4 standout players from Week 1 of Dallas Cowboys training camp

3. Osa Odighizuwa, DT

As a rookie, Osa Odighizuwa started out strong for the Cowboys last year. A third-round pick from UCLA, he appeared in 16 games with 12 starts and had 36 tackles with two sacks.

Unfortunately, he seemed to hit a rookie wall as the year continued. His explosiveness seemed to disappear some and he wasn’t creating as much push up the interior with his pass rush.

Looking ahead to 2022, that might be changing. Odighizuwa showed up to camp ready to make an impact and Bobby Belt took notice. In an article from 105.3 The Fan, Belt said that Odighizuwa looks to be in prime physical conditioning as he enters his sophomore season in Dallas.

"“Odighizuwa came to camp looking in peak physical shape and has given a lot of problems to Connor McGovern and Tyler Smith at left guard, particularly with a smooth spin move that he’s used with consistent success.” — Belt, 105.3 The Fan"

As a whole, the defensive tackle position is a question mark for Dallas. They like what Odighizuwa provides as an interior pass rusher. They’re also banking on him taking a big step forward this season.

Next to him will be Neville Gallimore, who can provide more help in run support. Gallimore is coming off an injury-plagued season but if he and Odighizuwa can hit their potential, it would go a long way toward improving the defense as a whole.