GLENDALE, Ariz. — Joe Milton III will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.
Malik Davis starts at running back. Anthony Smith, Camden Brown, and Jonathan Mingo make up the receiver group.
The line goes Drew Shelton at left tackle, Trevor Keegan at left guard, Nick Leverett at center, Ajani Cornelius at right guard, and Nate Thomas at right tackle.
Joe Milton Gets the Start Over Sam Howell
Sam Howell started the preseason opener at Seattle and Milton took the second half. Dallas had not named a starter for Arizona as of Thursday.
Milton took more second-team work than Howell in Tuesday’s joint practice against the New Orleans Saints. He backed up Dak Prescott last season.
Prescott has not played this preseason. Whoever wins the competition backs him up in September.
“We’ve had discussions about it, we haven’t made any definite decision about this weekend,” offensive coordinator Klayton Adams said.
Drew Shelton and Nate Thomas Swap Tackle Spots
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said before camp that the young players would get their work in the first two preseason games and rarely in the third.
“We’re not going to play a lot of our starters during the preseason,” Schottenheimer said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Dallas has held its regulars out of both preseason games so far. Shelton, the fourth-round rookie taken No. 112 out of Penn State, worked at second-team left tackle this week. Thomas had held that spot and moved to right tackle.
Thomas opened camp in a left tackle competition with Tyler Guyton, a former first-round pick. Dallas shelved that competition rather than run it, and it has not resumed. Guyton and Terence Steele are both out Saturday.
Cornelius is a second-year lineman out of Oregon with one NFL game on his record. He has taken reps at guard and at tackle. Leverett has worked as the backup center and, on the first unofficial depth chart, as the backup left guard.
Camden Brown, Jonathan Mingo, and the Receiver Group
Brown caught 3 passes for 62 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks. He signed with Dallas undrafted.
Mingo played in the opener as well. Schottenheimer named Brown and Mingo both as camp risers earlier in the week.
Smith was the last of the Cowboys’ seven draft picks in April, taken in the seventh round. He wears No. 83.
Davis is competing for the backup job behind Javonte Williams. Phil Mafah, Israel Abanikanda, and Jaydon Blue all came out of the Seattle game with injuries.
Kickoff and the 53-Man Deadline
Arizona lost to Carolina in the Hall of Fame Game and beat the Las Vegas Raiders in its second exhibition. Saturday is the Cardinals’ third and the Cowboys’ second. Arizona beat Dallas 27-17 in Arlington last season.
The Cowboys and Cardinals kick off at 9 p.m. CT at State Farm Stadium on NFL Network, with KTVT CBS 11 carrying it in Dallas-Fort Worth. Dallas won the opener 17-7 on Aug. 15.
Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 30. Waiver claims are due at noon CT the next day.
