3 Cowboys who have unexpectedly shined during the preseason
2. DaRon Bland, CB
A pleasant surprise in camp and through the first two weeks of preseason action is rookie fifth-round cornerback DaRon Bland. Many within the Cowboy fanbase didn’t like the pick for America’s Team, since many media outlets didn’t see Bland getting drafted. However, he is gaining the fans’ support after having a strong past couple of months for the team.
The Fresno State product has had an outstanding preseason so far. In Week 1 against the Broncos, Bland was one of the lone bright spots of the team. In 35 coverage snaps against Denver, Bland allowed just two receptions on seven targets for two yards. He also recorded four tackles and three defensive stops.
I thought #Cowboys CB Daron Bland had another nice preseason performance vs. LAC.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 22, 2022
He allowed just 24 yards on four targets and had two stops, according to PFF.
He gave up one longer reception of 16 yards, but still a good day overall.
In Week 2 against the Chargers, the former Bulldog allowed three catches out of four targets, however, he only allowed 24 yards. He did a great job of keeping ball-carriers in front of him and not allowing big gains. The rookie also had three tackles and two stops.
Bland was not expected to make this sort of impact right out of the gate. He was expected to be a project, similar to Nahshon Wright coming out of college. Now, Bland is not just making a push for playing time, but also for starting snaps as soon as Week 1.