Cowboys studs and duds from preseason Week 1 vs. Broncos

Stud: Tyler Smith

When Dallas added Tyler Smith in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, they praised him for the power he played with while at Tulsa. On Saturday night, he got his first chance to go against NFL talent and he didn’t disappoint.

Smith looked like a veteran out there as he pushed his defender around with ease. He was usually the one clearing the way in the running game and when Rico Dowdle followed behind him, good things tended to happen.

He was flagged a couple of times for holding, but the calls were questionable, at best. Still, he has to see what he’s doing to draw these flags and attempt to clean it up, especially since this was his No. 1 issue in college.

Dud: Nahshon Wright, CB

Nahshon Wright was drafted due to his size as Dallas wanted the 6-foot-4 cornerback to be able to use his length to contend with taller receivers. On Saturday night, he found himself trying to high-point a ball in the end zone and was unable to do so, as he was beaten out by 6-foot-0 Kendall Hinton.

At this point in the game, Wright had surrendered roughly 92 yards on five receptions, including the touchdown. And he gave up more after this as well. Wright even hurt himself at one point as he had a pick early in the game overturned since he drew a flag for holding on the play.

He finished with seven tackles, showing great physicality, but his coverage skills were questionable.