The Dallas Cowboys took the field for the first time in 2022, falling to the Denver Broncos, 17-7. It was a shutout most of the way and Dallas struggled to find a rhythm on offense, especially with quarterback Cooper Rush, who was presented with a big opportunity to start the preseason opener. Ben DiNucci stepped in and performed well and the QB2 spot for the Cowboys looks to be a battle with Will Grier lurking in the background.
At tight end, Dallas has Dalton Schultz leading the way, but the young pair of Sean McKeon and Jake Ferguson present a lot of opportunity for the unit to succeed. The latter led the Cowboys in catches on the night and flashed the blocking ability he was known for at Wisconsin.
On defense, sophomore cornerbacks Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright were bested by the Denver wide receivers but rookie DaRon Bland shined during his time in the slot, and is another rookie candidate to leapfrog up the depth chart.
Beyond player performances, Mike McCarthy watched 17 penalties be committed by his team, making one wonder if the flags from 2021 are back for another season. All of this and more in four takeaways from the first look at the 2022 Cowboys.
DaRon Bland is making noise in the cornerback room
Although the spots for cornerbacks Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis are secured, there’s a lot of uncertainty beyond the starting crew. Nahshon Wright and Kelvin Joseph are the sophomores expected to garner playing time in 2022 but the first preseason game said otherwise.
Bland saw 72% of the snaps on Saturday and impressed after Wright and Joseph both gave up touchdowns in the contest, albeit on tough catches by the Broncos receivers. That wasn’t the case for Bland.
Spending his night in the slot, Bland showed a lot more than just his coverage prowess, making five tackles on the night. He flashed ability to help in run support, which is key when he’s in the slot and his 6-foot-2 frame definitely helps. On multiple quick passes, Bland quickly made the tackle and limited yards after catch.
Considering the rough weekend for Joseph and Wright, Bland’s stock is rising and he could be penned in at CB4 in Dallas.
Dallas has no worries at tight end for 2022
The uncertainty of tight end Dalton Schultz’ longevity as a Cowboy looms large as he enters this season on the franchise tag. If there’s silver lining, it’s the tight end room as whole that Dallas…
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