FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys wrapped up another week of practice inside Ford Center on Friday as they get closer to Sunday night's practice at AT&T Stadium.
With all the distractions surrounding the entire sports world and so much uncertainty around the team, the Cowboys were able to have a somewhat crisp practice with a few players standing out on both sides of the ball.
Here are today's camp stars:
Check out the top performers on both sides of the ball from Friday's practice. Dak Prescott had a bounce-back day while another young cornerback emerges.
Sean McKeon
Rob Phillips: A couple impressive catches from undrafted rookie tight end Sean McKeon, including a sliding reception for about 40 yards after quarterback Clayton Thorson got flushed from the pocket and took a shot downfield.
Chris Westry
Rob Phillips: Nice play on the ball by the first-year cornerback in team drills, using his 6-foot-4 frame to bat down Dak Prescott's pass intended for Michael Gallup. Westry has gotten a few more reps with Chidobe Awuzie having limited work right now due to a leg injury.
Dak Prescott
Nick Eatman: I thought it was a good bounce-back day for the quarterback, who had thrown a couple of ill-advised interceptions the day before. Dak was pretty accurate on Friday, zipping the ball into the coverage a couple of times and connected on a deep throw to Cedrick Wilson down the seam that was a perfectly-thrown ball.
Daryl Worley
Nick Eatman: While it appears as if rookie Trevon Diggs has taken the biggest leap with Jourdan Lewis being sidelined, Worley also had a nice practice on Friday. He had two good pass breakups and his versatility to play safety and corner was evident as the Cowboys were able to move him around a bit.
Sewo Olonilua
Mickey Spagnola: The Cowboys don't use the fullback much, but today in short yardage and goal line, rookie free agent Sewo Ololinula got some snaps and made the most of them. One time on a fourth-and-1, it was Olonilua's block opening the hole for a first down. And again on a fourth-and-goal at the one, his lead block allowed fellow rookie free agent and former TCU teammate Darius Anderson to score. Got to make impressions like this whenever you get an opportunity.
Leighton Vander Esch
Mickey Spagnola: This designation doesn't have as much to do with performance as much as it is for Vander Esch taking charge of the defense. With his move to middle linebacker, not only does he relay the defensive call in the huddle, but it's also his responsibility to get everyone lined up properly. Several times once at the line of scrimmage, LVE could be heard barking and seen waving getting guys realigned properly, exactly what you want to see out of your middle linebacker.
Cedrick Wilson
Ambar Garcia: Wilson has unofficially earned the fourth wide receiver spot on this roster. He continues to make plays on the field and the great thing is that the connection between him and Dak is really good. He has quick feet, he can separate and get to the ball. I've really enjoyed watching him at camp.
Xavier Woods
Ambar Garcia: I've had my doubts, but to be fair, I think he's had a very solid camp. He seems to be doing everything that he's been asked to do. He's shown good coverage and great reaction time. It's difficult to really evaluate players in these type of practices because there's no tackling allowed, but at least it looks like he is getting to the right spot, at the right time.
Dak Prescott
David Helman: You could pick QB1 most days, but Dak was especially sharp on Friday. With his starting tackles protecting him, it seemed like the ball hardly ever touched the turf. The highlight of the day came in two-minute drill, when he looked to the slot and hit Cedrick Wilson on a 25-yard go route for a "game-tying" touchdown.
Chris Westry
David Helman: This was the second-straight day where the 6'3 cornerback seemed to stand out. With Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis sidelined by injury, Westry is getting a lot of opportunities and making the most of them. One of Dak Prescott's few incompletions came on a long attempt to Michael Gallup, but Westry was in great position and swatted the ball out of Gallup's grasp.
Andy Dalton
Kyle Youmans: Friday was another clean day from Dalton, something we've become accustomed to seeing. Today he was polished during the team passing periods, especially in the 2-minute drill where he was 4-5 passing and led a pair of scoring drives. Every practice, it's hard to argue that anyone else is having more fun than Dalton. With no pressure on the former starter to perform, he continues to focus on getting better everyday and supporting the quarterback room as a whole.
Joe Thomas
Kyle Youmans: With the absence of Luke Gifford at practice Friday, it really opened an opportunity for Thomas to shine. Most of the practice was focused on the run-game offensively and Thomas took full advantage by being effective in the run fit and making the right reads out of the backfield. When he wasn't impressive in the run-defense, he was dropping back in coverage and did a nice job covering TE on the vertical route over the middle.
