DENVER – The Cowboys have practiced against each other for nearly two weeks, and even went against the Broncos in a practice on Thursday.
But now it's time to play a game, even if it's one of three preseason games.
Let the true evaluation process begin. Our staff writers each picked two guys to focus on for Saturday night's preseason opener in Denver.
While most of the big-name players won't be in action Saturday night, that still leaves us with plenty of guys to evaluate. Here are the 8 guys we'll be watching closely.
Tyler Smith: One thing we noticed about Smith during the joint practice with Denver is his heavy hands. He has the ability to stuff a defensive line with hand and upper-body strength. The coaching staff also has been impressed with his quickness and agility off the snap. Smith is still rotating with Connor McGovern at left guard, but he should get some reps against the Broncos on Saturday. The coaches have asked him to focus to one position for now, but ultimately he might be the best option at swing tackle, too.
-Rob Phillips
Noah Brown: It's been seen before, wide receivers will emerge and become either consistent or flashy during the training camp practices, before disappearing in the preseason. Brown has been a little of both in Oxnard with the highlight reel grabs and the constant trust of Dak Prescott. This just feels different for Brown though, who appears to be relishing the opportunity for more playing time.
-Kyle Youmans
Simi Fehoko: After having one of the most impressive camps of anyone in Oxnard, it's time to see if Fehoko can translate his big play ability to an actual NFL game. He has size and speed on his side, but if he truly wants to prove he's a viable option behind CeeDee Lamb, he has to make his preseason reps matter.
-Patrik Walker
Kavontae Turpin: I've watched this guy play many times in college and he's always been electric. And apparently, he was one of the best in the USFL this summer, winning the MVP award. So I'm very excited to see if he can translate his speed to the NFL game. Turpin is definitely one of the smallest players we've ever seen on the roster, but he'll have to make up for it with juice! He'll most likely get to showcase these skills as a return specialist and I would imagine he gets in on offense, too.
-Nick Eatman
DaRon Bland: After a strong start to training camp where Bland was constantly around the football and making plays, he's seemingly faded a bit. His combination of speed and awareness were what drew Dallas to him in the fifth round. Expect him to put that on display during ample opportunity in the preseason. He may be the first to tally a big-time defensive play.
-Kyle Youmans
Sam Williams: He wants to continue adding tools to his toolbox, but DeMarcus Lawrence says the rookie second-round pick already has more than he realizes. The first real test of if that's true or not will be against the Broncos. and Williams will see a ton of work that will give us a first real look at what his ceiling might be.
-Patrik Walker
Markquese Bell: Bell has carried an impressive offseason into training camp and this week has practiced well with the starters in place of Jayron Kearse (back tightness). I'm trying to think of the last time we entered a preseason opener talking about an undrafted rookie who already seems to have a role. (La'el Collins in 2015, but he should've been a first-round pick to begin with.) Bell isn't expected to be a starter, but he should make the team because he has the same type of skill set as Kearse: physical, versatile, rangy.
-Rob Phillips
Nahshon Wright: There has been so much talk about Kelvin Joseph this offseason and camp, but Wright has actually looked better in practices to me. He'll get plenty of looks on defense and special teams. I'm predicting an interception by Wright Saturday against the Broncos.
-Nick Eatman
