Cowboys Training Camp Recap: Brevyn Spann-Ford shows exactly what he needed to in practice No. 6, new roster lock emerges
Notes from Dallas Cowboys’ practice No. 6 at Oxnard, California, as a new standout emerges from training camp at the tight end position. And it’s one we’ve been betting on for a while.
The Dallas Cowboys got a glimpse of their tight end future on Thursday, and Brevyn Spann-Ford made the loudest statement of anyone at training camp practice No. 6 in Oxnard, California. Spann-Ford’s combination of run blocking and receiving ability is separating him from the pack, and his performance carries real implications for the Cowboys’ 53-man roster.
Let’s break it down, along with takeaways on cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia, and several Cowboys injury updates from the practice field.
Brevyn Spann-Ford is locking down the tight end 2 job
Spann-Ford had what I’d call the best individual practice of the day and his best in camp yet. He made a spectacular diving catch over the middle of the field with safety Markquese Bell in coverage. Bell did not stand a chance.
Then came the run game. Running back Javonte Williams ripped off a big gain, and there was Spann-Ford as a pulling blocker, completely swallowing up linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and opening up the lane. He was pulling alongside left guard Tyler Smith on what looked like a guard-tackle counter play.
We already knew about the run blocking skills. The Cowboys trusted Spann-Ford to block defensive tackles throughout the 2025 season. He is so physical that he’s almost like a sixth offensive lineman at this point. That might be a slight exaggeration, but that’s how good he is in the run game. If he can combine that physicality with the way he’s making catches over the middle, there’s no way tight end Luke Schoonmaker wins the TE2 job.
Spann-Ford is your No. 2 tight end. We’ll see if Schoonmaker can do enough to stick around the 53-man roster.
Shavon Revel Jr. is close, but Christian Parker’s comments tell the story
I’ll admit it: I have been very excited about the second-year cornerback. Revel Jr. is getting pass breakups in practice, he’s doing a lot of good things, and it looks like he’s going to take the jump we expect from him. However, patience is required.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker spoke Wednesday about what Revel Jr. needed to do to improve. One thing that came up was finishing plays, and a one-on-one rep against wide receiver George Pickens on Thursday illustrated the point perfectly. It was a go route from Pickens, who got outside leverage. Revel Jr. was there step for step. He can physically hang with one of the most athletically gifted receivers in the league.
Parker said Wednesday that Revel Jr. has all the physical tools to succeed at the NFL level but needs to put some things together, specifically living in the play and being able to finish it. In this particular case, Revel Jr. was late turning his head to football.
He’s so close to taking that next step. But the fact that Parker is out here talking about the things Revel Jr. still needs to work on tells me that, for now, it’s Daron Bland and Cobie Durant as the starting outside cornerbacks. Durant continues to have a strong camp. There may not be a ton of upside there, but there’s a pretty high floor. Dallas can run a viable defense with Durant at outside corner.
Otito Ogbonnia is a roster lock
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Thursday that Ogbonnia was the player who impressed him most among newcomers to the team. That’s a relevant piece of information, because Ogbonnia was one of my 38 roster locks earlier in the offseason, and he was perhaps the one I questioned the most myself.
The reason I put him there was his versatility. He can play pretty much every spot on the defensive line because he’s a big, powerful player. He blew up one of the first-team offense’s run plays on Thursday.
He has lined up at 4-technique, 4i, and 5-technique, a little wider than I expected. I thought he’d be more of a 3-technique, but the positioning matters. As a reporter noted during one of the early training camp practices, when the Cowboys are in their base defense with three defensive linemen and two outside linebackers creating a five-man front, Ogbonnia is a starter next to Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark.
If you’re interested in 53-man roster projections, Ogbonnia better be in there.
