The Dallas Cowboys are largely a veteran-laden team on offense. Of the 15 players that have played the most offensive snaps for them so far this year, nine are on their second contracts, with three more being in the final year of their rookie deals.
With that in mind, it makes sense that it has been difficult for any rookies to make a real impact. In this piece, we’ll take a look at the one rookie that has been able to do so while also analyzing another that, while expected to be effective immediately, has disappeared completely.
Rookie on the Rise: Tyler Booker
First-round picks are typically expected to contribute immediately, especially No. 12 overall picks. Indeed, from 2020 to 2024 the lowest number of starts recorded by a rookie picked in that slot was three by Detroit Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs in 2023, although he still recorded 1,261 scrimmage yards and was named an All-Pro.
So, it’s hard to say that Tyler Booker could be considered on the rise when expectations were already fairly lofty. But considering the progress he made from Week 1 (53.1 PFF Grade) to Week 3 (83.0, best on the team for offense), he’s clearly improving.
Of course, just as soon as he was showing signs of progress, he suffered a high-ankle sprain and was lost for four to six weeks. But still, he showed the tantalizing talent that made him a top 12 pick in the first place and gave fans plenty to look forward to upon his return.
Rookie on the Decline: Jaydon Blue
It’s sort of difficult to say that Jaydon Blue is on the decline when he never got started in the first place. Through four games, he’s been a healthy scratch in each.
Now, we’ve discussed Blue before, specifically analyzing Brian Schottenheimer’s quote regarding his status. Our takeaway was that Blue is clearly healthy, but through his own struggles to adjust to the pros and the emergence of Javonte Williams, he just simply hasn’t been needed and hasn’t looked good enough to force the coaches hand.
Of course, that’s not what you want to hear in regards to a top 150 pick four games into his rookie season. It’ll be especially concerning if, whenever one of Williams or Miles Sanders inevitably misses a game, Blue isn’t activated.
So, while it’s not entirely time to panic, it’s to the point where eyebrows are certainly being raised. Hopefully Blue is able to make his debut soon and assuage the concerns emanating from his absence.