Cowboys' Players With Most to Prove in Preseason Week 1

The Dallas Cowboys will finally get the chance to compete in live game action on Sunday when they kick off their preseason schedule against the Los Angeles Rams.

Granted, the biggest players for Dallas aren't likely to get involved. Dak Prescott hasn't played in the preseason since 2019 and the Cowboys aren't going to risk injury to their stars playing in an exhibition.

Still, the first preseason game means a whole lot more for those who are jockeying for depth chart position or clinging on to the hope of a roster spot.

For young players who are trying to carve out a role or simply be in the league, what happens against the Rams is going to play a large role in what happens for them moving forward.

OT Tyler Guyton

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Tyler Guyton

Rookies are always interesting to track in preseason games. It's the first glimpse into how they will handle the pressure of actual game speed.

In the case of Tyler Guyton, it's a chance to take step toward winning a starting job. The team's first unofficial depth chart has Chuma Edoga listed as the starting left tackle.

In general, a first-round pick should be expected to beat out a player like Edoga. The 27-year-old only has 19 starts across five seasons in the league. Right now, it's too early to panic that Guyton isn't considered the starter yet.

After all, he recently missed three consecutive days of practice with an illness so it's kind of to be expected that he'll be splitting reps.

Regardless, a poor performance in the first preseason game would start real questions about that depth chart. Guyton is a much better player than Edoga on paper. In theory, he should start to pull away from him as the logical starter at left tackle as the preseason wears on.

That begins with a solid start against the Rams on Sunday.

DT Mazi Smith

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Mazi Smith

You could realistically pick just about any player from the 2023 draft class and put them on here. Last season's rookies barely registered an impact for the Cowboys last season. We'll go with Mazi Smith because he's the former first-round pick.

The Cowboys opted to go the less-traveled route of drafting a nose tackle in the first round last season. Typically, a nose tackle only draws first round consideration if they are A.) an elite pass-rusher or B.) an absolutely dominant run defender from the outset.

Mazi Smith was neither as a rookie. He played 28 percent of the defensive snaps and ranked 113th among the interior defenders graded by PFF.

It was a rookie year that fell way under expectations. Fortunately for him, the coaching staff has publicly stated their belief in him. Mike McCarthy even told reporters that the switch from Dan Quinn to Mike Zimmer at defensive coordinator will be good for Smith.

The first preseason game is a good chance for Smith to show that he's worked on his game and will be a bigger part of the Cowboys defense moving forward.

QB Trey Lance

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Trey Lance

No one in Dallas has more riding on this preseason than Trey Lance. The former No. 3 overall pick finds himself engaged in a battle just to become the No. 2 quarterback on the Cowboys depth chart.

He will start out as the team's third quarterback on the first unofficial depth chart. It's unofficial and should be taken with a large grain of salt, but Cooper Rush has held off Lance as the backup to this point of camp.

Lance's preseason performances will be a key storyline over the next few weeks. Dak Prescott still doesn't have a contract extension so there's going to be a faction of the fanbase that believes Lance could be the quarterback of the future with the Cowboys.

Even if that's not in the cards, Lance could be auditioning for teams who could be interested in him as a free agent next season. Lance was an interesting prospect because few quarterbacks had as little experience as him coming out of North Dakota State.

The fact is that Lance is still only 24 years old, there's time for him to turn his career around, but it starts with showing promise in the preseason.