Blue-chip series: The players who need to have standout seasons in 2025

There are certain players who really need to step up for the Cowboys this season.

If you missed parts one and two, here is a reminder on what constitutes a “blue-chip talent.” The bare minimum should be an All-Pro level talent. Pro Bowls have become more subjective to the point where the bar to get in has been lowered.

All-Pro nominations are harder to come by, considering there is usually one player picked for each position outside of wide receiver, the defensive line, and the secondary. Outside of being considered a first or second team All-Pro, a blue-chip player needs to be someone a team builds around and is a cornerstone player for the franchise. They should also be in the conversation to be the best at their position. Those attributes must be a package deal; you should not have one without the other.

For the final part of this series, we will look at which players the Cowboys could really use an out-of-nowhere season in which they throw their name into Pro Bowl or All-Pro consideration. These names are for players with low expectations, but an elevation in play could make the difference in Dallas winning nine games or making a deep run in the playoffs.

Players who NEED to, at minimum, be close to blue-chip players in 2025:

Mazi Smith: Now would be as good a time as any for things to click for the former first-round pick. It feels like Mazi Smith is entering what could be a make-or-break season with Dallas. Touted as one of college football’s freakiest athletes, Smith has only occasionally flashed the talent he showed with the Michigan Wolverines.

Conversely, when things look bad, they look really bad. At one point last season (Oct 23, 2024), Smith did not record a single pressure on any of his 80 pass rushes to that point last season, per NFL Pro. He was the only defensive tackle with zero pressures on at least 50 pass rushes.

Those are the numbers that you do not want to see on a stat sheet for a first-round talent. Maybe the Cowboys missed their evaluation of the player, and he won’t live up to expectations. However, Smith has one of the best defensive line coaches in the NFL, Aaron Whitecotten, who found ways to get the best out of his defensive tackles with the New York Jets. His situation is the best it has been since coming to Dallas, and with the team needing more from their interior, the Cowboys could use a big season from Smith.

Kenneth Murray & Kaiir Elam: Dallas’ theme of free agency this offseason: if a player with a first-round pick next to their name on Pro Football Reference was on the open market, they were going to go after them.

Kenneth Murray and Kaiir Elam came to Dallas from trades, so they will be given every opportunity to play meaningful snaps from day one. The Cowboys do not usually let players they gave...