This Dallas Cowboys defender is having a standout camp

So far in training camp, quite a few players have made some strong impressions for the Dallas Cowboys. I mean hey, is your day even complete if you didn’t log into Twitter just to see the latest circus catch that wide receiver CeeDee Lamb hauled in?

Plus, there has already been a lot of chatter surrounding veterans who have been turning heads early. However, one player who has quietly flown under the radar for the Cowboys is cornerback Maurice Canady.

If his name sort of rings a bell, it’s because Canady actually signed with the Cowboys way back in March of 2020. He didn’t see any game action last year though, as he ended up opting out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to coming to Dallas, Canady was a sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2016. He’s played in 32 career games, starting four. He most recently played during the 2019 season when he split time between Baltimore and the New York Jets, where he came away with his only career interception.

Now, Canady is in Oxnard for his first camp with the Dallas Cowboys and facing some new, young competition for playing time. A free agent signing from a year ago who never actually ended up playing and doesn’t have eye-popping career stats could be easy to overlook, but so far Canady has been finding ways to make plays on what feels like a daily basis.

Cornerback Maurice Canady has been a nice surprise for the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard

With fellow corner Jourdan Lewis missing a good portion of camp so far, Canady has seen some significant playing time against the first-team offense in the slot. He’s made the most of his opportunity, grabbing a couple of picks for the first-team defense and breaking up a few passes.

Canady has clearly been one of the early camp stand-outs this year for the Cowboys. The team recently released their unofficial depth chart and he’s currently listed as Dallas’ second-string nickel corner with Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, and Lewis listed as the starters.

If Canady can build on his strong start to camp then he should be able to carve out a solid role for himself in Dallas. The Cowboys made a significant investment in young defensive talent this year during the draft. Having another veteran corner who gives them some flexibility on the depth chart is a huge asset.

The early returns from Maurice Canady have been encouraging for the Dallas Cowboys. After a year away from football, it’s been great to see him come back and make such a strong impression early in camp. Fans will get to have their first in-game look at Canady and the rest of the defense on Thursday night when the team makes the trip to Canton, Ohio to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame game.