The NFL preseason is officially over, and now teams like the Dallas Cowboys are turning their attention to building a roster they hope is championship-caliber.
With Dallas facing plenty of question marks heading into training camp this season, players were faced with ample opportunities to make their presence felt. Some players took advantage, while others did not.
We analyze those who saw their stock rise and fall following the conclusion of the preseason.
Cowboys Players Whose Stock Went Up After the Preseason
Deuce Vaughn
Hampered by an injury that kept him out of the first preseason action, Deuce Vaughn found himself behind the eight-ball a little bit this training camp. That is a vastly different position than the one he was in last year where he was a training camp darling that took the fan base by storm.
However, despite the slow start, Vaughn has vaulted his way back into roster contention once again with a couple of solid preseason performances. With the combination of quality work in practice and standing out individually during game action, Vaughn finds himself having those in the know doing roster gymnastics to fit him into the running back rotation.
While he’s only 5’6″, you can’t teach the type of speed and big-play ability Vaughn possesses. He’s unlike any other back Dallas currently has on the roster, and with special teams abilities as well, there could be more than a few people banging on the table for Vaughn to stick on the roster at cutdown day.
Julius Wood
When looking at Dallas’ roster, many believe that the safety room is the deepest, top to bottom, on the team. With Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson locked in as starters and Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas as depth, the Cowboys feel really good about the position.
However, undrafted rookie Julius Wood from East Carolina wasn’t mentioned and probably should be. The young safety has made quite an impression on the coaching staff and fans alike. Wood finished the preseason with 11 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and two passes defensed.
shoulda coulda wooda@4thqtrWood snags it!
📺: #LACvsDAL on CBS 11Â
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/trqtlMKLUK pic.twitter.com/pdlPjsRI6m— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys)
The body of work tells you he belongs on the 53-man roster, but the way the team is constructed may make things tight, limiting their ability to do so. The reality in the NFL is that if a player of this caliber is waived, there’s a chance Wood ends up elsewhere.
Will Dallas allow that to happen, or will they do what’s necessary to keep him?
It’s a good problem for Wood as his exceptional play has made things hard for the Cowboys and makes him one of the easiest players to pick as a stock riser on the team.
Ryan Flournoy
Another stock up, and another rookie that has turned heads. Rookie wide receiver Ryan Flournoy, out of Southeastern Missouri State, has been an excellent Day 3 find for the Cowboys this year.
The big-bodied pass catcher has met every challenge he’s faced and has impressed while doing so. The biggest example of Flournoy being different came in the second preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Flournoy was matched up 1-on-1 against Raiders starting cornerback Jack Jones in the red zone, a daunting task for any late-round rookie. However, Flournoy proceeded to hit Jones with a vicious inside-release hesitation step before darting back out for an easy fade ball touchdown grab in the corner of the end zone.
He completely left Jones in the dust, opening eyes everywhere. That was the first of two two touchdown passes this preseason, and it served as a glimpse that this kid may be different than your ordinary sixth-round pick.
Cowboys Players Whose Stock Went Down After the Preseason
Jalen Moreno-Cropper
While some wide receivers rose to the occasion, others fell back to earth after promising starts. Such is the case for Jalen Moreno-Cropper, who had a similar path last season before ultimately being waived and brought back on the practice squad.
Moreno-Cropper is clearly talented and has shown his ability on more than a few occasions over the last two training camps. However, he hasn’t been able to continue that rise, and with a fumble in Dallas’ second preseason game, it felt like he was unable to regain any momentum he was gaining early.
Viliami Fehoko Jr.
To put it bluntly, Viliami Fehoko Jr. was never able to find a rhythm this preseason. From lackluster practices to minimal to no-impact preseason games, Fehoko was unable to show why the team should opt to keep him around this season.
From the limited pass-rush bag he possesses to his inability to get off blocks in the run game, Fehoko and the Cowboys didn’t see the Year 2 development they had hoped they would. Dallas was starved for pass rushers this training camp, opening up a chance for the former San Jose State star to potentially shine, but he was unable to take advantage.
Peyton Hendershot
A man who was once viewed as a true undrafted steal in 2022, Peyton Hendershot now likely faces the reality that he is on the outside looking in. With last year’s second-round pick, Luke Schoonmaker, locked into a roster spot, second-year UDFA John Stephens Jr. just looking better, and Hunter Luepke having position flex, this may signal the end for Hendershot in Dallas.
Hendershot was unable to separate from the pack, and following an extended absence due to an injury last season, it just felt like he was unable to regain the momentum he had built in his rookie season. He may be a practice squad candidate, but Hendershot rounds out the stock-down group following a ho-hum preseason.
