4 standout players from Week 1 of Dallas Cowboys training camp

2. Anthony Brown, CB

Since joining the Cowboys in 2016, Anthony Brown has been an undervalued player. He started nine games as a rookie while appearing in all 16 and had 55 tackles with eight pass defenses and one pick. From there, he continued to put up similar numbers while also playing in the slot — which is a tough ask for any corner.

Then in 2021, he found himself as a full-time starter for the first time. He responded to the challenge by recording career highs in every major statistical category including tackles (71), pass defenses (17), and interceptions (three). He also scored his first career touchdown in their Week 4 blowout against the New York Giants.

Now heading into 2022, Brown is still playing at a high level. He’s been blanketing his receiver on nearly every play and has been knocking down several passes. He’s also been drawing praise from McCarthy who said he’s “having a heck of a camp” and that he “pickup up right where he left off” following his breakout campaign.

Unfortunately for Brown, he’s remembered more for his disastrous game on Thanksgiving Day against the Raiders. That day, Brown was flagged four times for pass interference including one that led to a game-winning field goal.

Of course, anyone who watched that game saw the refs were calling it super tight and Derek Carr was simply underthrowing deep passes that forced Brown into a tough spot as the receiver would run into him trying to get back to the ball, drawing a flag every time.

The coaching staff should have responded by taking Brown out rather than hoping the flag would stay pocketed, but that didn’t happen and the cornerback was unfairly destroyed for one bad outing. The good news is that he responded by stepping up his game and he’s continued to thrive in camp.