The Dallas Cowboys are set to evaluate a promising quarterback prospect this weekend, as former Houston and Texas Tech signal-caller Donovan Smith will participate in the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer on April 30, 2025. The NFC East franchise, coming off a productive 2025 NFL Draft, continues to explore options to bolster their roster, even after addressing key needs and securing the return of Dak Prescott for the upcoming season following his quad injury in 2024.
Archer reported via X, “The Cowboys will have former Houston and Texas Tech quarterback Donovan Smith work their rookie minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis.” The minicamp, scheduled for May 2-3, 2025, at The Star in Frisco, will feature open practices on Friday and Saturday, each lasting an hour, providing an initial glimpse of the Cowboys’ rookie class, per The Dallas Morning News. Smith’s tryout comes as the Cowboys look to add depth behind Prescott, who is set to return after missing the final six games of the 2024 season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team also recently traded for quarterback Joe Milton from the Patriots in March 2025, sending a 2026 sixth-round pick, while moving on from Trey Lance, who was traded to the 49ers for a 2026 fourth-rounder, per NFL.com’s transaction log.
The Cowboys, led by owner Jerry Jones and GM Stephen Jones, made the most of their opportunities in the 2025 NFL Draft, held April 24-26 in Green Bay. They selected eight players, focusing on areas of need like the offensive line, secondary, and pass rush. Their first-round pick, Notre Dame tackle Walter Montgomery (No. 24 overall), drew praise from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter as a “plug-and-play starter” to replace the departed Tyron Smith, who signed with the Jets in 2024, per Spotrac. Other notable selections included Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey Jr. (No. 56) and Iowa edge rusher Ethan Downs (No. 89), addressing a defense that ranked 19th in the NFL in 2024, allowing 336.1 yards per game, per Pro Football Reference. The draft war room was reportedly electric, with Jones and Stephen Jones “busting a move” after landing Montgomery, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
Despite the focus on other positions, the Cowboys did not draft a quarterback, a non-surprising move given their recent acquisition of Milton and Prescott’s expected return. Prescott, who threw for 2,456 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 11 games before his injury in 2024, signed a four-year, $240 million extension in September 2024, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Milton, a 2024 sixth-round pick by the Patriots, offers developmental potential with his 6-foot-5 frame and 4.67-second 40-yard dash, per NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, but has yet to play in an NFL regular-season game.
Smith, who spent his first three college seasons at Texas Tech before transferring to Houston in 2023, brings a skill set that aligns with the Cowboys’ quarterback model. In 2024, he appeared in nine games for the Cougars, throwing for 867 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions on a 65% completion rate, per ESPN. While his passing stats were modest, Smith’s mobility stands out—he rushed for 312 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2024, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, per Houston Chronicle’s Joseph Duarte. This dual-threat ability mirrors Prescott’s style, who has 30 rushing touchdowns since entering the league in 2016, the sixth-most among quarterbacks, trailing only Josh Allen (53), Cam Newton (75), Jalen Hurts (38), Lamar Jackson (32), and Kyler Murray (31), per Pro Football Reference.
Smith’s college career also includes highlights like a 2023 game against Baylor, where he threw for 238 yards and a touchdown while adding a two-point conversion, per ESPN’s game logs. His experience in the Big 12’s high-octane offenses could translate to the NFL, though his interception rate and limited starting experience—he was a backup at Houston behind Clayton Tune in 2023—raise questions about his readiness, per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
The Cowboys have a history of finding gems outside the draft, most notably with return specialist KaVontae Turpin, a former USFL MVP with the New Jersey Generals in 2022. Turpin, signed by Dallas in July 2022, has since become a two-time Pro Bowler (2023, 2024) and First-Team All-Pro (2023), with 1,987 return yards and 3 punt-return touchdowns through 2024, per Pro Football Reference. His success, including a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Chargers in the 2022 preseason, per NFL.com, offers hope that Smith could follow a similar path if he impresses at minicamp.
Smith’s tryout is a low-risk opportunity for the Cowboys to evaluate a potential developmental quarterback behind Prescott and Milton. The team’s 2024 season ended with a 9-8 record, missing the playoffs after Prescott’s injury, per NFL.com, and the focus for 2025 is on returning to contention in the NFC East, where they’ll face a strengthened Eagles team fresh off a Super Bowl LIX win, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Smith, if signed, could provide depth and a running dimension to the quarterback room, complementing Prescott’s style while Milton develops.
As the Cowboys kick off their rookie minicamp, all eyes will be on Smith and the new draft class, with Jones and Co. hoping their offseason moves—both in the draft and through tryouts—propel them back to playoff contention. Whether Smith becomes the next Turpin-like success story remains to be seen, but his dual-threat potential makes him an intriguing fit for Dallas’ long-term vision
