Practice Points: Takeaways from first padded practice – Staff, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys secondary looked pretty good once the pads came on.
The Land Shark Cometh – Cobie Durant’s momentum over the first three practices ramped up even more on Monday, when the pads came on. His coverage is some of the best on the Cowboys’ defense and, on one play in particular, he showed Dak Prescott what he can do. Prescott dropped back in the red zone and threw a ball under duress to CeeDee Lamb, who was in good enough position to make the catch after he broke outside; but Durant peeled off
of his original coverage, readjusted and jumped the route to make an acrobatic interception that had Christian Parker smiling. – (Patrik Walker)
Bringin’ the Wood – On the first day of pads, you wouldn’t expect anything other than someone named “Julius Wood” to have a physical practice. Just an hour before, his head coach Brian Schottenheimer mentioned Wood as being active and making the safety position rather deep. And then in practice, he had several big pops, jarring the ball loose on a pass during the team drills and he also wasn’t afraid to come up in run support. Also, Caleb Downs had a few run stops as well. But Wood is a guy trying to get noticed – and he did that Monday. – (Nick Eatman)
Revel In the Moment – What Shavon Revel is experiencing in his second NFL training camp is the definition of iron sharpens iron. Before today, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens were narrowly inching him out to make big plays but, in the first padded practice, Revel had several PBUs and even wagged his finger at Pickens on one of them. Going against two of the best in the league combines with Revel being fully healthy to make for what might be a return to peak form once witnessed at ECU only two short seasons ago. (Patrik Walker)
Downs to Business – Caleb Downs may not always make the flashy, highlight plays all the time for a defensive back, but he makes big plays that the offense feels well afterwards. That was the case today, as Downs had a teach-tape run fill against the first team offense, as he was waiting in the gap when Jaydon Blue was trying to get through it. Downs’ work at the line of scrimmage is one that popped up a lot at Ohio State, and has done so in flashes during his first NFL training camp with the Cowboys too. He’s also been active around the ball in coverage, as Downs had a near interception today off a pass that DaRon Bland deflected into the air. – (Tommy Yarrish)
Cowboys cornerbacks get off to a hot start at first padded practice – Matthew Holleran, Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys wide receiver versus cornerback battles have been fiery in Oxnard.
If today’s practice is any indication of how the group is going to perform during the regular season, Cowboys fans are going to be very pleased. The trio of Bland, Durant, and Revel all had great showings during today’s padded practice.
Bland and Durant started the day off by both recording a PBU against the first-team offense.
Dallas’ starting cornerback group continued to perform well as practice wore on, highlighted by Durant intercepting Dak Prescott in the red zone.
It’s hard to overstate how much Dallas’ postseason hopes rely on their starting cornerback trio not just staying on the field, but playing well while doing so. There’s no way around it; last year was ugly for both Daron Bland and Shavon Revel. The Cowboys showed plenty of support for the duo this offseason, but now it’s time for both players to prove Dallas right for believing in them.
Durant will be a true x-factor for Dallas’ defense. If he can play a vital role in Dallas’ defense alongside Bland and Revel, the Cowboys have a chance to have an above-average secondary.
Let’s hope Dallas’ cornerback group continues to play like they did on Monday afternoon moving forward.
Dak Prescott already noticed a big difference from this year’s Dallas Cowboys defense only a few days into training camp – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
A noticeable improvement from the Cowboys defense under Christian Parker, straight from their highest-paid player and starting quarterback.
That hasn’t stopped Prescott from noticing a big difference from the Cowboys defense he’s facing every day. And with the Cowboys set to wear pads for the first time on Monday, it’s only fair to say the battle between an elite offense and a rebuilt defense is only beginning.
This summer, Prescott is facing the fourth Cowboys defensive coordinator in camp since 2023. What has he noticed from the new-look defense led by 34-year-old defensive coordinator Christian Parker?
“A defense that is communicating,” Prescott told reporters last week. “A defense that takes a lot of pride in what they do in each and every one of their calls, taking pride in playing with one another.”
For Parker, who wants to run a defense that is multiple and capable to adjust on the fly, communication is crucial. In order to do that, players have to be loud. So far, Prescott is impressed with the decibels coming from the other side of the line of scrimmage.
“When we motion, you can hear how loud they are and them getting to the right fits or calls that they need to make, and just challenging us,” Prescott added.
Rookie Caleb Downs Sets Lofty Goal for Cowboys’ Defense During NFL Season – Timothy Rapp, Bleacher Report
Caleb Downs’ high expectations for himself as a rookie can be found all throughout the Cowboys defense right now.
“To be dominant,” he told Jon Machota of The Athletic when asked about his expectations for the defense in the 2026 season. “That’s what I’ve thought about with every defense I’ve been on. And we have the talent to do it, to dominate every offense that we go against.”
In 2025, the Cowboys gave up an NFL-worst 251.5 passing yards and 30.1 points per game. Many pointed to the questionable decision to trade superstar edge-rusher Micah Parsons before the season, though the secondary was porous at best.
But attempts were made to rectify the pass defense this offseason.
The Cowboys traded for edge-rusher Rashan Gary, filling the void left by Parsons a year ago, and drafted pass-rusher Malachi Lawrence at No. 26 overall (one of five defensive players the team drafted in the first four rounds). The secondary was bolstered in free agency with the signings of safety Jalen Thompson and cornerback Cobie Durant. And most importantly, Downs was the No. 11 overall pick and is already being utilized as both a safety and nickelback.
Here’s what Cowboys former 5th-round pick must do to earn game snaps – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire
With buzz about the passing game and pass defense still dominating all the headlines from Oxnard, how about another check in on the RB2 competition and Jaydon Blue?
It’s no secret the Dallas Cowboys hope Jaydon Blue takes over the RB2 spot behind starter Javonte Williams. The former Texas running back has game-changing speed and big-play ability that would complement Williams’ physical style well. He was a complementary back in college, and he’s tabbed to be a complementary back in the NFL. It’s a match made in heaven.
Yet, Blue’s first season in Dallas proved to be a total disappointment. Critical aspects of the job fell on deaf ears and aside from a 16-carry performance in Week 18, Blue was basically a nonfactor in his rookie year.
Hope springs eternal in Year 2 for Blue. After saying the right things in the offseason and doing the right things early in training camp, Blue is back on track to be that RB2 he was always meant to be. But there’s one task, one unavoidable quality he has to prove before he can officially be given second-fiddle designation in Dallas, and that’s pass protection.
The NFL game is one of chess strategization. Offensive coordinators are trying to outsmart defensive coordinators, while defensive coordinators are trying to outsmart right back. Both sides will scheme ways to attack weakness and the only way of avoiding victimhood is to field as few weaknesses as humanly possible.
A running back with pass protection deficiencies can be hidden, at times, by either avoiding passing downs or becoming a receiver himself out of the backfield. But eventually the bill comes due and good defensive coordinators find ways to put those pass protection skills to the test.
Daily discussion question: What did you make of the first padded practice?
