For the 2020 Dallas Cowboys, a new coaching staff will translate into new opportunities for some players and a chance to rejuvenate struggling careers for others. This list of 2020 Dallas Cowboys breakout candidates includes players on offense, defense, and special teams.
BLAKE JARWIN, TE
The impromptu return of Jason Witten last season hampered the development of the Dallas Cowboys two young tight ends Blake Jarwin and Dalton Shultz. Of those two players, Blake Jarwin had showed more flash and potential and has the biggest opportunity to break out this season. Jason Witten was the primary tight end last year thanks to his blocking ability and Jason Garrett‘s favoritism but Witten is now gone for good. The Dallas Cowboys also signed Jarwin to a lucrative four year deal and so he is poised to take over as the starter. Jarwin has proven to be a legitimate weapon in the passing game and he has excellent after the catch ability which Witten lacked, especially in his later years. There are plenty of mouths to feed in the Dallas Cowboys offense but considering Jason Witten had 83 targets last season compared to 41 for Blake Jarwin, it would not be out of the question to assume Jarwin could double his receiving production from 2019. I anticipate that he will record 60+ receptions, for 700+ yards, and 6 or more TD’s.
CONNOR WILLIAMS, LG
Connor Williams has battled injuries his first two seasons in the league and will have to battle it out in training camp in order to win a starting job this season. The center and left guard positions are up for grabs and Williams along with Connor McGovern, Joe Looney, and rookie Tyler Biadasz all in contention for spots. Connor Williams is my favorite to win the job at guard. I expect the Dallas Cowboys offense to flourish under Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore and the entire offensive line to return to elite status. If Connor Williams can stay healthy this season he has a great opportunity to become a key Dallas Cowboys breakout candidate for 2020.
JOURDAN LEWIS, CB
Many people view Jourdan Lewis as the odd man out at cornerback in Dallas. There does seem to be a preference for bigger and longer cornerbacks under the new regime which is exactly why Lewis was held back under the previous coaching staff. I am not convinced that his size will be as big a factor in holding him back as it was the past two seasons though. Under the new regime there will be an open competition for playing time and they have added a lot of competition at that position in free agency and the draft after letting Byron Jones walk. I still believe that Jourdan Lewis is one of, if not the best cornerback on the current roster. The man referred to as “Ball Gawd” has proven ball skills and that is a valuable trait for the new coaching staff. Jourdan Lewis has an opportunity to finally break out this season and I predict that he will lead the team in INT’s.
CHRIS JONES, P
It is difficult to imagine a nine year veteran having a breakout season, let alone a punter, but that is exactly what I believe can happen in 2020 for Chris Jones. Chris Jones has declined the last two seasons and last year was the worst season of his career by far. That is no coincidence, he did play injured all of last year and that impacted his play. In addition to that, he has not been the same guy since the Dallas Cowboys lost special teams coach Rich Bisaccia in 2018 as well as some other key personnel in that department. Enter new special teams coach John “Bones” Fassel and I believe the entire unit will improve dramatically to the benefit of Jones. I attribute some of Chris Jones poor numbers last season to poor coverage and lack of personnel. That should improve with better coaching and a focus by the current staff to focus on adding players with special teams capabilities. In addition to those improvements, Fassel is known for being very creative with trick plays on special teams and he is not afraid to take risks. Chris Jones happens to be a very good athlete and would be a valuable asset for a coach like Fassel. Perhaps the addition of Fassel, the injection of talented special teams personnel, and a return to full health will elevate Chris Jones from having the worst season of his career in 2019 to making the Pro-Bowl in 2020.
These are some of the 2020 Dallas Cowboys breakout candidates. Next time, I will highlight my selections for the biggest under the radar breakout candidates for the upcoming season.
*Photo by Chris Hunkeler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
All statistics and data obtained and verified from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/