5 Cowboys players to keep an eye on in NFL preseason Week 1

The Dallas Cowboys open up their 2023 preseason slate on Saturday, August 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The preseason is not the most exciting for everybody, but for die-hard fans of any team, it's an opportunity to look at the entire 90-man roster in action. For some players, it's the most extensive action they will get all year.

The preseason is a chance for players to go and make a roster, whether it's the one they're already on or someone else's. All 31 other teams will be watching closely, looking for opportunities to upgrade their own rosters. And the Cowboys will be of interest to every other team in the league. This is one of the most talented rosters in the league top to bottom, which means the preseason should be a great evaluating tool for fans of the team.

Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which players are worth watching closely? There could be any combination of "right" answers here, but we're going to pinpoint five guys you'll want to make sure you watch closely. Of course, these "players to watch" will be subject to change based on anything injury-wise that could happen in practice throughout the week.

5 Dallas Cowboys players to watch in preseason matchup vs. Jaguars

1. Jalen Tolbert, wide receiver

Let's just get the low-hanging fruit out of the way. Jalen Tolbert is going to be one of the top players in focus all throughout training camp because everyone wants to see him step up and become a legitimate option in the offense this season, and everyone wants to know what's been going down in practice is not just offseason hype.

Brian Schottenheimer is gushing over this guy. The Cowboys' offense needs a player like this to step up desperately. Of course, we're banking on guys like CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and even Michael Gallup doing their thing. But there is a level of maybe uncertainty with a player like Gallup at this point based on what we saw last year. Tolbert is a wild card at the position that could give the Cowboys enviable depth and a future WR2 if all works out.