There are a number of Dallas Cowboys players who could potentially break out in 2020. Blake Jarwin and Xavier Woods are popular candidates among Cowboys fans but there are a number of Dallas Cowboys players flying under the radar that could surprise a lot of people this season. Here are my selections for potential under the radar breakout candidates for 2020.
CONNOR MCGOVERN, OL
Connor McGovern has become somewhat of a forgotten man since he was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2019 NFL draft. A pectoral injury cost him his rookie season but he should be healthy and ready to compete for a job this season. There will be an open competition to fill the left guard and center positions and McGovern, Joe Looney, Connor Williams, and rookie Tyler Biadasz will battle it out for those two spots. If McGovern stays healthy and impresses during training camp, he has experience at both positions and could earn himself a starting gig. I predict that the Dallas Cowboys new look 2020 offense will be one of the better units in the league and the offensive line will once again be widely considered one of the leagues elite unit. If McGovern wins a starting job, he would benefit from the success of the entire offensive unit.
DONAVON WILSON, S
Donavon Wilson was the darling of Dallas Cowboys fans after he recorded 3 interceptions in the 2019 Pre-Season. Unfortunately, he did not earn many opportunities to play in the regular season because the previous staff was reluctant to start inexperienced rookies in the secondary. The new regime will not have any preconceived biases and open competition will occur at multiple positions so Wilson should get an opportunity to compete. The new coaching regime wants to emphasize creating turnovers and Wilson has a knack for that and to add more fuel to the fire, one of Wilson’s former coaches at Texas A&M Maurice Linguist has now joined the Dallas Cowboys staff. Xavier Woods and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix should be penciled in as starters for now but an injury to any one of those guys could elevate Wilson to being a full time starter.
DORANCE ARMSTRONG, DE
There is going to be a fierce competition for the Dallas Cowboys players at multiple positions but perhaps none more fierce than on the defensive line. Not only earn a starting job, but to even make the team. Dorance Armstrong is one of those guys on the bubble having to potentially compete with Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory, Tyrone Crawford, Bradlee Anae, Joe Jackson, and Jalen Jelks. Dorance Armstrong will face an uphill battle to simply make the team but if he can, the young defensive end could benefit from the change in coaching and philosophy. Armstrong still has great potential as a pass rusher and getting pressure on the quarterback is going to be an emphasis for the Dallas Cowboys 2020 defensive philosophy. Perhaps a change in coaching and philosophy will be the push that Dorance Armstrong needs to reach his full potential.
LUKE GIFFORD, LB
Another player who was impressive in the 2019 Pre-Season was undrafted free agent Luke Gifford but unfortunately for him he suffered an injury prior to the start of the season. Last year, Luke Gifford only made an impact on special teams after returning from injury but did not get much reps at linebacker due to the Dallas Cowboys depth at the position. This season, the new coaching staff promises to have different variations and multiple looks on defense which could translate to more opportunities for Gifford to see playing time. There is also widespread concerns regarding the durability of both Leighton Vander Esch and Sean Lee due to their injury history and if either one of those players gets hurt, Gifford would stand to benefit.
*Photo by Chris Hunkeler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode