowboys that his upside was worth keeping. With six receptions, 166 yards, 27.7 yards per catch and two TDs, that is production you simply can’t ignore, and now Brown finds himself on the 53-man roster.
Now comes the hard part. Brown has gone from trying to make the team to trying to find a role on it. With the depth that Dallas has at receiver it may be difficult to do, but after seeing what he was capable of in camp and the preseason, if an opportunity arises, he can make the most of it.
The easiest way to see the field for any bottom of the roster player is always through special teams. That maxim applies to all three we’ll discuss today, including Brown.
WR Jonathan Mingo
Mingo’s bubble roster spot was intriguing for a different reason. Unlike Brown, Mingo wasn’t an unknown coming into training camp. The Cowboys invested significant draft capital in him when he was moved from Carolina, meaning expectations have followed him throughout his young career.
But his time in Dallas hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. Mingo entered this summer with something to prove, and his preseason gave the Cowboys enough reason to keep giving him opportunities. He finished the preseason with four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Including that 53-yard bomb in Arizona from Joe Milton. Mingo also repeatedly produced in practices at training camp.
The Cowboys kept Mingo on the initial 53-man roster alongside Brown, giving the former second-round pick another chance to carve out a role in an offense that already has Lamb and Pickens at the top of the depth chart.
If Mingo can continue to turn the flashes we’ve seen into something Dallas can rely on, his roster spot could end up looking like one of the better decisions the Cowboys made this summer. Mingo’s NFL game experience should give him a minor role on offense, which would increase in case of any injury.
Tyrus Wheat
Tyrus Wheat’s spot might be the most telling roster move of the three. Wheat wasn’t competing for the same kind of spotlight as Brown or Mingo. He was competing for a place in a completely revamped Cowboys defense, where Dallas had plenty of options along the edge.
And he made it. Wheat finished the preseason with eight tackles and two sacks, seven pressures and five run stops. Wheat brings versatility, experience and, most importantly, he has established himself as a core special teams contributor.
The crowded edge group in Dallas means Wheat isn’t going to get a major defensive role immediately, although he’s shown when his number is called the Cowboys can count on him. Where he’ll really shine is being someone the team counts on for quality special teams play.
