(Editor's Note: Who doesn't love lists? Throughout training camp, 'High 5' will provide a top five list for many of the critical topics surrounding the Dallas Cowboys 2024 preseason.)
Three full practices and multiple walkthroughs have concluded in a busy first four for the Cowboys on the West Coast. Mike McCarthy made sure to test the young roster early, scheduling four morning practice days in a row, before the first real day of rest Monday. Giving ample opportunity for some players to make early strides.
While the pads aren't on quite yet, it's still possible to see who is beginning the long month in Oxnard on the right foot. These are five standouts from the first weekend of Training Camp 2024:
5. Tyler Guyton - It's not often that an offensive lineman stands out so early in camp, especially without the pads on. Usually that level of dominance is reserved for guys like Zack Martin and Tyler Smith. However, it was the rookie that turned heads with his early snaps. Guyton began the week as the backup left tackle behind Chuma Edoga but was given all the first-team reps on Sunday. In that practice, he put together good rep after good rep against talents like Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Marshawn Kneeland.
4. Eric Kendricks - Similarly to the offensive line position, linebackers can't truly show their physicality without pads on. That didn't stop Kendricks from making the correct reads, stepping up to make a "tackle" and dropping back in coverage. His first practices as a Cowboy look like he's been a part of the defensive unit for a decade, which is precisely the reason Mike Zimmer brought him in. He capped off his strong weekend with an interception of Dak during Sunday's practice.
3. Tyron Billy-Johnson - Every year, there's an under-the-radar wide receiver who steals the show with high-flying grabs and impressive athleticism. Players like Dennis Houston, T.J. Vasher, and others have jumped off the page in training camps of the past. This time, it has been Tyron Billy-Johnson at every level of the defense, taking advantage of the extra reps. The challenge now becomes finding the the consistency necessary to earn a roster spot.
2. Micah Parsons - This is self-explanatory, he's Micah Parsons. Since he stepped on the field as a rookie in 2021, he's disrupted the backfield and kept quarterbacks guessing. The same can be said this year as he tallied pressures and challenged the offensive tackles like usual. Then, if that wasn't enough, Mike Zimmer has moved him back and forth off the line of scrimmage, puzzling the offense even further.
1. DaRon Bland - All weekend, there was no group more impressive than the defensive backs. Bland led the way along with guys like Jourdan Lewis, Caelen Carson, and Josh Butler. Each of those names could probably be on the list, but it's hard to deny what Bland has been doing. His ability to play the football has always been known, but now there's an added emphasis of preventing the big play and being a true shutdown corner. We'll see if the defensive back success continues when the pads come on and if CeeDee Lamb returns to practice.
