Dallas Cowboys: 5 biggest surprises of training camp so far
The Trysten Hill Praise
This offseason, no other Dallas Cowboys’ player faced the kind of battle Trysten Hill did. Coming off a disappointing rookie season where he spent much of the year being a healthy scratch in former defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s doghouse, the first-year defensive tackle couldn’t live up to his second-round draft billing.
With Marinelli moving on to Las Vegas, Mike Nolan hired in his place, and an offseason training program turned entirely virtual, Hill’s future in Dallas could have been in question. The free-agent signings of Pro Bowl defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe plus the third-round draft selection of Oklahoma lineman Neville Gallimore seemed to confirm that.
But in the wake of Gerald McCoy’s season-ending quad injury and subsequent release from the team last week, Hill has apparently stepped up his game. The Cowboys’ top draft pick from 2019 earned a handsome heaping of praise from new defensive line coach Jim Tomsula recently.
Second-year defensive tackle Trysten Hill earned praise from defensive line coach Jim Tomsula for being fully engaged on and off the field. Stopping in to ask questions, sending texts to coach. Opportunity to play big role created for him with Gerald McCoy injury.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) August 22, 2020
This is good news for fans worried following a cringe-worthy press conference the 22-year old Hill gave last week. Hopefully, his play will continue to improve in the coming weeks and gives the Cowboys a legitimate replacement for the heartbreaking loss of McCoy in the middle.