Although all eyes seem to be fixed on the Dallas Cowboys' veterans, there are plenty of rookies turning heads at training camp. Let’s continue to rank the top rookies, based on their performances at training camp practice and the first preseason game, a 3-0 victory Monday night in Oakland.
Last week’s order: 1. Tyrone Crawford, 2. Ronald Leary, 3. Tim Benford, 4. Morris Claiborne, 5. Cole Beasley.
5. Morris Claiborne -- Although he hasn’t played in a game and only a handful of practices, Claiborne is still the first-round pick and the player counted on the most to turn things around as a rookie. So he remains on the list because when he’s practicing, he’s been pretty good. Claiborne has been hampered by a knee injury for the last week. The Cowboys are more than hopeful he can be ready to play Saturday night against the Chargers.
4. Ben Bass -- The undrafted rookie from Texas A&M has come out of nowhere. He was a beast in the preseason game against Oakland, with a sack, two tackles for loss and five stops overall. Bass is making a push not just for the practice squad, but possibly a spot on the 53-man roster as well.
3. Adrian Hamilton -- Another undrafted rookie from Prairie View A&M, Hamilton was all over the field in the preseason game, chasing after Oakland quarterbacks in the second half. Although he suffered a knee injury that could sideline him for a few days and maybe Saturday’s game against the Chargers, he’s on the rise as a possible candidate for the 53-man roster.
2. Cole Beasley -- After deciding to quit the team and football all together two weeks ago, things have changed dramatically for Beasley, who is working with the first-team offense in three-receiver sets as Miles Austin continues to sit. Beasley didn’t make a catch in the first game but returned all the punts. If he can prove to be a solid special teams contributor he not only will have a good chance of sticking around, but getting on the 46-man active roster on game days as well.
1. Tyrone Crawford – We’ll keep him at the top spot for now although Crawford wasn’t a huge force in the game last week. He did play a lot of snaps, getting in midway through the first quarter and played to the end. He brought steady pressure from DE. It’s likely he will be a rotation player on game days that should provide a healthy rush, starting as early as Week One.
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