Which three Dallas Cowboys players are surprising people early on in 2022 training camp? We take a look at some young players making an impression.
Training camp is underway in Oxnard for the Dallas Cowboys, and a roster that owner Jerry Jones believes to be better than last year’s group is preparing for another run at the NFC East in 2022.
As the Cowboys prep for what will hopefully be a much deeper run at the playoffs in 2022, which players are stepping up in a big way already at training camp?
It’s early, of course, but some players are already making a really strong impression.
Let’s take a look at three players making the biggest waves in Oxnard so far.
Dallas Cowboys standout no. 1: Markquese Bell, safety
One of the top standouts so far in training camp for the Dallas Cowboys is rookie safety Markquese Bell, an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M.
A prime example of why you never leave a single stone unturned.
Bell showed out this offseason with some outstanding athleticism in the pre-draft process, earning an elite 9.51 Relative Athletic Score.
With an elite combination of size, speed, and explosiveness, it should come as no surprise that Bell is making waves for the Cowboys, and earning some significant positive remarks from Mike McCarthy and Stephen Jones.
Mike McCarthy on Cowboys rookie safety Markquese Bell: “He’s been extremely impressive. Of the rookie class, he’s clearly one of the top guys that jumped out in the offseason program. We felt right away that this young man has an excellent chance to do some excellent things.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 29, 2022
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones summarized some of early standouts in camp before pads come on Monday. On defense, rookie second-round pick Sam Williams is “jumping out.” Singled out S Markquese Bell, who “keeps showing up” as undrafted rookie. “It’s nice to find one of those.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) July 30, 2022
The Cowboys obviously feel like they’ve got themselves an undrafted gem in Markquese Bell, and for good reason.
Early on, he may not be expected to do much other than special teams, but there could be a path to playing time early in the Dallas secondary with the expected starting safeties penciled in as Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker.
Dallas Cowboys early standout no. 2: Sam Williams, EDGE
One of the more underrated areas of need for this Dallas Cowboys defense going into the 2022 offseason was off the edge.
The Cowboys lost Randy Gregory in free agency to the Denver Broncos, and while Dan Quinn reunited with Dante Fowler Jr., an underrated free agent pickup, the Cowboys couldn’t afford to put all their eggs in that basket.
Nor can they afford Micah Parsons receiving a bunch of extra attention from opposing offensive lines.
So, in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, they brought in one of the best pass rushers in the SEC this past season, Ole Miss’ Sam Williams.
Williams is a freaky-explosive athlete off the edge who ran a 4.46 in the pre-draft process.
“Sam Williams is jumping out.”
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) July 30, 2022
- S. Jones on the #Cowboys 2nd-round pick
Williams has himself a very good shot at some early playing time this season as a rookie for the Dallas Cowboys.
DeMarcus Lawrence, who has been around for a while now, can see it coming as well.
DeMarcus Lawrence says his first impression of defensive end Sam Williams is that the rookie “doesn’t realize” just how many tools he already has in his toolbox.
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) July 28, 2022
I asked if he believes Williams can make an impact on Day 1:
“Oh absolutely.” #Cowboys
Last year at Ole Miss, Williams had 15 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. He might have been a big-time steal for the Dallas Cowboys on day two of the 2022 NFL Draft and is someone who should undoubtedly factor into their edge rotation for this coming season.
Dallas Cowboys early standout no. 3: TJ Vasher, WR
The Dallas Cowboys made a salary cap-motivated trade this offseason, unloading wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Cooper’s departure plus the extended absence of a recovering Michael Gallup has provided opportunities for other receivers to step up and play bigger roles this coming season.
TJ Vasher is one of the players on the Dallas Cowboys roster right now vying for a roster spot and some playing time, and he’s the early front-runner for NFL catch of the year.
TJ Vasher - the catch of camp. pic.twitter.com/ithTH23Orj
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) July 29, 2022
Vasher is listed at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds. The former Texas Tech star has an insane catch radius and you can see that on full display if you pause the video at the catch point.
There are plenty of receivers on the Cowboys’ roster, including newcomer KaVontae Turpin who was most recently a star in the USFL.
Even with all of the additions the Cowboys made at receiver, if a player like Vasher can continue to make plays at a high rate in training camp, how do you get rid of a guy like that?
He brings size to the table that no one else in the Cowboys’ receiver room has. He’s obviously going to give you a fascinating option in the red zone that not many defensive backs can match up with.
The question now is how quickly could we see a player like Vasher getting reps with the Cowboys’ top offensive unit?
If we start hearing more about Vasher catching passes from Dak Prescott, we’ll know that he’s made a significant impression on the Dallas coaching staff.