We continue scouting the 2026 NFL Draft class for the Dallas Cowboys by looking at the undrafted free agent class. Today we are looking at tight end DJ Rogers from TCU.
DJ Rogers
TE
TCU Horned Frogs
Senior
4-star rating
6’4”
258 lbs
History
As a true freshman in 2021, Rogers played in four games and preserved a redshirt, with no receptions. In 2022, he played 12 games mainly on special teams and again did not record a catch.
In 2023, he started to show up on offense and made seven receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown
across 12 games. His first career touchdown was a memorable one with a 17-yard first-quarter score at Texas Tech.
In 2024, Rogers took a step as a bigger part of the rotation with 12 catches, 142 yards, and two touchdowns in 12 games. His year included a key fourth-quarter touchdown catch versus Texas Tech during a 17-point comeback win, plus a 3-yard touchdown in the New Mexico Bowl win over Louisiana, and a career-long 40-yard catch at Baylor.
In 2025, he finally got the starting tight end position and produced steady week-to-week volume. He played all 13 games and caught a pass in 12 of 13 of them. He had multi-catch games in 10, and finished with 319 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His best games came against Baylor with 30 receiving yards and a touchdown, a season-high 60 yards at Arizona State, and 43 yards with a touchdown against North Carolina.
2025 Statistics
519 Offensive Snaps
40 Targets
34 Receptions
319 Receiving Yards
24 Rec YPG
2 Total TDs
169 YAC
2 Dropped Passes
10 Missed Tackles Forced
19 First Downs
116.6 Passer RTG When Targeted
1 Penalties
Snap by Position
Inline- 67%
Wideout- 6%
Slot- 26%
NFL Combine/Pro Day
Awards
N/A
Scorecard
Overall– 50.6
Speed- 83
Acceleration- 48
Agility- 79
Strength- 44
Catching- 70
Route Running- 68
YAC Skills- 50
Pass Blocking- 68
Run Blocking- 59
Discipline- 95
THE GOOD
- Can line up attached, in a wing, or as a Y-off and execute multiple assignments
- Shows good feel for settling in zones and presenting an easy target on play-action
- Generally secures what’s thrown to him and finishes plays through contact
- Effective on sticks, flats, crossers and seams
- Willing blocker with enough size to be used on the edge of the formation
- Showed steady growth in TCU meaning he’s developing consistently
- High character player and willing to anything demanded of him, including special teams work
THE BAD
- He’s not the type of TE who consistently separates like a big slot or creates easy explosive plays on his own
- After the catch he’s more get what’s there than make multiple players miss
- Route tree is fairly basic
- Blocking is functional, not dominant
- Not a true tone-setting inline blocker who moves people, NFL edges can compress him if his pad level and hand placement aren’t perfect
THE FIT/PROJECTION
Rogers’ best NFL fit is as a TE3/TE4 in-line player who can handle the dirty work and be a reliable checkdown target off play-action. He’s more a complementary, assignment-sound tight end than a detached mismatch.
On the Cowboys specifically, the depth chart reality is steep with Jake Ferguson as the clear starter, and Dallas is already carrying with Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford, plus depth bodies like Princeton Fant and fellow rookie Michael Trigg. That likely puts Rogers in a bubble fight where his most realistic early outcomes are TE4/TE5 competing for a final roster spot or practice squad position, and his clearest way to stick is special teams and blocking reliability.
SUMMARY
DJ Rogers is the type of tight end Dallas often adds after the draft with a steady, coachable, low-maintenance player who does a little of everything and gives you a chance to stabilize the bottom of the tight end room. He isn’t the move tight end who’s going to live in the slot and win like a big receiver, but he does bring a functional NFL body, reliable hands, and the kind of week-to-week consistency you want from a TE who can be active on game day without tipping your hand. At TCU in 2025, he finally got starter volume and responded with a clean, dependable season, showing he can work seams, sit in zones, and be a quarterback-friendly target on play-action boots and checkdowns.
Rogers’ value comes from reliability and role clarity. He’s at his best as a traditional in-line tight end who can attach to the formation, chip and release, and win on simple concepts while giving effort as a blocker. He fits the do-the-job tight end mold who can handle multiple assignments without needing to be featured.
The limitations are equally clear however. He’s not a high-end separator or explosive YAC threat, so he probably doesn’t climb into a primary receiving role, and his best roster argument will come from special teams and blocking dependability. For the Cowboys, that likely means he enters camp competing for a back-end TE spot, with his clearest path being if he can prove he can block, cover kicks, and catch the ball when it’s thrown to him.
PRO COMPARISON
Jonnu Smith
BTB OVERALL RANKING
393rd
CONSENSUS OVERALL RANKING
372nd
