The 3 biggest questions the Cowboys will need to answer in training camp

The Dallas Cowboys 2026 training camp is just around the corner, and that means football is almost officially back.

Though we still have about two months before regular season games, training camp gives fans their first feeling of football since the NFL draft. With plenty of new players, coaches, and ideas, this training camp is ramping up to be one of the more interesting ones in recent years for the Cowboys.

Today we will look at three of the biggest questions that still need to be answered before the Cowboys kick things off against the New York Giants in week one.

The Cowboys spent quite a bit of resources addressing their pass rush this offseason. After acquiring Rashan Gary via trade after losing out on the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes, the Cowboys turned to the Green Bay Packers to land Gary for a 2027 4th-round pick. Gary was being rumored to be a possible cut candidate if a trade was unable to be finalized, but the Cowboys were desperate and seemingly got into a bidding war with themselves for Gary.

Though his last few years have been disappointing after signing a big extension in 2023, Gary has still put up decent sack numbers and pressures, despite his inability to put up quick pressures and sacks. The Cowboys did improve their value in this trade by getting Gary to rework his deal, making his contract much more team-friendly over the next two seasons.

In addition to Gary, the Cowboys used their second first-round pick on Central Florida pass rusher Malachi Lawrence. Lawrence was one of the top pass rushers in this draft class from a traits perspective. While there is still some development to be had in order to be a three-down starter in year one, Lawrence should find a nice role as a pass rush specialist early on in his career.

Outside of the additions of Gary and Lawrence, the Cowboys are banking on a big second-year leap from Donovan Ezeiruaku. Ezeiruaku had a decent rookie season, but finishing the year with only two sacks was a bit of a disappointment for the type of player he was viewed as coming out of the draft. Behind those three, the Cowboys have more uncertainty than answers. James Houston was quiet the surprise last year, but similar to Lawrence, he plays more of a pass rush specialist role than an every down pass rusher. The Cowboys are certainly not hurting on bodies, but they are hurting for a top dog to take control of the pass rush room at the defensive end position.

Another one of the biggest questions coming into training camp is who will win the starting left tackle job (the answer is Tyler Guyton)?

While the safest bet here is Tyler Guyton will be the Cowboys starting left tackle when the Cowboys kick things off against the Giants, the bigger question is will he maintain control of the job for the entire season? Guyton did show some signs of development last season, before missing time due to injury, but injuries are something Guyton has dealt with in his first two years in the NFL. If Guyton is able to stay healthy, he will be serviceable at left tackle for the entire season, but the major question here is can he play most of the season?

Nathan Thomas and rookie fifth-round pick Drew Shelton are the other names to watch during training camp. While Thomas will likely get the first crack at the first-team competition, don’t count out Shelton as an option later on in training camp if neither Guyton or Thomas are taking advantage of their opportunities.

This question can be viewed in two different ways. If you tell me Javonte Williams is healthy for most of the 2026 season, then the Cowboys RB2 is absolutely on the roster, whether that be Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, or Malik Davis is still to be determined.

The bigger question is if Javonte Williams has to miss time, who do the Cowboys feel confident in to take over as the teams number one rusher, pass protector, and pass catcher out of the backfield?

Jaydon Blue is the ideal candidate for the RB2 job behind Javonte Williams. Blue’s change of pace and pass-catching ability is something everyone should be very excited to watch in year two. The concerns come when talking about pass protection, which is a very important and often ignored responsibility of down the depth chart running back options.

Williams had a tremendous season for the Cowboys in 2025, earning him a nice little payday over the offseason. One of his more underrated traits last season for the Cowboys was just how good he was as a pass protector out of the backfield. That reason in itself is one of the main reasons we could see the Cowboys go out and add a veteran during or after training camp to be an insurance policy for Williams if he is to miss time throughout the course of the season.