It was somewhat surprising the number of players the Dallas Cowboys chose to sit in last week’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, especially rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker. With so many important players watching from the sideline it made the game harder to watch, but what it did was give other backup players the chance to prove themselves.
In what turned out to be a pretty sloppy game, there were some individual performances that caught our eye. These standouts have further made their case to make it through the final cuts to make Dallas’ 53-man roster, but in order to secure a spot they may have to first prove their consistency and that their performance wasn’t a fluke. These are the players will be watching against the Baltimore Ravens.
RB Phil Mafah
With Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and Jaydon Blue watching from the sidelines last week, Phil Mafah was busy working towards a roster spot with the Cowboys. He ran with physicality, elusiveness, and showed great vision when he toted the rock, catching the attention of many around Cowboys Nation. His performance last week should earn him some extra snaps, and if he can continue to play like he has, he could shake up the depth chart and quite possibly earn himself a key role this year.
LT Nathan Thomas
Nathan Thomas is a player who has pretty much come out of nowhere after spending his entire rookie season on injured reserve last year. He is currently projected to be the starting LT in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles with Tyler Guyton still working his way back from injury. Thomas surprisingly only played 10 snaps against the Rams last week, but looked the part of a starting caliber blindside protector. Even though he’s looking the part so far, he still needs to prove he can continue to handle the job this week against the Ravens.
CB Zion Childress
If you didn’t know his name prior to last week’s preseason game against the Rams, you probably do now. Zion Childress is ascending as a player who could play an important role in Dallas’ secondary this season. The undrafted free agent is playing with confidence and physicality as both a run defender and in pass coverage. He could be the favorite to replace Jourdan Lewis in the slot if the Cowboys choose to play DaRon Bland on the outside. If he continues to assert himself Saturday against the Ravens, he could lock down the nickel CB job.
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