OXNARD, Calif. — The Cowboys have completed nearly three full weeks of training camp practices here in California as they head back to Dallas for the first preseason game.
As always, there are surprises during a training camp, some of them are individual players and some are actual situations.
It's still early as no games have been played, but three weeks is long enough to form some opinions. So here are the Top 10 camp surprises so far.
As the Cowboys get ready for their first preseason game on Saturday, what have been the biggest surprises so far at camp? We went through a list of 10 surprising players and situations from Oxnard.
Another UDFA TE — Last year it was Peyton Hendershot who made some noise in camp and the preseason and eventually made the team as an undrafted free agent. This year, it's John Stephens doing the work. Once again, it's another long, versatile and athletic tight end who makes plays down the field. But Stephens isn't afraid to mix it up as a blocker either. The Cowboys are certainly excited to see what Stephens will do in the game, especially as a receiver down the field.
Great Scott – There probably hasn't been a training camp that included more talk about sixth-round picks than this one. Sure, Deuce Vaughn has warranted a lot of attention and rightfully so, but Eric Scott was actually the Cowboys' first sixth-round pick this year. The cornerback from Southern Miss is showing why the team was so high on his potential. Scott has a safety-build but has the speed, agility and ball skills for a cornerback. It's still early in the process, but so far, Scott is making a strong push to not only make the team, but one of the four cornerback spots to have a role on game day.
Deuce on the loose — Success for Deuce Vaughn is not a surprise to anyone. But because of Tony Pollard being limited in practices and Ronald JOnes missing time with an injury, Vaughn has been inserted as a true running back. He's getting the ball in between the tackles and he's picking up blitzes. We'll see what he does in the game but for now, the Cowboys are treating him solely as a running back and he looks the part.
Bland's Year 2 Jump – He led the team in interceptions last year with five, and he wasn't a full-time starter or contributor until halfway into the season. So Bland was supposed to be good here at camp, but he's taken it to another level. In fact, you could argue that he's been as consistent as both Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore during practices here these first three weeks. Bland is still third on the depth chart, but the way he covers, competes and finds the football will make him a big asset for the defense.
Turpin's extended role – When you make All-Pro and the Pro Bowl as a rookie, your spot seems to be solidified the next year. That's probably the case for KaVontae Turpin as a return specialist, although the addition of Deuce Vaughn could give the Cowboys some depth. But where Turpin has made the biggest leap in 2023 is his ability to play wide receiver, at least so far in camp. Turpin's role on offense was limited last year after he joined the team in mid-camp. This year, he missed the first couple of days because of the birth of his child, but came back to Oxnard and was turning heads left and right with his big plays on offense.
Hooker signs new extension – Ok, on the training camp bingo card, no one seemingly had Malik Hooker getting a new deal in place. Sure, we thought there could be at least one, if not two players to get deals out here in Oxnard, but not exactly Hooker. But that being said, it makes sense considering the effort the Cowboys have made in retooling the secondary. First, it was trading for Gilmore and re-signing Donovan Wilson back in March. Then it was Trevon Diggs getting a deal, followed by Hooker's three-year extension as well.
Just one kicker? — The Cowboys started camp with two place-kickers but now have just one as we enter the first preseason game. Tristan Vizcaino struggled too much in the practices, paving the way for the Cowboys to now give all the reps to Brandon Aubrey. Of course, they can add a kicker to the mix at any point and there's probably a handful of veterans on the Cowboys' short list if they need to call one. For now, it's just Aubrey as the only kicker and he's got every chance to help his cause on Saturday.
Diggs signs first — The fact Trevon Diggs signed a new contract extension isn't that surpassing. The fact he was first to do it, and right off the bat is a little more of a shock. Many people thought Diggs would be the toughest of the extensions to sign with the likes of CeeDee, Dak and perhaps Terence Steele. But the Cowboys knocked out Diggs, who would've been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season if he didn't get a deal. Diggs is now in the Top 5 of highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL and should be locked up for the next six seasons, starting with 2023.
Rise of Jalen Brooks — Every year there is a player who just emerges from the pack. This year, it's undoubtedly Jalen Brooks, the seventh-round pick from South Carolina. Here's a guy who had just one touchdown catch last season at South Carolina and was considered a receiver with raw skills that might be more of a special teams player. The reality is, Brooks has arguably been the third or fourth-best receiver, making as many plays as Michael Gallup and Jalen Tolbert. Brooks has a big body that catches everything and he knows how to separate. The fact he's getting work with the first-team units in practice is a good sign for him, also gives him plenty of reps against top corners.
Still no Zack — As surprising as any one player has been at camp, the fact that Zack Martin wasn't here to start camp was a surprise to many. But considering he's now going on nearly three weeks of being a no-show, accumulating fines around $1 million, that's a huge shock for this team. Are the Cowboys worried? Probably not right now because Martin is the type of player who could seemingly step right in without a beat. But when he does return, you have to wonder what his mindset will be, especially if a new deal hasn't been reached.
