Whose stock rose in Saturday night’s preseason loss

The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 21-13 in their second preseason game of 2018. But the loss is surely at the bottom of the list of worries for Head Coach Jason Garrett and his coaching staff. Injury after injury set a troublesome tone for fans leaving AT&T stadium. In addition, it gave some players who were on the bubble new life in making this team. Injuries are something no one wants to see, but it certainly increased the stock of a few players.

Darius Jackson 

Darius Jackson was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Cowboys. He showed enough potential during his rookie preseason campaign to earn a spot with the team. It wasn’t until late in the season where he was cut and picked up by the Cleveland Browns. A year and a half later he finds himself back with the Cowboys. After Bo Scarbrough went out with a hip injury Saturday night, Jackson’s door was flung back open. He finished with six carries for 42 yards and added 4 receptions for 22 yards. He was beloved by this coaching staff in 2016 partly because of his ability to also play special teams. If Scarbrough has to be limited going forward, Jackson may find himself seated back in as the third running back.

Jaylon Smith

We know third year talent Jaylon Smith was making this team. But we didn’t know how the battle for middle linebacker would be after the Cowboys invested a first round pick in middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. After two games, Smith has earned the right to line up in the middle of this defense September 9. That is not to say LVE has been disappointing, but Smith looks infinitely more confident in his understanding and positioning on the field. This defense has continued to be aggressive throughout the preseason and Smith has been in the middle of it all.

Taco Charlton 

Randy Gregory’s return has seemingly overshadowed the improvement Taco Charlton is expected to show in year 2. According to DallasCowboys.com writer Bryan Broaddus on Charlton’s sack, “There was a time where Charlton wouldn’t have been strong enough to leverage a tackle on the way to the quarterback. But in this case, Charlton’s under move was so powerful that he also drew a holding call on the play.” Pretty good signs of a player who has benefited substantially from having a full off-season with the Cowboy’s training staff.

Veteran Safety

This is not saying the Cowboys need to go make the Earl Thomas trade now, but they are in need of safety help. Xavier Woods injury Saturday night only foreshadowed what could possibly happen during the regular season. Woods may be sidelined momentarily for a short time with a hamstring injury, leaving only Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier and Marqueston Huff as viable candidates to pick up where Woods left off.