The Dallas Cowboys training camp work in Oxnard left fans feeling so much better about the defense for 2026, with the list of standout players favoring this side of the ball. In particular, Jaishawn Barham carried this over to his preseason debut against the Cardinals.
Friday’s preseason game against the Saints will be the last chance to evaluate these running backs, with Jaydon Blue still needing to prove himself. Further down the depth chart on offense, the Cowboys made some moves at tight end.
Dallas camp standouts are in: Meet the two 2026 camp MVPs – OCC, Blogging The Boys
Lots of young defensive players established themselves under new coaching this training camp.
2026 Camp MVP: CB Shavon Revel
“The Cowboys looked at Revel as a rookie heading into this training camp. He missed all of last year’s training camp as he recovered from an ACL injury. The third-round pick didn’t play until mid-November. When he did, he looked like a rookie who was still recovering in a defense that didn’t always suit him.“
“By the end of training camp, the Cowboys had to raise their expectations of Revel. The second-year corner took a major step in training camp
Jaishawn Barham will be just as important as Caleb Downs in rookie season – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star
The Cowboys may have found multiple core defenders in this draft, with Jaishawn Barham playing like a starter against the Cardinals.
Dallas only has one preseason game left, but I would not expect to see him again until they play the first Sunday night football game against the New York Giants.
The biggest takeaway that I had though was not that he was just awesome, it was that he wore the green dot for the night. Being that impressive all while making sure that the defense is getting into the right play, protection, making sure guys are doing what they are supposed to be doing, etc.
Jaydon Blue speaks on physicality, Year 2 goals entering Cowboys’ preseason finale – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
Jaydon Blue is confident he can still make an impact, with one home preseason game to go.
“Yeah, I mean, of course my speed will stand out, butI think that I’m also a tough runner,” he told DallasCowboys.com. “I can run between the tackles. And it might sound crazy, but I’d rather run between the tackles than run outside zone and stuff like that. I’m trying to perfect my game at every level, not just in the passing game.
“And not just tosses in outside zone. I’m running between the tackles, also.”
3 underdiscussed Cowboys from Cardinals game, the forgotten heroes – Reid Hanson, The Cowboys Wire
Add yet another rookie defender to the mix that’s hitting the ground running.
DL LT Overton
When the Cowboys drafted LT Overton with their second-to-last pick in the 2026 NFL draft, it was met largely with a shrug of indifference. Overton wasn’t particularly flashy or mysterious. He didn’t have a high ceiling or a clean fit. He was the type of player who filled in the gaps and played in the background, and through most of training camp, that’s what he did.
Brian Schottenheimer foreshadows roster move that’s likely to translate into Cowboys fan favorite not making the 53-man roster – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
Michael Trigg’s momentum to make the roster has been halted by injury, with Dallas adding Mitchell Van Vooren at TE on Monday.
Trigg quickly emerged as a fan favorite rookie in training camp and stood out in the preseason opener. But if he misses the preseason finale scheduled for Friday night, it’s highly unlikely he makes the 53-man roster.
The door is open for the Cowboys to stash him on Injured Reserve, though. That would allow Dallas to keep him from hitting waivers, where any other NFL team could claim him.
John Harbaugh: “Reasonable to assume” Malik Nabers plays in Week 1 – Josh Alper, Pro Football Talk
The new-look Cowboys defense will be tested against a Giants offense getting back to full strength in week one.
After the session, head coach John Harbaugh said that it was a good practice for Nabers and that the wideout was “probably moving the best we’ve seen him look” since he returned to the field.
That did not result in Harbaugh ruling Nabers in for the season opener against the Cowboys, but the head coach said it was safe to make inferences about the wideout’s availability.
“I don’t want to make any kind of statements like that,” Harbaugh said, via SNY. “It’s reasonable to assume that.
Daily discussion question: What is the most important thing to figure out during tonight’s practice?
