Don’t forget about TE John Stephens Jr. for Cowboys 2024 roster

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We didn’t get to see much of TE John Stephens Jr. last year, but the Cowboys may have seen enough to plan on him for this season’s roster.

John Stephens Jr. was one of the undrafted rookie darlings of the Cowboys’ 2023 training camp and preseason. But an ACL injury in the second preseason game ended the tight end’s NFL debut before it really began. If Stephens fully recovers, should we pencil him in for Dallas’ roster this season?

Stephens played wide receiver in college, starting at TCU from 2018-2020 before transferring to Louisiana-Lafayette for his last two years. Standing at 6’5”, he was a natural redzone target and had seven touchdowns on just 27 catches for the Ragin’ Cajuns during his time there. When he entered the 2023 NFL Draft process, Stephens was already working towards a conversion from receiver to tight end.

While he didn’t get selected in the draft, Stephens did get signed by the Cowboys as a free agent. We heard his name consistently from training camp reports, and Stephens showed his ability with six catches for 62 yards and a touchdown during the first two preseason games. Unfortunately, the knee injury cut his rookie season and a strong run for a roster spot short.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike McCarthy confirmed that Stephens was doing well in his rehab and expected to be back for this year’s camp. The fact this UDFA was even on his head coach’s radar, being mentioned alongside third-round pick DeMarvion Overshown, says something about the impression he made in 2023. So what should we make of Stephens as a factor for this year’s roster?

The Cowboys have a clear top three at tight end coming back from last season: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and Peyton Hendershot. They also have Princeton Fant, another UDFA from last year, returning after a season on the practice squad. And if fullback Hunter Luepke makes the team again, his projected playing time impacts the snap counts for the TE position.

Because of Stephens’ preseason injury, we don’t know how his presence might have reshaped last year’s roster. Sure, Ferguson and Schoonmaker weren’t going anywhere. But would Stephens have taken Hendershot’s spot, or maybe Luepke’s? Or given his WR background, might Dallas have risked putting seventh-round pick Jalen Brooks on the practice squad to keep Stephens in a hybrid role?

While they may not seem related on the surface, a roster spot for Stephens this year may have opened up by the release of Michael Gallup. If we see guys like Jalen Tolbert and Brooks move up the WR depth chart, the opening trickles down toward the bottom of the roster. That could easily be where a guy like Stephens catches on, especially if Dallas thinks he could be a useful redzone target with his size and skills.

Even if the Cowboys do add another receiver in the upcoming draft or through free agency, it doesn’t necessarily spell doom for Stephens. He could still challenge Brooks, Hendershot, or Luepke for their roster spots. It will all come down to who can provide the most value on the game-day roster, and a guy who can help Dallas score more redzone touchdowns is going to get heavy consideration.

We’ll have to wait a few months to see if John Stephens Jr. can regain his momentum from last year. But if he does, don’t sleep on him as a factor for the Cowboys’ 2024 roster. He was on his way before the knee injury and still could offer a unique element in Dallas’ pass-catching mix.