(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.)
How He Got Here:
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.
What's Next:
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.
Did You Know:
- He's been in the NFL for just four years, but Kendrick's experience is more than most of his teammates he'll be competing against. Kendrick has 18 starts already in the NFL, more than six of the other eight cornerbacks listed on the roster.
- With a preseason and regular season trip scheduled in Seattle, Kendrick will be eyeing those games for multiple reasons. Not only did he play 10 games for the Seahawks last year, but all three of Kendrick's career interceptions have been either against Seattle – one in 2023 as a member of the Rams – or with the Seahawks last season. He also had a career-high 10 tackles in a game vs. Seattle as a rookie in 2022.
- There are many players in the NFL these days that played for multiple college teams because of the transfer portal. But Kendrick has to be on a very short list of players with national championship rings with two teams, as he won a title in 2018 with Clemson and 2021 with Georgia. In fact, Kendrick should also get a Super Bowl ring for his 10 games played with Seattle last year.
