Even with Donovan Wilson sidelined with a calf strain, Zack Martin holding out over his contract, and Israel Mukuamu nursing a hamstring injury, the vibes at Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard have been overwhelmingly positive.
It's impossible to gauge what the coaching staff is thinking in terms of the 53-man roster, but a handful of players have made a strong case to make the team.
That said, there's still multiple weeks left of training camp -- including three preseason games -- meaning there's plenty of time for players to slide up and down the depth chart. With that in mind, here are three Cowboys who have surprisingly stolen the spotlight in Oxnard thus far.
3. KaVontae Turpin, KR/WR
Turpin was late to report to training camp following the birth of his daughter. Whatever it is about athletes and performing at high level after the birth of a child, Turpin is absolutely one of them because he played at a different speed to close out the first week of camp.
As a USFL signing last year, Turpin didn't get to participate in OTAs and minicamp, so his understanding of the offense was lacking.
This year's a different story. Turpin's developing a strong grasp of the playbook and is earning the trust of Dak Prescott, who listed Turpin by name before any other Cowboys receiver to NFL Network when talking about getting the ball out of his hands quicker to his playmakers.
Turpin's speed and devastating cuts have been the talk of camp. It'll be interesting to see how he performs as a WR when the pads come on, but the 26-year-old is making a strong case to earn a spot as a situational pass-catcher on top of being the team's lead return specialist.
2. Nahshon Wright, CB
Trevon Diggs has missed the last couple practices with a bruised toe. The injury isn't serious, per reports, so there's no reason to be overly concerned. It's expected that Diggs will be back on the field soon but his absence has created an opportunity for Nahshon Wright to take first-team reps.
Entering a make-or-break third season, Wright has been one of the biggest standouts in Oxnard. Outside of being burned by Brandin Cooks on a double move for a long touchdown -- there's really no shame in that -- Wright hasn't put a foot wrong.
In fact, he delivered arguably the highlight of camp with a gorgeous interception on a deep ball intended for Jalen Tolbert. Wright established leverage inside and ran stride-for-stride with Tolbert before winning the jump ball.
Like Turpin, Wright will have to perform consistently with pads, but the former third round pick is clearly aware that he needs to play at a high level at camp to carve out a role -- or roster spot -- in a loaded cornerback room.
1. Jalen Brooks, WR
Undrafted free agent Jalen Moreno-Cropper was the talk of the first week of camp after some impressive catches, but Brooks -- the Cowboys seventh-round pick in April -- has by far been the more consistent player.
Widely tabbed as the biggest star from Monday's padded practice, Brooks made a handful of receptions during team drills. The physicality and leverage he displayed on routes allowed him to create separation and he caught everything thrown his way.
Brooks' play thus far has caught the eye of one Dak Prescott, who was heard praising the rookie multiple times during the practice. He caught a long touchdown from Will Grier later in practice and has done a nice job attacking the ball and catching it with his hands; something that plagued Dallas' WR room last year.
The former Gamecock faces long odds to make the 53-man roster, but he's firmly someone fans should be watching for the rest of camp.