The Good & Not So Good From Day 8 of Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

Sunday was practice No. 8 for the Dallas Cowboys as they're rapidly moving through training camp.

They get one day off before taking on the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday in their first joint practice of the offseason.

Dallas is also nearing its first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on August 15, followed by a second joint practice session with the New Orleans Saints on August 18.

Good: Marist Liufau stands out

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Marist Liufau is learning a new position and is starting to catch on. He had a strong showing on Saturday and picked up where he left off on Sunday. He not only has been active near the line of scrimmage but showed excellent patience and decisiveness when asked to play in coverage. During the latest practice, this was on full display when he played a swing pass to the running back to perfection.

Not So Good: MVS sidelined

Dallas Cowboys WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Once the talk of offseason practices, Marquez Valdes-Scantling has cooled off. On Sunday, he was unable to practice, spending the day with the rehab group instead. Injuries are going to happen during camp, but this was an unfortunate time for Valdes-Scantling, who is fighting for his spot on the roster.

Good: Malachi Lawrence finding his groove

Caleb Downs is getting plenty of attention as the No. 11 overall pick from the 2026 NFL draft is playing like a veteran during camp. That said, fellow first-round pick Malachi Lawrence deserves his flowers as well. He's becoming more comfortable with his role in this defense, and was one of the standouts on Sunday. He showed that he can defend the run, get after the quarterback, and even looked comfortable dropping back in pass coverage.

Malachi pack pic.twitter.com/1ye1qkCw6H
— Voch Lombardi (@VochLombardi) August 9, 2026

Lawrence has the traits to be a cornerstone EDGE for Dallas, and it was really encouraging to see him hitting his stride this weekend.

Good: Cornerbacks holding their own

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It can't be easy-going against George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb in every practice, but that hasn't hurt the confidence of Cobie Durant or Shavon Revel Jr. Both players stood out with excellent coverage on Sunday, with Durant being praised for forcing an incompletion by ripping the ball out of Pickens' hands. That in itself is no easy task, which shows just how well Durant is performing right now.

Cobie Durant may be the first player to rip a ball away from George Pickens in camp pic.twitter.com/ruR2b8HVFA
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 9, 2026

DaRon Bland has one starting spot locked down and Caleb Downs is expected to play in the slot. Dallas will have a tough time deciding who will be the other starter between Durant and Revel, which is the exact problem they were hoping to have.

Not so good: Slow start for the offense

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott throws the ball at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas offense started slow on Sunday, with P.J. Locke recording on an interception in the end zone. Julius Wood nearly recorded another interception, as the passing attack struggled to find it rhythm. Eventually, Dak Prescott began to find his playmakers, but for a team that struggled to start fast at times in 2025, this wasn't an ideal way to begin practice.

Good: Joe Milton shows off some touch

Dallas Cowboys QB Joe Milton III goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joe Milton is fighting for his QB2 spot and as Cowboys On SI's Josh Sanchez recently stated, he's falling behind Sam Howell. Milton isn't going down without a fight, evidence by his play on Sunday. Milton had multiple solid throws, including a deep ball that had some excellent touch on it.

Joe Milton with some nice touch here pic.twitter.com/QYUu5pybIq
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 9, 2026

That pass to Ryan Flournoy was great to see from Milton, considering he was criticized last year for being unable to take some of the heat off of his throws.

Overall, it was a strong practice for the Cowboys and a great way to wrap up their second week of training camp as they prepare for a break on Monday.

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