The Dallas Cowboys are only one game into the preseason and three roster battles have already shifted in a major way. From wide receiver to running back to cornerback depth, Saturday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks changed the complexion of multiple position fights heading into 53-man roster cuts.

Let’s break it down.

Camden Brown changes the Cowboys WR battle

Assuming the Cowboys carry only five wide receivers on their 53-man roster, undrafted rookie Camden Brown is looking like somebody Dallas cannot afford to lose. Brown finished Saturday night with 3 catches, 62 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns. One was a 39-yard shot into the end zone from quarterback Sam Howell. The other was a fade into the corner from Joe Milton that Brown casually reached for with his left hand, making a spectacular one-handed grab.

Here’s the thing about Brown’s performance: this is not an out-of-left-field good game. He’s been turning heads throughout training camp. The undrafted rookie out of Georgia Southern set a school record in receiving touchdowns for a single season, and he carried that momentum into practices before showing up on game day.

I don’t think the Cowboys have wide receiver upside like this among the other guys fighting for that final roster spot. Jonathan Mingo is playing well this training camp and even had a solid preseason showing. He made two tough catches, including a third-down grab on a pass thrown behind him, and he added an impressive special teams tackle that showed the kind of hustle coaches eat up this time of the year. But it feels like the Cowboys know what they have in Mingo since they traded for him in 2024.

Brown is also making plays on special teams, including a strong tackle Saturday night. And the question becomes: if the Cowboys waive him ahead of the regular season, are they getting him back on their practice squad? I think not, given how he’s playing.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was clear that he wants to see the rookie do it again. The good news for Brown is he’s already been doing it at practice. When I put together my 53-man roster projection, which is coming soon at A to Z Sports, I think I’m going to have Brown as my No. 5 wide receiver. The question then becomes whether Mingo warrants a sixth receiver spot, or whether his time with the Cowboys is over. We’ll find out soon.

Running back 2 is wide open

This battle might be even bigger than the wide receiver fight based on snap count expectations. Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah went out Saturday night and averaged 2.27 rushing yards per attempt in the first half. Schottenheimer said after the game that this was mostly due to a lack of movement up front, blaming the Cowboys’ backup offensive line.

I don’t blame him for it. I’ve dived into the film, and I do think these two running backs did not have a lot to work with. That makes evaluation difficult. But I also don’t think Blue was able to make something out of nothing, which Malik Davis and Israel Abanikanda did in the second half. The same goes for Mafah. I don’t think they did enough to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

Davis and Abanikanda each averaged over 5 yards per carry Saturday night. That at least gets them into the conversation with the two players who were in a “tight battle” for the running back 2 spot, according to Schottenheimer.

My read on this: I think the Cowboys want to make Blue their RB2. Schottenheimer talked after the game about getting Blue going with screens, and the Cowboys did target him on a few. They want that explosiveness and speed. To Blue’s benefit of the doubt, the Cowboys were running him on a lot of inside runs, and I don’t think that’s where he’ll thrive. You want him in open space using that burner speed against tacklers in the open field.

But Saturday night did not go great for him. The biggest takeaway from the game is that Davis needs to be respected more. All offseason, we’ve talked about Davis as an afterthought to Blue and Mafah. Saturday night he went out and played like the best player on the field at that position for the Cowboys.

With Javonte Williams (who did not play) and fullback Hunter Luepke (an absolute roster lock who also sat out), Davis is going to be a tough cut. That leaves one more spot for Mafah, Abanikanda, or Blue. Right now, my 53-man roster projection is going to have Davis on it, and maybe not Mafah. It may not be Blue either, depending on how the rest of the preseason goes. That battle has radically taken a turn.

Cornerback depth is suddenly a concern

This next battle might sound minor, but it’s the kind of position fight that matters the moment an injury hits during the regular season.

The Cowboys know they’ve got Shavon Revel Jr., Cobie Durant, DaRon Bland, and Caleb Downs (who plays nickel corner frequently despite being a safety) locked in as starters. Going into the preseason opener, Caelen Carson looked like the top backup. He was getting first-team reps in the offseason program and consistently working with the first and second teams in training camp.

Then Saturday night happened. In a drive and a half, Carson committed 3 fouls: 2 defensive pass interference penalties and 1 face mask. There was another instance where he lost his footing in coverage. He did have a diving pass breakup and a tackle or two that stood out. I think it’s too early for the Cowboys to cancel the Carson project based on how they feel about him, but that door for the top backup cornerback role is now wide open.

Josh Butler, Devin Moore (when he returns from injury), Reddy Steward, and Derion Kendrick all have a path. Steward is getting a lot of play at nickel, and Kendrick saw significant slot time Saturday night.

I’ll be honest: I don’t think Trikweze Bridges or Amir Speed are in the running to make the 53-man roster, but I don’t think the Cowboys feel confident about their cornerback depth right now. They’re starting to feel good about their starters, and they should. But depth-wise, they should be concerned. If they’re not, that’s a problem.

For now, these are three training camp battles that radically changed over the weekend. More will become clear over the next few weeks as the Cowboys inch closer to roster cuts.