What To Watch For During Dallas Cowboys' Second Week of OTAs

Jalen Thompson's injury status is just one of a handful of things to keep an eye on during the Dallas Cowboys' second week of OTAs.

Former Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys completed their first week of OTAs last week and will now turn the page to Week 2, when Dallas will hold three more practices, including one that will be open to the media.

If you didn't catch all of the action from last week, you can catch up by checking out our biggest takeaways from the open session last Thursday. We also listed our biggest winners and losers from the first week of OTAs, as well as the six biggest standouts.

Now, let's dive into what Cowboys fans should be keeping an eye on over the course of the next three OTAs practices that fall on June 8, June 9 and June 11.

Jalen Thompson's injury status

Former Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Thompson was easily the biggest injury surprise from the first week of OTAs.

The Cowboys' high-priced free-agent signing was working with the rehab group that also included Donovan Ezeiruaku and DaRon Bland, both of whom were expected to be in that group.

It remains unclear what Thompson is dealing with, but it doesn't appear it's too serious or else he wouldn't have been outside with the team. Hopefully we see some progress to put any fears over his injury situation to bed.

Cornerback reps

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

With Bland sidelined, the Cowboys gave first-team reps to Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel and Caelen Carson on the outside, with Carson being the biggest surprise in that group. We also saw Durant split time with rookie Caleb Downs in the slot.

With Bland expected to be sidelined once again, it'll be interesting to see if the Cowboys stick with that trio on the boundary, and if Dallas gives anyone else a look in the slot.

Speaking of Revel, Nick Harris of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram noted the second-year corner looked more fluid and confident now that he's another year removed from a torn ACL.

RB2 battle

Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Malik Davis has widely been considered the favorite for the top backup job behind Javonte Williams, but it appears both Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah will at least give him a run for his money.

Last week, Nick Harris of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram relayed that there are positive things being said about both players in the Cowboys' building, and both made some notable plays at OTAs.

"Phil Mafah looked good with his first-team reps, grabbing a touchdown in red zone work, as did Jaydon Blue," he said. "Mafah has specifically drawn a lot of praise for his work this offseason, with one source saying he is 'night-and-day' different from last year."

"Blue has also been praised, with another source saying he’s more 'locked in' right now on the details than he ever was in his rookie season," Harris added.

Rookie progress

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Malachi Lawrence. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Outside of Caleb Downs, we didn't hear much about Cowboys rookies over the course of the first week of OTAs.

That doesn't mean they're doing bad, but it would be nice to hear some positive news on Dallas' first-year players, especially the team's draft picks.

We would especially like some updates on Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham on how they are faring in practice.

On the undrafted free-agent front, Michael Trigg is the player we most want to hear more about. Trigg's freakish athleticism makes him a candidate to pull off a 53-man roster upset at tight end.

Left tackle battle and more competitions

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton. | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

We know the Cowboys have a battle at left tackle between Nate Thoms and Tyler Guyton, and we already mentioned the competitions at both cornerback and running back.

We'll also be keeping an eye on the QB2 battle, where Joe Milton saw reps ahead of Sam Howell last week. We would those two to switch off throughout the offseason when it comes who gets more reps.

Linebacker is another important position to watch. Last week, it was Dee Winters and Shemar James getting first-team reps with DeMarvion Overshown absent ahead of his wedding. There was zero mention of Barham, though, so it isn't clear if he got any.

Wide receiver is worth keeping tabs on. Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw first-team reps last Thursday, and while that was because George Pickens wasn't attending, it does give us a possible hint that MVS is the leader in the clubhouse for the WR4 spot behind Pickens, CeeDee Lamb and Ryan Flournoy, and perhaps MVS can push Flournoy for the WR3 job.