10 Players Who Stood Out At Rookie Minicamp

Tyler Smith: Obviously, you're bound to keep an eye on the first-round pick. Smith might have position flex, but the coaching staff made sure he got most of his work at left guard. It wasn't always perfect, but I came away really impressed by his athleticism. I knew he was a big dude, but he moves really well for a guy his size – David Helman

Isaac Taylor-Stuart: Another guy that possesses the length and athleticism that Dan Quinn clearly covets. I was impressed by how well Taylor-Stuart was able to stay with many of these receivers. His long arms also helped him get close to several plays on the ball. – David Helman

Damone Clark: For a guy who didn't even take a snap – and won't take one for a while – Clark seems as locked in as you could possibly hope for from a rookie. I noticed Clark standing behind his fellow linebackers during drills, but still going through the motions and taking mental reps as he rehabs his neck injury. Sounds like Clark came here with a business-like approach and it should only help him when it's time to get the pads on. – Nick Eatman

Jonathan Garibay: We didn't see a lot of kicks on the field this weekend, but the rookie from Texas Tech was still rather impressive, especially with his interviews in the locker room. Not only did he conduct them both in English and Spanish, but Garibay has a good approach that should help him when it's time to make clutch kicks. Sure, he's made a 62-yard game winner in college, but it's the short kicks and extra points that are just as important. To paraphrase his quote, Garibay said something like "99 percent of kicking is mental and the other 1 percent is probably mental, too." It was a funny line but also goes to show that he understands how to keep a good mindset when it comes to every kick. Now, he's got to go out and prove it, but I got the vibes that this could be the Week 1 kicker this season. – Nick Eatman

Markquese Bell: After two rookie minicamp practices, I see why safety Markquese Bell caught the Cowboys eyes. The way he moves at 6-2, 212 pounds caught my eye, too. I think I understand why the Cowboys actually paid the undrafted rookie a $15,000 signing bonus to make sure they got their man, and basically guaranteed him at least the 18-week minimum of practice squad pay ($207,000). — Mickey Spagnola

Jake Ferguson: The Cowboys are searching for a second tight end to complement starter Dalton Schultz in two-tight end formations, one who at least can block. Well, the Wisconsin tight end seemed to have a knack for getting open in the passing game, caught the ball well and having played at run-oriented Wisconsin has a good understanding of how important blocking is. Now he needs to show that when the pads come on. — Mickey Spagnola

Ty Fryfogle:One of the early questions entering the weekend was what undrafted wide receiver would stand out among the rest, because a first impression could go a long way toward adding depth to a thin wide receiver room. Fryfogle turned in two solid practices with his athleticism on full display, making plays multiple times and against decent coverage, too. — Kyle Youmans

Storey Jackson: Jackson's early role on this roster would be centered around special teams, which the linebacker had some experience playing while at Liberty. That experience showed as he was quick in his recognition and didn't waste movements in his change of direction. One of the more impressive linebackers in a loaded group this week. — Kyle Youmans

Sam Williams: Not making a direct comparison here, but the first thing you notice about Sam Williams is sort of the same thing that stood out about Micah Parsons when he started rushing the passer last season: Williams is extremely quick off the snap. Looked like he was able to capture the edge multiple times during drill work Friday and Saturday. Obviously, we're not talking about hyper-competitive practices here, and the pads won't come on until Oxnard, but it's clear why the Cowboys are excited about his potential. — Rob Phillips

Jalen Tolbert: Evaluating wide receivers in rookie minicamps can be tough because there's absolutely no previous rapport with the quarterbacks. Didn't really see a contested-ball type of situation where Tolbert was so successful in college, but he looked smooth in his routes and got separation off the line on more than one snap. He might be in the punt return conversation this summer, too, even though he didn't get many chances at South Alabama. — Rob Phillips