Rank’Em: Best 15 Players of Training Camp

15. Joe Thomas: One of the players who gets forgotten the most. But even when Sean Lee went down with a knee injury earlier in camp, Thomas steps right in at SAM linebacker and the Cowboys don't miss a beat. Thomas is an enforcer, even at practice. He doesn't always knock players to the ground, but he likes to give a "love tap" here and there to show his presence. Lee will likely get back by the start of the season but there is definitely a role for Thomas.

14. Joe Looney: He was supposed to take a backseat when Travis Frederick returned. And in some practices, he did. But Looney is not only a versatile lineman who plays all over the place, but he's very sound in his technique and doesn't lose much. There were a few times when Looney was the one tossing linemen around. He played guard and center, and even a little at tackle in short-yardage situations. The Cowboys want Frederick to return to the All-Pro player he has been, but Looney showed there won't be a huge drop-off if he has to play at center or guard.

13. Connor Williams: He's obviously put in the work this offseason to get bigger and stronger. It showed on the field as he rarely lost many battles in 1-on-1. In fact, Williams had more than a few "Zack Martin moments" when he just locked up his defender, putting the clamps down until the whistle was blown. Williams will only get better this year if the guys around him – Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick stay healthy and both play at a Pro Bowl level.

12. Jourdan Lewis: Last year, DB coach Kris Richard called Lewis the "exception to the rule," referring to his ability to play as a smaller corner despite Richard's preference for longer, taller corners with size. This year, Lewis had some "exceptional" moments, to say the least. His diving interception in the end zone to end a practice earlier this week might've been the best overall play of camp. Lewis was always getting around the ball and will certainly make a push for playing time, even when Byron Jones returns.

11. Tony Pollard: Some might argue he should be higher on this list. He probably would be if we could fully evaluate running backs, but they don't get hit much and it's hard to predict what kind of impact they have on each play. However, Pollard had more than a handful of plays where it was obvious that his speed was unmatched and the defense couldn't have tackled him if they wanted to. Despite the team bringing in Alfred Morris, Pollard stayed atop the depth chart – at least for now.

10. Jason Witten: As his first coach used to say, "veterans don't have to prove it every single day, but need to show they still have it once in a while." Well, Witten pretty much showed it every day that he is back and seemingly at the same level he was before, if not even fresher. He made a few eye-opening plays in the red zone, an area the Cowboys struggled in last year.

9. Dak Prescott: He's not perfect every day, which is why he's a little lower on the list. But as it was pointed out by several coaches this offseason, the Cowboys are installing a new offense and with that, comes some trial and error. There have been a few interceptions here and there – one reason why so many DBs are up high on this list – but Dak had his great moments as well. He is finding open receivers better and don't forget, practice isn't the time where he usually takes off and runs, which is something that elevates his game even more.

8. Jaylon Smith: Every day, Smith makes a couple of plays in practice that lets you know he could be ready for a breakout season. Last year was a good start, but it could be even better in 2019. His pass coverage skills look batter and he's flying around from sideline to sideline. There's not supposed to be any hitting, but when Smith gets his chances, you can see a difference with the other defenders. Opposing players can definitely feel it as well.

7. Leighton Vander Esch: Not an easy positon to evaluate in camp, but Vander Esch is always around the ball. What we saw in the game last year is that he's a very good tackler. So there was nothing here in camp to suggest a "sophomore slump" or any setback. He looks bigger and stronger and eager to get to the real contact when the regular season begins.

6. Dorance Armstrong: Head coach Jason Garrett loves to say "injuries provide opportunity" and it seemed like Armstrong benefitted the most from his opportunities in camp with D-Law and Quinn being out. Someone has to face Tyron Smith every day and Armstrong not only battled, but won a few times. He's showing a burst off the edge that he didn't have a year ago and appears to be ready for an expanded role in the rotation.

5. Chidobe Awuzie: With Byron Jones missing the entire camp with a hip injury, Chido was left to cover the top receiver every day. It wasn't always Amari Cooper, but no matter who lined up across him, Chido was always battling. He not only batted down several passes, but had more interceptions during this camp. Judging from camp, it's hard to think that other teams have a better No. 2 corner on the roster.

4. Xavier Woods – While the fans and media have been seemingly seeking the Cowboys to upgrade at safety, the team has stood behind Woods for the last two years. You could see exactly why during this camp.

Almost every other day, Woods has either come up with an interception or fumble recovery and he's always knocking down passes.

More than that, Woods has showed off his lateral range, proving that he can be a sideline to sideline player.

3. Michael Gallup: As good as the Cowboys' defensive backs were this camp, they still had problems with Gallup, who looks completely different than a year ago when he was a rookie trying to learn his way around. Now, he looks even better with his route-running, he didn't drop many passes at all and better yet, he looks to have a better rapport with Dak Prescott on these deep throws. With Cooper out for many practices, Gallup was the team's No. 1 receiver and he didn't disappoint.

2. Maliek Collins: A close No. 2 here because Collins was just as dominant on his side of the ball as a certain left tackle. Even more impressive was how Collins was able to practice just about every day – only taking the scheduled veteran days off. But injuries have been an issue for him, especially this time of year. But he was healthy, and really good. Inside linemen had all kinds of problems keeping No. 96 out of the backfield. Earlier this week, Jerry Jones said to watch out for another contract that could get done that hasn't been talked about. Could Collins, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, be the guy?

1. Tyron Smith: This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. For the past few years, Smith and perhaps Ezekiel Elliott have been considered the Cowboys' best players. Zeke obviously wasn't at camp and Smith is healthy again. So with that, it makes sense that the Cowboys' left tackle was dominant every time he was in there. The Cowboys didn't use Smith every day, giving him plenty of rest days. In fact, Smith wasn't even sent to Hawaii with the team. But he showed that he's ready for the season, and it could even be better than ever.