We finally got to see the Dallas Cowboys in game action this past Saturday after a long offseason of walk-throughs and battling amongst each other.
As eager as fans were to see Dallas bang heads with members of a different team, the players were even more anxious to do so.
The Cowboys are a very competitive team, the main reason Head Coach Mike McCarthy refuses to have joint practice with other NFL squads.
At several positions, there are bubble players who could likely start for other teams.
After a narrow loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars to kick off the preseason, many players stood out above the rest.
Let’s take a look at some of these players, and how their performances (good or bad) have cleared up the position battles for the final 53-man roster.
Backup Running Back
Tony Pollard is cemented as the Cowboys number one running back headed into the 2023 season after a career year.
Pollard, a complementary back since being drafted out of the University of Memphis, finally had his reins loosened last season.
An injury to long time starting RB Ezekiel Elliott forced Kellen Moore to feature Pollard as the lead back.
The injury was a blessing in disguise, as Pollard was finally let loose to show his playmaking ability in a featured role.
Elliott is long gone, signing a one year deal with the New England Patriots.
Behind him is one suspended veteran followed by a group of unproven young players.
Deuce Vaughn
The rookie running back from Kansas State University wowed the crowd in Arlington on several plays Saturday afternoon.
Deuce Vaughn’s highlight of the day was a 26 yard scamper where he collected a pair of ankles and forced two opposing players to tackle each other in the back end of the defense.
Vaughn finished the day with eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown.
Several juke moves don’t show up in the stat sheet, but certainly left an impression on fans, and most importantly, coaches.
He might have cemented a spot on the roster already.
Rico Dowdle
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Rico Dowdle didn’t make the best of his opportunity to start the game.
Dowdle finished with 56 yards on nine touches, but the Jaguars stripped the football from his grasp after a long gain near the endzone.
For Dallas to be a true Super Bowl contender, the focus needs to be there in regards to taking care of the football.
Tight End
Dallas sports four tight ends that appear to be made from the exact same mold.
These four have been the only men at the position who appear to be locks for the final roster.
A newcomer may have muddied those waters, and given us more to think about.
John Stephens Jr.
John Stephens is an undrafted rookie free agent who has been turning heads at training camp with solid play.
Stephens translated that play into the game against the Jaguars, finishing with five receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown from QB Will Grier.
At Louisiana-Lafayette, Stephens played wide receiver.
With a 6’6″ 245 pound frame, Dallas converted him to tight end, and the results look good so far.
For so long the Cowboys have been trying to find a tight end in the mold of Antonio Gates, and have had many failures along the way.
Stephens has thrust himself into the conversation to make the roster, and as of right now looks more appealing than Sean McKeon, and could be pushing Peyton Hendershot for playing time as well.
Jake Ferguson
Jake Ferguson most likely secured the number one tight end spot on the depth chart after three catches for 38 yards.
Ferguson looked fluid in his routes, and dynamic after the catch.
It’s obvious he is playing with confidence, and it will keep rookie TE Luke Schoonmaker at bay for now.
Linebacker
The linebacker position for the Cowboys has arguably the least experience of any other position on the entire roster.
Six year pro Leighton Vander Esch is inarguably the leader of the entire group, and the only player whose job isn’t in question.
Behind him is a group of players who total less than 20 games of NFL experience among them.
Somebody has to rise to the occasion, and a couple of guys did just that on Saturday.
Damone Clark
Lining up against the Jaguars’ first team offense, Damone Clark looked every bit of the player who was projected in the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Alas, a medical diagnosis at the NFL Combine caused teams to take him off of their draft boards.
Dallas, however, loves to draft injured players and let their world renowned medical staff work their magic.
Clark was flying sideline to sideline, and not giving backs any second chance yards while collecting five tackles in limited work.
The young bull looked fast, and mentally much faster than his read and diagnose time of his rookie year.
Alongside Vander Esch, Dallas will field two thumpers in the middle of their defense.
DeMarvion Overshown
The rookie linebacker from the University of Texas looked sharp in his first NFL action.
Much like Clark, DeMarvion Overshown was a madman in the middle of the defense.
His biggest highlight was a complete stuff of Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby right in the hole on a short 3rd & 1 attempt to force a 4th down play.
Overshown finished tied for second on the day with six total tackles, and appeared to have separated himself from fellow linebackers Jabril Cox and Malik Jefferson.
Wide Receiver After the Big Three
The Cowboys have a three headed monster at wide receiver after trading for Brandin Cooks.
A welcome sight after a season where the offense struggled to find someone to step up behind CeeDee Lamb.
Michael Gallup says so himself that he lacked confidence in his knee after recovering from ACL surgery after the 2021 season.
Now his mentals are back up to par, and he has already shown glimpses of his old self in training camp practices.
After the big three, there is a slew of players battling for the last three or four spots on the depth chart.
Jalen Tolbert
Jalen Tolbert may have had only two catches for 29 yards, but his second catch was a touchdown after putting a defender in a blender.
Tolbert faked a stop route, and once the defender was caught flat footed, sprinted into the open zone of the defense.
QB Will Grier hit him with an easy pass for the touchdown.
It might seem like something simple, but it’s the next step in Tolbert’s development.
Confidence is key at a position like wide receiver, and the second year player should receive a personal boost in that area after the first preseason game.
If Tolbert can build on this small morsel of success, other wide receivers will find it difficult to get ahead of him as the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart.
Let’s not get overzealous, and remember that this was just the first preseason game.
However, it’s okay to get excited about the play of some of these players, and look for them to build on the foundation they are laying.
They will get their chance to show more next week in a matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks.
That game will tell us if any other players can make their mark to stick out from the rest of the pack.