The first week of training camp is always fun. What's better than Dallas Cowboys football flooding your social media timelines? Nothing. However, Week 1 largely serves as an install and ramp-up period following a long offseason before the intensity ratchets up.
Well, the Cowboys had their first padded practice on Monday. And while Brian Schottenheimer made it clear that he didn't want to see a lot of players on the ground, the uptick in physicality was undeniable, as players were finally allowed to hit.
Christian Parker's defense won the day pretty handedly, which is exactly what you wanted to see early in camp ... mostly because we never saw it under Matt Eberflus last summer. It only took one padded practice for Parker's unit to deliver a statement.
It's always telling which players stand out in the first padded session of the summer. It's not necessarily "real" football, but the pads reveal who can translate impressive practice flashes in a more legitimate setting. These Cowboys were up to the challenge.
5 Dallas Cowboys who shined in first padded practice of camp
Cobie Durant, CB
Truth be told, Durant was worthy of recognition during the first week of camp, as he routinely applied tight coverage on his assignment in team drills. However, that's exactly what you'd expect from a veteran with 39 career starts.
Durant had an absolute day on Monday, first breaking up a pass over the middle intended for CeeDee Lamb. He ran stride-for-stride with the Cowboys' star receiver before getting his hand in to force the incompletion.
A few sequences later, Durant intercepted a Dak Prescott pass in the end zone. Matched up against Ryan Flournoy in the slot, Durant broke off his coverage at the top of Flournoy's route and jumped Prescott's throw, which was intended for Lamb.
Shavon Revel Jr., CB
Another cornerback shoutout! And deservedly so.
Revel had been trending in this direction, to be fair. He was on the wrong end of a handful of completions despite playing tight coverage over the first few practices. Monday was the culmination of those efforts, as he recorded a trio of pass breakups.
First, Revel got his hand in at the perfect moment to break up an out route intended for CeeDee Lamb. Later on, Revel dislodged a quick slant to Ryan Flournoy. It wasn't the most precise delivery from Dak Prescott, but take nothing away from Revel. He also prevented George Pickens from hauling in a jump ball in the end zone to cap a brilliant day at the office.
The second-year CB spoke earlier this offseason about restored confidence in his knee. He's playing like someone who trusts his body again.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB
Overshown unequivocally set the tone for the defense's big day. Ironically, it came on a rep where he didn't even make a play on the ball. He shot through the gap on a toss-crack to Jaydon Blue and absolutely leveled Hunter Luepke, forcing Blue to cut back into a swarm of Cowboys defenders for a short gain.
The sound of Overshown's pads colliding with Luepke made one thing clear: Football is back. It was the first pad pop of camp, and it was wonderful.
More importantly, Overshown continues to play well in Oxnard, holding his own as the MIKE linebacker. Flying around the field with confidence, the 25-year-old looks to be enjoying life under Christian Parker.
Caleb Downs, DB
The entire secondary had a day, so it almost feels unfair to leave anyone out. That said, Caleb Downs had himself another fine afternoon, with the highlight coming on a great run fit as a box safety. He met Jaydon Blue in the hole, and there was only going to be one winner.
As noted above, Schottenheimer didn't want players laying each other out. If this were a game -- or even a joint practice -- Downs would have leveled Blue.
Later in practice, Downs teamed up with Cobie Durant for a pass breakup on George Pickens. Downs stayed glued to Pickens over the middle, and Durant arrived to jar the ball loose. Look for the star rookie to continue flexing his muscles in Oxnard now that the pads are on.
Ryan Flournoy, WR
It was a rare off day for the Cowboys' offense, but Flournoy continued his strong offseason. During red zone drills, he came down with an impressive touchdown after ripping the ball away from DaRon Bland. The veteran CB was in perfect position to make a play, but Flournoy's strength and concentration at the catch point won out.
It's plays like this that will only strengthen Dak Prescott's trust in Flournoy. His opportunities were few and far between on Monday, but he capitalized on them and was one of the offense's few bright spots.
Add us as a preferred source on Google