4 players on the Cowboys roster who won't make it to the end of the 2024 NFL season

Cowboys fans are understandably excited about the team's 3-1 start to the 2023 season. Dallas has a legitimate chance of making a deep postseason run. The team's front office already has their eyes on building a roster worthy of Super Bowl contention in 2024.

That's why several big names on the team's current roster need to be concerned about their future with the franchise. Improving around the margins could mean the difference between a title and a nice postseason run for Dallas. No stone should be left unturned when it comes to upgrading the roster over the next 12-18 months.

Most of the big names in Dallas are safe, but some high-priced veterans should not be making long-term plans to stay with America's team. The list of players at risk starts with one defensive tackle who might not survive the rest of this season.

4. Johnathan Hankins

Hankins is theoretically supposed to be serving as a mentor for first-round pick Mazi Smith at the team's starting nose tackle spot. The struggles Hankins has endured through four games might hasten a changing of the guard there sooner than the front office hoped.

Hankins' PFF average of just 43.6 season shows that he's been one of the least productive defensive lineman in the NFL through four games. It's only a matter of time before Smith unseats the 31-year-old veteran as the team's starter.

This won't represent a major sea change for Dallas' defense or their philosophy. Smith was drafted to be the team's run-stuffer of the future and the sooner he gets into the starting lineup the better for head coach Mike McCarthy and his defensive staff.