5 Cowboys position battles to watch during the 2022 preseason games
3. Tarell Basham vs Mika Tafua, Defensive End
The Cowboys’ front office has done a nice job of bringing in talent at the defensive end position after the loss of Randy Gregory in free agency this year. While the additions better the team’s chances of continuing their effective pass rush numbers from a year ago, it may be a detriment to Basham who now is fighting for a spot on this roster.
Not only is he fighting for a spot but he’s fighting for it against UDFA defensive end Mika Tafua who has been getting quite a lot of praise from coaches in training camp.
Mike McCarthy on Cowboys undrafted rookie DE Mika Tafua: “Mika has definitely stood out. If you just look at pure workload, energy, production, he’s been at the top of the charts every day. I love his energy. I love his physicality.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 9, 2022
Tafua has quietly put together a strong training camp in the eyes of this coaching staff and will hope to translate his strong camp into live preseason games. With the roster stacked with talent above them, Basham and Tafua are really fighting for the last defensive end position on the team (if the Cowboys decide to keep six on the roster). It will be experience vs desire that will determine who will come out on top here.