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Cowboys minicamp takeaways: Why their first-rounders look ready to make impact

The Cowboys were thrilled to get Caleb Downs with the 11th pick and minicamp only strengthened that feeling. Chris Jones / Imagn Images

By Jon MachotaJune 23, 2026 6:01 am EDT Updated

FRISCO, Texas — The most memorable moment from last year’s Dallas Cowboys minicamp was the 30 minutes or so that Micah Parsons spent talking with Jerry Jones between the two outdoor practice fields at The Star.

Things got so ugly from that point forward that Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers a week before the season started.

It doesn’t appear that George Pickens’ contract situation will have a similar result. The star wide receiver attended minicamp last week after skipping the two weeks of voluntary organized team activities. Pickens, who has signed the franchise tag, said he has no plans to skip training camp when the team reports in late July.

There were no contract talks or lengthy discussions on the field between Pickens and Jones last week. The Cowboys owner and general manager did not attend.

The 3 biggest takeaways from Cowboys' minicampJon Machota

As things stand, Dallas could be heading to training camp with less drama than usual.

Franchise quarterback Dak Prescott is a fan of that possibility.

“Obviously we’re used to it,” Prescott said. “So, it wouldn’t be absurd to have it. But it is good that we won’t have that this year. George is going to be there. I wish he would get the long-term contract, but I’m sure that’s all being talked about and discussed behind closed doors. And it (doesn’t) necessarily (have) to happen immediately. Hopefully these are the last of those questions and we can get him on some long-term (contract) whenever it’s right.

“I just think the focus is in the right place.”

Here are some of my observations from two weeks of OTAs and a week of minicamp.

More on Pickens

He did not take part in team drills or 7-on-7, but Pickens was a full participant in individual work. He looked to be in good shape and moving like the player who had his best season a year ago.

“It’s great,” Prescott said. “You feel his energy. You feel his presence. It’s in the locker room. Obviously, it’s out there on the football field. Everything felt good. He looks great. I know he’s going to be ready for (training) camp. The excitement, you can feel it.”

Prescott plans on getting teammates together during the break before training camp, as he’s done in previous offseasons. The work allows for Prescott to work on the field with the team’s top pass catchers while also building team camaraderie. Pickens is expected to attend.

Prescott said he thinks it will be beneficial, but added: “We can go throw a lot of touchdowns right now. That guy’s ready.”

Where can Prescott and Pickens improve from last season?

“Every ball that I throw him gets completed,” Prescott said. “That’s my standard. That’s his standard.”

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Caleb Downs

Nothing about the first-round pick makes him seem like a rookie. The majority of his defensive reps were taken as the first-team nickel defensive back. He’ll be able to help at several spots, but nickel looks to be where he’ll see the majority of his work. Downs also took reps at punt returner and personal protector on special teams. His work ethic, attention to detail, desire to learn and professionalism make him seem like a veteran already.

Malachi Lawrence

He doesn’t receive the attention Downs does, but Dallas’ other first-round pick saw a lot of first-team work, rushing off both the right and left side.

“I’ve been most pleasantly surprised by the instincts when he drops in coverage,” Schottenheimer said. “They didn’t drop him much at UCF, for the right reasons. But I like the way he’s tackled this offseason. I think he’s another guy that the talent is real. I don’t remember him making a lot of mistakes, and that’s a good thing.”

The Cowboys drafted Malachi Lawrence with the 23rd pick in the first round earlier this year and he made an impression on Brian Schottenheimer at minicamp practices. (Chris Jones / Imagn Images)

Bigger leadership role

Quinnen Williams is one of the NFL’s top interior defensive linemen. His play speaks for itself. But he’s taking on a bigger leadership role entering this season. That has included him having his locker moved to the middle of the room next to Prescott. Surprisingly, Williams has yet to make the playoffs during his NFL career.

“That’s what you want to do it for,” Prescott said. “That’s what I told him. I said, ‘I’ll get you to the playoffs, and we need you to help us win it.’”

Dak’s knee soreness

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer announced before the first minicamp practice that Prescott would be limited because of the minor soreness. But during practice, things looked pretty similar to any other practice. Prescott took fewer reps in team drills, but nothing noticeable if Schottenheimer had not made it known. Prescott insisted that he’s fine. It was more about just managing his workload as he enters his 11th season.

“Not an issue at all,” Schottenheimer said. “When I talked to Dak about it, I said, ‘Hey, as you get older, buddy, we’re going to have to take a play or two off.’ But he’s just such a competitor. He’s like, ‘Nah. I’m good. I want to go.’

“Dak’s ready and he’s always going to ask for more and it’s my job as the head coach to work with the training staff. And if we do think we need to pull back on stuff, it won’t be a fun conversation.”

Left tackle

It’s a competition between Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas, but Guyton is the clear favorite. He was the one running with the first-team through minicamp practices. As long as he can stay healthy, Guyton should hold down that spot in his third season.

“Those are two guys that both can play and both are huge to this team,” Prescott said. “Whether it’s battling out now to be the starter, those are both guys we’re going to need. Both guys are going to have to play at some point or another. They’re pushing. They’re doing a hell of a job. I love both of those guys and the way they approach the game, just watching Tyler get better, watching Nate get better. They’re going to push each other.”

Jaydon Blue played in just five games last season as a rookie with 38 rushing attempts and a single reception. Will he take on a bigger role in Year 2? (Chris Jones / Imagn Images)

Backup running back

Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah were splitting the first-team work as starter Javonte Williams wasn’t a full participant. Blue is the player who would best complement Williams with his pass-catching ability, but he has to prove he’s ready for a second-year jump after an underwhelming rookie season. This is a spot that could also still be addressed in the coming months. The only thing locked in right now is that Williams is the lead guy.

“More than anything, we just wanted to give the two young guys (Blue and Mafah) a lot of work,” Schottenheimer said of Williams not practicing. “We knew it was the last full-speed practice (on Wednesday). Javonte’s in a great spot, looks great. It was more about the young guys and reps in the last full practice.”

Ryan Flournoy