The initial, but definitely not final, 53-man roster has been set for the Dallas Cowboys. There were several tough decisions to make as the front office trimmed down their roster.Easily the biggest shock was the fact that 2025 fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue was waived. The Texas product has game-changing speed, but was unable to win over the coaching staff. As for their current group of rookies, there weren't any surprises.The Cowboys kept the majority of their draft picks and decided not to expose their best undrafted free agent to waivers. Here's a quick rundown of those rookies as we look at every first-year player on the 53-man roster.Rookie draft picks who made the Cowboys' 53-man rosterDallas Cowboys linebacker Jaishawn Barham on defense during the first half against the New Orleans Saints. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectLet's get the easy ones out of the way. The Cowboys were always bringing in most of their draft picks since they had two first-round selections and three picks in Round 4. Safety Caleb Downs and EDGE Malachi Lawrence will both be key members of the defense. Third-round pick Jaishawn Barham is also in line for a key role and offensive tackle Drew Shelton will stick around as a developmental player, even with the addition of Broderick Jones.The only one of their picks in Rounds 1-4 to miss the initial roster is cornerback Devin Moore. He wasn't cut, but Moore will begin the season on the IR. As a recap, here are the draft picks who made the roster:Caleb Downs, SMalachi Lawrence, EDGEJaishawn Barham, LBDrew Shelton, OTLT Overton, EDGEThe one rookie to be cut was seventh-round pick Anthony Smith out of East Carolina.Undrafted rookies who made the Cowboys' 53-man rosterDallas Cowboys wide receiver Camden Brown catches a pass before the game against the New Orleans Saints. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectDallas is known for being able to find talent after the draft. They have hit some home runs with undrafted free agents, with players such as Tony Romo, Miles Austin, and Rico Dowdle as some of their more recent success stories. This year, they found another potential in Camden Brown, who made the team after a strong preseason.Camden Brown, WRRookies who should be brought back via the practice squadDallas Cowboys offensive tackle Shiyazh Pete blocks during the game between the Cowboys and the Saints. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectOne of the first cuts to make the news cycle for Dallas was offensive tackle Shiyazh Pete, who quickly became a fan favorite. Pete is the first NFL player of Navajo heritage, and went viral for an epic postgame speech following their Preseason Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Pete is surely a player who should be retained as a developmental player, especially since he embodies the culture and leadership Brian Schottenheimer is trying to build in Dallas.Here is a full list of every rookie who didn't make the team, but should be brought back via the practice squad:Jaydon Blue, RBPhil Mafah, RBIsrael Abanikanda, RBAnthony Smith, WRJordan Hudson, WRMichael Trigg, TEShiyazh Pete, OTMarcellus Johnson, OTNick Leverett, IOLTommy Dunn, DTJay Toia, NTCurtis Robinson, LBJustin Barron, LBReddy Steward, CBZion Childress, SJulius Wood, STeams have until 1:00 p.m. EST on Monday to claim players on waivers. Once that deadline passes, the Cowboys can begin filling out their practice squad.—Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI—Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow