(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 continue with Gareon Conley.)
How He Got Here: The Cowboys have added a few players from other professional leagues in the last two years, but Conley is the only former first-round pick of the bunch. After three stellar seasons at Ohio State, which included a second-team All-Big 10 selection in 2016, Conley was a first-round choice of the Raiders in 2017. Conley has 26 career NFL starts with Oakland and then Houston before being out football for three years from 2020-22. He came back and played for the DC Defenders of the UFL this past year, doing enough on the field to get a tryout with the Cowboys, who signed him a few days later.
What’s Next: The Cowboys are in a good spot at cornerback overall, especially with the return of Trevon Diggs (ACL injury) to pair up with DaRon Bland and veteran Jourdan Lewis. But Conley has plenty of experience to add to the table and he could compete for one of the backup spots with the likes of Nahshon Wright, Eric Scott Jr. and rookie Calen Carson.
Did You Know: In 2018, Conley started 14 games for the Raiders, finishing with a career-high three interceptions, including a 36-yard touchdown return in a game against Cleveland for his only professional touchdown.