The Dallas Cowboys are heading into their preseason opener with the defense still setting the tone, and Thursday’s practice in Oxnard gave them another clean example of why.
Dallas closed out what was likely one of its last full-speed looks before Saturday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, and the ball kept finding Cowboys hands. The defense picked off three passes, with Markquese Bell, DJ Withers and Curtis Robinson each coming away with interceptions. There were also several pass breakups sprinkled throughout the session, reinforcing the same theme the Cowboys showed in the joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams earlier this week.
The coverage nearly added another takeaway when Caleb Downs got close to an interception on a Dak Prescott throw toward the sideline, but he couldn’t finish the play while trying to get both feet inbounds.
Christian Parker’s unit has been stacking strong days throughout camp, and it will finally get a real preseason test against Seattle on Saturday.
Not every quarterback had the same luck. Prescott and Sam Howell each had their interceptions come on a deep throw and a tipped ball, respectively, but Joe Milton III took the biggest hit to his case for the backup job. He forced a throw into the middle of the field that Curtis Robinson picked off, a play that made it look like Milton never saw the linebacker at all.
Milton has had his share of good and bad moments this camp, and this one landed on the wrong side of the ledger. He still gets a chance to respond against the Seahawks.
If there was one defender who kept flashing, it was Shavon Revel Jr. The cornerback turned in another standout practice, notching two strong pass breakups, one against George Pickens and another against Ryan Flournoy.
Revel’s second-year jump keeps looking real, and Thursday only added to that buzz. His work under Christian Parker looks like it could push his game even further in 2026.
The offense, meanwhile, was less crisp. No matter which quarterback was throwing, the defense kept getting its hands on the ball. Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel Jr., Dee Winters, Caleb Downs and James Houston all recorded pass breakups, a sign that the Cowboys’ passing attack still has some sharpening to do.
That matters even more with a handful of young receivers trying to carve out roles. Traeshon Holden, Camden Brown and Anthony Smith were active during the scrimmage portion of practice, and Brown even worked with the starters while catching a short pass from Prescott.
For all three, the preseason is going to matter.
The one injury note from Thursday centered on rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who remained out with a groin injury. He is working back with Seattle in mind, but his absence from practice created some uncertainty about whether he’ll actually suit up. Even so, the team does not view the injury as a concern.
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