The Dallas Cowboys kicked off their 2025 campaign with a preseason meeting against the Los Angeles Rams, and it wasn’t pretty. “America’s Team” got punched early and barely recovered in garbage time. It was an ugly, lethargic showing, specifically defensively.

Dallas rested every starter in their 31-21 loss to the Rams and consequently couldn’t make a stop. They allowed 140 total yards, nine first downs, 5.8 yards per play and two touchdowns on Los Angeles’ first pair of offensive drives (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic). Conversely, the Cowboys’ scoring unit failed to put up enough points to counteract their struggles on the other side of the ball.

Some of Dallas’ reserves appear to be readier to help this squad sooner rather than later. Others look like they won’t be on the roster much longer, yet there is beauty in the madness of a backup-filled exhibition, plus several notable takeaways. We learned a lot about the Cowboys, particularly these four players, from their defeat at the hands of the Rams.

2 Dallas Cowboys risers in preseason opener vs. Rams, 2 fallers

Stock up: Israel Mukuamu, NCB

Former All-Pros DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs (when healthy) are the Cowboys’ top two outside cornerbacks. However, the positional picture isn’t as clear in the slot, nor is it nearly as star-studded. Mukuamu and Kemon Hall are duking it out to line up inside, and the former helped himself tremendously with an impressive interception.

Hall got the nod, though it was Mukuamu who made the greater impact. Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett IV had no business attempting a 50-yard pass on the run while facing pressure. But decision-making blunder aside, the 2021 sixth-round pick made a great play, showcasing his coverage prowess, ball-tracking skills and soft hands.

Stock down: Joe Milton III, QB

Milton’s night ended early due to what Cowboys first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer called a bruised elbow and “should be alright.” It doesn’t appear to be a serious issue for the physically gifted signal-caller, but his inconsistencies are. He completed 17-of-29 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown and a pick, adding five carries for 22 yards on the ground.

While the numbers aren’t awful, the box score doesn’t tell the entire story here. There were good moments that flashed Milton’s upside, including finding undrafted free agent Rivaldo Fairweather seven-yard score and a successful two-point conversion. Nevertheless, the highlights were outnumbered by his well-chronicled inaccuracy and poor decision-making.

Stock up: Javonte Williams, RB

Williams didn’t need to suit up in Los Angeles to wind up in better standing. Third-year running back Malik Davis was productive and efficient in L.A., hitting holes hard and doing the dirty work between the tackles. It was a nice outing for the latter, who’s primarily a special teamer and distant reserve, turning seven carries into 63 scoreless yards.

Davis will need to stockpile performances like this to garner legitimate consideration for early-down work, let alone move up the touch hierarchy. Incoming seventh-round selection Phil Mafah’s 10-36-0 rushing line and two catches for 15 yards didn’t turn heads. Meanwhile, fifth-round rookie Jaydon Blue and veteran tailback Miles Sanders continue to nurse their respective ankle and knee injuries. In other words, Williams is the lesser of the evils of Dallas’ messy backfield situation and effectively the winner of this competition by default.

Stock down: Mazi Smith, DT

Smith was among the handful of first-stringers on Dallas’ unofficial depth chart heading into their tune-up match at SoFi Stadium to take the field.

He recently returned to practice after missing a few days with knee soreness. Perhaps that factored into his only staying in the contest beyond a couple of possessions and not doing much.

Physical issues aside, Smith trending downward is equally about what those who checked in following him did than what he did (or didn’t) do. Seventh-round rookie Jay Toia stood out as a factor in the ground game, which was a glaring area of weakness for the Cowboys last season. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded Dallas’ 2023 first-rounder as the 201st-ranked run stopper in 2024 … out of 219 qualified defenders.