Role Call | 2026
(Editor’s Note: As part of the preparation for training camp, this series will introduce 25 players who are new to the Cowboys’ roster, rookies and veterans alike. We’ll continue with cornerback Derion Kendrick.)
The Cowboys signed Derion Kendrick on March 25, adding some depth to a secondary that has continued to be in the retooling process. Kendrick immediately becomes one of the more experienced players on the team, even being 25 years of age. But before coming to the Cowboys, Kendrick has 47 games played under his belt.
A sixth-round pick of the Rams in 2022, Kendrick instantly become a key player on that defense, starting six of 15 games played as a rookie. Kendrick played two years in Los Angeles before being out of football in 2024. He returned to play 10 games in Seattle last year, recording two picks for the eventual Super Bowl champions. However, he finished the year back with the Rams and then became a free agent at the end of the season.
If Kendrick can stick around on this roster, he’ll have quite a few chances to face his former teammates. Not only do the Cowboys play the Rams and Seahawks on the road in the regular season, but the Cowboys also travel to Seattle for the preseason opener on Aug. 15 and also have a scheduled scrimmage practice against the Rams earlier that week in LA. While that will be fun for Kendrick on a personal level, the real eyeballs he’ll try to impress will be of the Cowboys coaches and scouts.
It should be a heated competition at the cornerback position – a spot that has plenty of question marks heading into training camp. Yes, DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel and possibly Cobie Durant will get the initial starting reps in the standard defense and subpackages but after that is anyone’s game. Kendrick has been a sixth-round pick that ended up starting as a rookie, so it’s not like he’s afraid to compete.
Source: www.dallascowboys.com
