Theres A Cowboys Roster Lock Hiding In Plain Sight

The Dallas Cowboys may have a roster lock hiding in plain sight as the 2026 preseason moves closer to final roster cuts. Mauricio Rodriguez believes Cowboys safety Julius Wood has done enough throughout training camp and the preseason to earn a spot on Dallas' 53-man roster even though one of the deepest position groups on the team makes him look like a traditional bubble player. Wood keeps making plays. He's flashed defensively throughout Cowboys training camp and carried that production into the preseason, including an impressive goal-line stop against the Seattle Seahawks. But Wood's path onto the Cowboys roster isn't only about what he can provide on defense. His special-teams ability could be the key. Dallas already has a crowded safety room featuring Caleb Downs, Malik Hooker, Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke. That makes it difficult to view Wood as one of the Cowboys' top four safeties, but Mauricio explains why that's the wrong way to evaluate his roster battle. Wood doesn't necessarily need to beat one of those four players. Instead, he needs to convince the Cowboys that carrying five safeties provides more value than using one of their final roster spots at cornerback, running back, tight end, linebacker or another position. There's also another factor working in Wood's favor: Dallas already has evidence that another NFL team could claim him if he's exposed to waivers. That makes trying to get Wood back onto the Cowboys practice squad a legitimate risk. Mauricio explains why the combination of defensive production, special-teams ability and waiver risk has Wood looking much more like a roster lock than a bubble player. But Julius Wood isn't the only Cowboys player exceeding expectations. Brian Schottenheimer was recently asked about the players who surpassed his expectations during training camp in Oxnard, and the Cowboys head coach identified 10. Among the biggest names were Caleb Downs, Shavon Revel Jr. and Tyler Guyton. Guyton's development could be especially important for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense after Dallas struggled with pass protection last season. Meanwhile, Revel's development could give defensive coordinator Christian Parker additional flexibility in man coverage. Mauricio also discusses Rashan Gary's leadership, the Cowboys wide receiver competition involving Jonathan Mingo and Camden Brown, Javonte Williams' role in the backfield, Ryan Flournoy's continued development and more. Has Julius Wood already done enough to make the Cowboys roster? And which player exceeded your expectations the most during Cowboys training camp? Subscribe to A to Z Sports Dallas for daily Dallas Cowboys news, analysis, roster battles, training camp updates and reaction throughout the 2026 NFL season. 0:00 Cowboys have a roster lock hiding in plain sight 0:51 Why Julius Wood keeps making plays 1:42 The Cowboys' crowded safety room 2:31 Julius Wood's path onto the 53 3:12 Why Dallas can't risk losing Wood 4:37 10 Cowboys who exceeded expectations 5:34 Caleb Downs is already impressing 5:55 Shavon Revel Jr. raises the defensive ceiling 6:27 Tyler Guyton could change the offense 7:20 Seven more Cowboys who impressed 8:04 Cowboys WR roster battle heats up 8:58 Javonte Williams and the RB situation 9:20 Ryan Flournoy's important next step 9:47 Bryan Anger's monster punts #DallasCowboys #Cowboys #CowboysNation #CowboysNews #NFL Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: For more Cowboys coverage be sure to follow here: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: TikTok: