Dallas Cowboys top 4 breakout candidates in 2024

These 4 players could be on the verge of breaking out in 2024 for the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys, Rico Dowdle / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

After their third straight 12-win season, the Dallas Cowboys enter a pivotal campaign. They have lingering contract negotians with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to deal with and head coach Mike McCarthy is entering the final year of his deal.

The front office wants to see the team make a run int he postseason before re-committing to McCarthy but they did close to nothing in the offseason to help him. By sitting on their hands this offseason, they've made it tougher for McCarthy and Prescott who are going to need some role players from 2023 to step up and become key contributors.

With that in mind, here are four players in a prime position to take on a new role and become a breakout star in 2024.

Sam Williams, EDGE

Losing Dorance Armstrong is nothing to scoff at but the Cowboys were never paying him $11 million per season which is what Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders gave him. Fortunately, they have someone waiting in the wings, which was the case in 2022 when Armstrong replaced Randy Gregory when he signed with Denver. This time, it’s former second-round pick Sam Williams who will be asked to step up.

Williams has 8.5 sacks throughout his first two seasons in the league. He’s 261 pounds, ran a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash, and has has an explosive first step. He needs to clean up his knack for penalties but has the skill to be a star.

Jalen Tolbert, WR

Early in the 2023 campaign, the Dallas offense sputtered often in the passing game. There were a couple of factors, one being the slow start in building a rapport between Brandin Cooks and Dak Prescott. The other was Prescott's desire to get Michael Gallup rolling.

Once Cooks and Prescott clicked, things improved. It was also no coincidence that this happened when Gallup saw his role reduced. That also allowed Jalen Tolbert to see the field more and he responded with 22 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Those might not be elite numbers but it was a far cry from the two catches for 12 yards he had as a rookie.

Now entering year three, Tolbert is the favorite to be the WR3 behind CeeDee Lamb and Cooks. He's showed enough in 2023 to warrant raised expectations and Cooks recently said Tolbert was ready to crush those.

"He's ready to go," said Cooks, according to the team's official website. "Whatever the expectations are for him out there [in 2024], I'm telling you he's gonna crush it. He's ready. I look forward to him being able to get that opportunity. It's the way that he goes to work. … And I think that time is now for him."

If Tolbert can rise to the occasion, it would go a long way toward helping this offense improve. They don't need him to be a game-changer but if he can threaten to put up 500 yards and roughly five touchdowns, it would be enough to take some of the pressure off their star players.

Rico Dowdle, RB

An undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 2020, Rico Dowdle wasn't on the radar entering the 2023 offseason but quickly reminded everyone why the Cowboys kept him on the roster as he battled injuries in 2021 and 2022. Dowdle emerged as the top RB2 candidate behind Tony Pollard and was able to push veteran free agent addition Ronald Jones off the roster.

Dowdle played in 16 games, finishing with 361 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He added another 144 yards and two scores as a receiver, often giving the offense a much-needed jolt when he got the ball.

This year, there's room for more touches for Dowdle. With Pollard in Tennessee, the Cowboys brought back Ezekiel Elliott and signed Royce Freeman. Dowdle has a chance to win the starting job but even if Zeke takes the initial snaps, Dowdle is the one with the most potential at this point.

Mazi Smith, DT

Weight has been the primary topic surrounding Mazi Smith this offseason after Dan Quinn had him slim down during his rookie season. With Mike Zimmer running the defense, it's reasonable to think Smith will get back to his 330-pound range to resume the 1-tech duties. Just don't expect Mike McCarthy to get into the details about weight — the players or his own.

Smith didn't play with the power we saw while he was at Michigan but the change at DC has led to renewed hope. Throw in the loss of Johnathan Hankins in free agency and the Cowboys are putting all their eggs in the Smith basket. If he fails, the only other players over 300 pounds who can fill the nose tackle spot are Carl Davis, Justin Rogers, and Denzel Daxon. This is a make-or-break year for Smith but the Cowboys are expecting him to rise to the challenge.