Fourth-round outside linebacker Kyle Wilber is back at practice in this week's soft opening to training camp, trying to pick up where he left off almost three months ago.
The Wake Forest star was one of the best players on the field in the rookie minicamp, held a week after the draft, but broke his finger and had to sit out the rest of this offseason's on-field work.
"It was real hard," Wilber said of his down time. "It was mishap that happened with my finger, but you've got to take one day at a time, and now I've got to take advantage of the opportunity that I'm given now."
Wilber's situation is a pretty familiar one at this point.
Of the Cowboys' seven draft picks, only two were able to practice throughout full-squad Organized Team Activities and the mandatory minicamp. But, Wilber is now recovered from the broken finger, Morris Claiborne's wrist has healed and Tyrone Crawford's calf is feeling much better. Those top three picks, all defensive, are among the standouts to watch in this three-day head start for rookies, first-year players, veterans dealing with injuries and quarterbacks.
And for Rob Ryan's unit, it will be important that they get something out of the extra work.
"Coach always tells us that all the rookies, everybody that's out here, we're all behind all the veterans," Wilber said. "They know what they're doing. They have game-time experience and everything like that. But it's going to help us grasp (schemes), create friendly competition in training camp, make everybody better and get ready for the season."
