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The Dallas Cowboys kicked off their 2019 campaign on Saturday night. Playing the San Francisco 49ers, at Levi's Stadium, the Cowboys lost 17-9 on a night when most of their starters either rested or played minimal snaps.
The game couldn't foretell whether they'll be successful in 2019 — no preseason games do — but several players had good nights. Here are three who produced in a big way against the 49ers, in no particular order.
Devin Smith – WR
A second-round pick from Ohio State in 2015, Devin Smith hasn't produced an NFL career he and his original team (New York Jets) envisioned for him. Yet, on the Cowboys, he has turned out to be an enticing futures contract signing: He became a productive member of the team in its first preseason game.
Smith finished his Cowboys debut with three receptions for a team-leading 53 yards. An explosive athlete with an abundance of speed (4.43 second 40-time), Smith popped out as a field-stretcher for the Cowboys on Saturday. He would've had a touchdown if his quarterback, Mike White, could have found him wide open in the end zone.
Smith is buried in a deep, youthful, wide receiver depth chart. However, he has impressed in both training camp and preseason to warrant another look. He'll have to beat out Cedrick Wilson, Reggie Davis, and a bevy of undrafted prospects to make the roster; so far, he has done just that.
Blake Jarwin – TE
Blake Jarwin picked up where he left off on Saturday. In 2018, the tight end finished his second season with four straight games of seven targets. To kick off 2019, he continued to see the ball thrown to him. He finished his third-year preseason debut with four catches for 51 yards.
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Jarwin's highlight of the night happened to be Dallas' biggest play of the game. He tallied a 33-yard catch and run. Though not a particularly outstanding blocker, Jarwin's big night helped the offense move the ball downfield with athletic runs and just as athletic catches.
With 37-year-old Jason Witten back in-fold, Jarwin probably won't start week one. But, he's quickly working his way up to being a big part of the 2019 offense. Dak Prescott favored the tight end for his well-run routes last season; the same can be said for his backups during the preseason.
Cedrick Wilson – WR
The Cowboys picked Cedrick Wilson in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft to do what he did on Saturday night. The wide receiver finished the game with three receptions for 36 yards, a solid stat line that doesn't correctly reflect an outstanding performance.
Wilson ran clean routes all night long and showed reliable hands. He played so well that those within the broadcast booth confused him for veteran Randall Cobb, an interesting comparison considering Wilson has four inches on Cobb and is deemed to be more of a boundary threat.
Unfortunately, Wilson's night was cut short in the second half. 49ers safety Adrian Colbert clobbered the receiver in the middle of the field. The safety was ejected for the hit, while Wilson is undergoing concussion protocol. In 2018, he couldn't stay healthy; hopefully, 2019 will be a turning point.
