With most of the Cowboys’ regulars parked for preseason Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, the spotlight shifted fast to the players trying to claw their way onto the roster. A few came up empty. Others turned the night into a real audition.
The biggest jolt may have come from rookie receiver Brown, who has been turning heads at training camp and carried that momentum right into his preseason debut. He finished with three catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, including two impressive grabs that stood out even in a crowded field.
Just as important, Brown outperformed the other wideouts battling for the WR5 job: Jonathan Mingo, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Anthony Smith. At this point, he has to be viewed as a serious contender for the one opening that appears to be there.
Rookie tight end Trigg also made a strong first impression in live action. After a quiet start to camp, he showed up with four receptions for 30 yards, which led the Cowboys in catches and ranked second on the team in receiving yards.
Two of those grabs came with strong hands, the kind of detail that matters when a player is trying to force his way into the conversation. With Luke Schoonmaker seemingly vulnerable, Trigg gave himself a real chance to push for a 53-man roster surprise.
Milton, meanwhile, looked like a different quarterback than the one who endured a shaky preseason in 2025. In his 2026 exhibition debut, he went 12-of-15 for 107 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception, and he added seven carries for 10 yards.
It was easily his best preseason outing in a Cowboys uniform. Sam Howell’s arrival this offseason and his start on Saturday made things tougher for Milton, but he showed he’s still very much in the fight for QB2.
On defense, Barron kept making plays despite being a long shot to crack the 53. He recorded four tackles and a tackle for loss, and Next Gen Stats had him tied for the team lead with three stops, according to Bobby Belt.
The numbers only told part of the story. Barron also looked like he belonged, playing with confidence and showing some attitude with a WWE-style body slam tackle.
That kind of energy plays, especially for a player trying to carve out a role on defense and special teams.
Wood matched Barron with three stops and finished second on the team in tackles. One of his best moments came on a goal-line stand, where he sliced through Seattle’s offense in a hurry. His path to the 53-man roster is still steep because of how crowded the safety group is, but he helped his case for a practice squad spot.
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