4 Cowboys whose stock is soaring after preseason win vs. Raiders

The Dallas Cowboys won their second preseason game, but nobody cares. Just as nobody cared two weeks ago when they lost on a last-second touchdown. With all of that said, it was still fun to watch players compete as the league-wide roster cutdown approaches.

Trey Lance looked a lot better than he did in the first exhibition, but he still very clearly needs more reps. First-round pick Tyler Guyton showed out yet again, but other Cowboys stepped up after either not playing in Week 1 or simply not having an impact. That list includes running back Royce Freeman and second-year safety Juanyeh Thomas.

As the highest-graded rookie tackle, Guyton's stock can't possibly get any higher. While Freeman and Thomas performed well, neither was considered a candidate for player of the game.

With that in mind, here are four Cowboys whose stock is soaring entering the final week of preseason.

4. CB Kemon Hall

When we say the Cowboys have a loaded cornerback room, that goes for every player on the roster, not just Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis.

A undrafted free agent in 2019 who has bounced around a handful of teams in three seasons, Hall has been an unsung hero of the Cowboys' preseason. That culminated on Saturday in the form of a 69-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter to give Dallas a 20-13 lead.

It will be hard for Hall to make the roster in such a deep CB room, but he's done everything in his power to do so. In two games (69 coverage snaps), he's allowed 5 catches on 11 targets for 38 yards while allowing a 16.5 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

3. WR Ryan Flournoy

After a forgettable NFL debut that included two drops, an illegal shift penalty and a fumble that fortunately bounced out of bounds, Flournoy led the Cowboys with four catches on Saturday. He only tallied 28 receiving yards, but he did all of his damage against Jack Jones, who is arguably the Raiders' top cornerback.

Flournoy burned Jones with an inside-out route at the goal line and caught his first career touchdown, which was also Dallas' first of the preseason. It was a gorgeous route from the rookie receiver. He also blocked his tail off in the run game, which will earn more praise in the film room than his TD.

Flournoy has some work to do to make the 53-man roster, but it can't be argued that he brings a dynamic that KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks don't with his size and physicality.

2. RB Deuce Vaughn

A hamstring injury and some rough moments in training camp led many to believe that Vaughn's Cowboys career was coming to an end.

While Vaughn's roster spot is anything but a guarantee, he looked like the player who won over the country at Kansas State. His vision was great and he was elusive and decisive. Trey Lance led the team in rushing, but Vaughn paced the RB room with 34 yards on 6.8 yards per carry.

The second-year pro could make things interesting if he turns in a similar performance in the preseason finale on Sunday.

1. DL Marshawn Kneeland

Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe are all the rage on social media, and for good reason. However, Kneeland deserves his flowers after another impactful game.

Kneeland is still developing as a pass-rusher, but he shined in that department against the Raiders with four pressures on just 11 pass-rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He only made on tackle, but his presence jumped off the screen on seemingly every snap.

Already a plus run defender, Kneeland's 80.5 run-defense grade in preseason is third-best amongst rookies. Headed for a big workload in year one, the rookie second-round pick could quickly prove to be one of the biggest steals of the 2024 draft.

Honorable mentions: CB Kemon Hall, S Julius Wood, CB Andrew Booth, LB Marist Liufau

More Cowboys news and analysis