The Cowboys’ first padded practice of training camp brought a different level of intensity Monday, and it gave a clearer look at which players are already translating camp buzz into real football.
One of the early names to watch was safety P.J. Locke, who had been an offseason audition standout before a knee injury knocked him out.
Monday brought a welcome update: Locke was back in pads, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he was close to returning. His familiarity with defensive coordinator Christian Parker matters, too, since the two spent two years together with the Denver Broncos and Locke should know the playbook well once he’s cleared.
There was a tougher moment for Princeton Fant. The undrafted tight end out of Tennessee in 2023 has carved out a role through blocking and has appeared in 11 games, including eight in 2024. But he suffered an injury Monday and was carted to the locker room, a setback that could matter for a tight end group still battling for the third spot.
On the field, Donovan Ezeiruaku kept building on what has already been a strong camp. The second-round pick from Boston College had a solid rookie season, but he’s being asked to do more in Year 2, and he wasted no time Monday by blowing up a run on the first snap of the padded session.
The defense, especially the secondary, continued to look like the more polished side. That’s a good sign for Dallas after the secondary was arguably the team’s biggest weakness in 2025. Caleb Downs delivered one of the day’s most physical plays by shutting down a Jaydon Blue run, while Cobie Durant made his presence felt with a pass breakup and later an interception.
Dak Prescott under duress attempts to squeeze it in to CeeDee Lamb. Cobie Durant says not on his watch - INT. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/DObKkWUxc9
Shavon Revel Jr. also had his moments, pressing CeeDee Lamb at the line to take him out of a play and later tipping another pass to force an incompletion.
The offense, meanwhile, didn’t have the same kind of day. There were tipped passes and turnovers, and Nick Harris said the group struggled through practice. With all 11 starters back from a year ago, it’s not the kind of performance that should set off alarms, but Monday clearly belonged to Christian Parker’s defense.
And then there was Jaishawn Barham, the camp’s biggest breakout name so far. Monday was the first real chance to see what he looked like once the pads came on, and he answered by working with the starters. He opened practice next to DeMarvion Overshown as one of the first-team inside linebackers.
What stood out most wasn’t just the splash. Barham handled his assignments, helped take on blockers, and made life easier for others - including Caleb Downs - to make plays against the run. That kind of work usually travels, and it’s exactly why Barham’s start to camp has people thinking he could make an impact this season.
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Lamb has been open about the fact that focus plays a role in the drops that have cropped up at different points in his career, and he was back at it early the morning after a drop on the first day of training camp. For the Cowboys, that is the part worth watching now, because Lambs talent has never been in question, only the consistency of his hands. If this extra work starts carrying over when the real bullets are flying, it would do more than clean up one frustrating trait. [Read more 🡒]