Rank 'Em: Top 20 Training Camp standouts 

20. Traeshon Holden

Kicking off the list that will have plenty of receivers at the top, this rookie free agent made a name for himself throughout camp.

Holden had one of the best catches in Oxnard with a one-handed grab for a touchdown early on in team drills. He was able to carry that momentum for most of camp and even had a nice grab in the preseason opener against the Rams.

Making the team won't be easy for any rookie, especially at receiver but Holden, who reunited with his college coach Junior Adams, has taken advantage of every rep so far.

19. Kenneth Murray

Despite missing parts of camp because he went back to Dallas for the birth of his child, Murray made an impact in his first camp with the Cowboys.

Traded for in the offseason, Murray has been a tackle-machine in the pros and while there was no tackling in practice, the coaches encourage what they call as a "thud" and Murray didn't plenty of thudding. He's one of the key components to the 2025 defense and he looked the part when he was on the field in Oxnard.

18. Jaydon Blue

Had it not been for an injury last week, Blue likely would've been much higher on this list.

The rookie from Texas has speed and quickness that others don't have at the running back position. When he got the chance, Blue put that on display and all eyes are watching him as we get back to Dallas and get ready for the final two preseason games.

17. Jack Sanborn

His first training camp with the Cowboys included some moments where it was evident Sanborn has experience in this defense.

He's new to the team, but not to Matt Eberflus, having been in that system with the Bears. Sanborn shows a lot of awareness that helps him in the run defense but also carry receivers down the field in coverage.

16. Zion Childress

Every year there's a rookie free agent or two that come out of nowhere to shine on the field and this year, Childress seems to be that guy.

The undrafted rookie from Kentucky has made his share of big plays, starting early on in camp when he had two interceptions in back-to-back days.

Childress is also one of the players the Cowboys are using as a possible slot corner, putting him on the first-unit defense at times in team drills.

15. Marshawn Kneeland

In his second training camp with the Cowboys, Kneeland looked much more comfortable out in Oxnard. He set the tone early in camp with a great interception off Dak Prescott, dropping back into coverage at the last second for a pick.

Kneeland more importantly, sets the anchor for the defensive edge and is going to be asked upon to help the run defense for Matt Eberflus' scheme.

14. Damone Clark

Entering camp on the outside looking in from the linebacker spot, Clark showed glimpses of why the Cowboys were so high on him coming out of LSU.

Clark has been very active, proving yet again that Matt Eberflus knows how to get the best out of the linebacker unit.

Clark's coverage skills were just as impressive as the run-stopping ability. His play has instantly added to the depth of the position.

13. Jake Ferguson

The biggest news for Ferguson this camp occurred off the field when he signed a four-year, $52 million extension to remain one of the key pieces to this offense for years to come.

That came early in the camp, but afterwards there wasn't much of a change. If anything, Ferguson played even better and caught several passes down the field and over the middle, likely to be a preview of what's to come this year with the Cowboys having two explosive weapons on the outside.

12. Tyler Smith

This is the first time Smith has been looked upon has the leader of the group, and he didn't disappoint.

The only setback for Smith, was a nagging knee injury that kept him out of the lineup at times, mainly for precautionary reasons.

But Smith paved the way when he was out there, showing why he's a two-time Pro Bowl and an All-Pro selection at the age of 24.

When there were moments for 1-on-1 blocking, Smith won his battle and often opened the door for the running game in space.

11. Solomon Thomas

In his first camp with the Cowboys, Thomas showed the versatility the team is looking for, with the ability to play both inside and outside, depnding on the alignment.

Thomas will probably play mostly at defensive tackle, a spot the Cowboys need some help. His strength and agility will be a problem for opposing linemen, as it was at times here in Oxnard.

10. Javonte Williams

If there was any doubt as to who might win the running back competition, Williams is doing his best to end the debate.

He started camp as the No. 1 back. He leaves camp as the No. 1 back. Some of that is because guys like Miles Sanders and Jaydon Blue were banged up. But that's definitely part of the equation when dealing with the backs.

Williams showed to be the most complete of the backs right now, in terms of running the ball, finding the hole, catching out of the backfield and picking up the blitz.

9. Osa Odighizuwa

The Cowboys gave Osa the big contract back in the spring and while we've seen other players suffer a drop-off after the big payday, Osa came back with his best camp yet.

He looked leaner and quicker and also stronger in the middle, shutting down several of the inside runs. The Cowboys are counting on Osa to anchor the D-line from the interior and judging from camp, he looks poised to do just that.

8. Donovan Ezeiruaku

The one person probably not complaining about Micah Parsons being out of the lineup was the second-round pick.

Ezeiruaku was able to get a lot more of the reps and for the most part, he thrived against the Cowboys offensive tackles. To be fair, the OTs are banged up and inexperienced but Ezeiruaku was able to feast many times. He showed the quickness of the ball and the bend to get around the edge.

His practices were better than the game-reps from last week but let's see how he fairs in the second preseason game. So far, it was a great start.

7. Malik Hooker

One of many former first-round picks on the roster, Hooker certainly looked the part, especially early in camp.

The defense might be missing some of their key pieces in Parsons, Diggs and Overshown, but Hooker was flying around the ball and not only getting there, but delivering some "pop" to the offense.

Hooker had two interceptions in the red zone in one day but his awareness to get to the ball seemed to be his strength.

6. Marist Liufau

Yes another linebacker on this list. And Liufau was the best one to take his practice success and apply it to the game field. He was arguably the best defender on the field against the Rams last Saturday.

Then again, not every linebacker played in the game but give credit to Liufau for making the most of it.

He's done it every day in practice in Oxnard, showing that big leap from Year 1 to Year 2.

5. Kaiir Elam

See ball ... get ball! No problem for Kaiir Elam, who probably had as many interceptions as any other defender during camp.

Now, when it comes to grabbing babies and lifting them to the air in celebratory fashion ... Elam definitely won that aspect!

His interception / baby grab was one of the best moments in all of camp. But it shouldn't overshadow the fact that Elam was by far the most consistent cornerback on the team.

4. KaVontae Turpin

The one thing that seems certain coming out of camp - the Cowboys intend to use Turpin in several ways - aside from his kick return ability that has earned him two straight All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections.

But Turpin the offensive weapon appears to be the next title for the speedy playmaker.

We saw glimpses of bubble screens, reverses, handoffs and even deep balls as a receiver that has everyone wondering just what his role will be in the regular season.

3. George Pickens

He's No. 3 on the field. He's No. 3 on this list. He's listed as No. 2 on the wide receiver depth chart.

But he looked every bit like a No. 1 receiver and that's what has the Cowboys so excited about the duo he's forming with CeeDee and the connection he created already with Dak.

Pickens is a fun player to watch, seemingly coming up with a highlight catch every single day.

2. Dak Prescott

This list is filled with receivers, especially at the top. That being said, someone had to get them the ball.

That someone obviously is QB1 and Dak had one of his better training camps of his career. He looked in total command of the offense, rarely making a lot of mistakes and by the end of the camp here in Oxnard, the offense was humming.

Dak has always been a quarterback that will find the open receiver vs. forcing it to one player. That being said, look for a lot of players to shine this year, as they did at camp.

1. CeeDee Lamb

Welcome back to Oxnard, CeeDee! After missing all of last year's camp due to a contract holdout - you know the kind of holdout where the player is not around and in a completely different state - CeeDee Lamb came back and dominated the camp, looking like the best player on the field.

Sure, George Pickens is going to open up things for him. And yes, Jake Ferguson and KaVontae Turpin are going to get the ball, too.

But make no mistake, CeeDee is the center of it all and look for the Cowboys to make sure he gets plenty of touches. Lamb made the most of it during this camp, constantly winning his battles.

While the competition will get tougher during the season against teams with more depth at corner than the Cowboys currently have, CeeDee at least showed he can take over, much like we've seen the last two years.