An important thing to note about this year’s NFL Draft class is how deep it was after the middle rounds. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, players were able to go back to school for another year in hopes of improving their draft stock. This led to more talent at the back end of the draft that we hadn’t seen in a long time. Players with 4th round grades slid into undrafted free agency.

Along with their 9 draft picks, the Cowboys signed 20 undrafted free agents. Many of those players had “draft-able” grades attached to their profiles. 

With this influx in talent, who are the most likely candidates to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster? 

1.) Markquese Bell, S, Florida A&M

A lot of fans and analysts are excited about safety Markquese Bell signing with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Right after the draft, he was a high-priority signing for the Cowboys and Eagles, luckily he chose Dallas after a late push by Philadelphia.

There are a lot of things to get excited about in Bells’ game. He is an athletic and versatile player that has value blitzing the passer and being a “pressure player”. 

Standing at 6’3″, 205 pounds Bell has the frame and athleticism to be a safety at the NFL level. He ran a blazing 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

Bell will have to battle with Tyler Coyle, Israel Mukuamu, and a host of other players to find his way onto the Cowboys roster in 2022.

2.) Jonathan Garibay, K, Texas Tech

At this point in the offseason, it seems that the kicking job is Garibays to lose. The Cowboys did bring in a kicker in the spirit of “competition” but it seems to this point, that Garibay has every chance to make the 53-man roster as the Cowboys’ kicker.

In 2021 kicking for the University of Texas Tech, Garibay made 15 of his 16 kicks including his longest from 62 against Iowa State.

I will be the first to admit I don’t know a single thing about scouting kickers at the college and pro level, along with a majority of the world I would assume. So the most important thing to look at when evaluating Garibay is his ability to hit from 60+ yards and how consistent he is in making his kicks when asked to do so.

For the Texas Tech Raiders, he seemed to be very reliable. 

3.) Ty Fryfogle, WR, Indiana

Along with 3rd round draft selection of Jalen Tolbert, the Cowboys likely keep another receiver from this class of rookies. It’s always tough to tell how these players will fare as they make the transition to the NFL but Fryfogle seems to have the best shot at sliding into the bottom of the roster. 

One of the main things that get you excited about Fryfogle as a player is the three-game stretch he had against Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State in 2020. During that span of games, Fryfogle caught 25 passes for 560 yards and 6 touchdowns. An impressive run against 3 defenses that carried NFL talent.

It will be an uphill battle for Fryfogle to make the roster in 2022 but if he shows his value in training camp and the preseason, we could see him sneak onto the 53-man roster.