The Dallas Cowboys completed their first joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, and it went way better than last year.
Last year, the Cowboys defense got shown up big time by the high-powered Rams offense. Their practice on Tuesday went differently. Dallas was able to stay aggressive and competitive against Los Angeles, proving that their unit has improved.
One aspect of the practice was a highlight for the Cowboys, as it truly separated them from the Rams. Los Angeles just found out there is a defender on the Cowboys named Justin Barron, and he’s pretty good at football.
Cowboys Got a Shining Performance From Justin Barron at Joint Practice With Rams
GettyA Dallas Cowboys helmet
At the joint practice, Barron had three highlight plays. He picked off the Rams quarterbacks three times.
One video showed Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett being the victim of one of Barron’s interceptions. Bennett threw it in the middle of the field, and it went right into Barron’s hands, where he had a short return before celebrating the play.
Barron was an undrafted rookie in 2025 out of Syracuse for the Cowboys. He spent most of the season on the practice squad until Dallas called him up onto the active roster for the final two weeks of the regular season.
In those two games, he appeared in 30 total special teams snaps. He did not record a stat in those matchups.
Cowboys DC Christian Parker Might Need to Watch Justin Barron More
GettyDallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
It’s easy to say that Barron went up against the Rams’ backups, but getting three interceptions in one day is still impressive. The young linebacker might have a massive hill to climb if he wants to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster.
At the moment, Barron is considered a third-string inside linebacker on the depth chart. He has to compete with Shemar James, Curtis Robinson, and Langston Patterson for the final spot or two on the roster.
That defensive performance is no doubt going to help Barron’s chances of making the roster. It’s not often a linebacker is making those kinds of plays in practice.
Barron will also have to focus in camp on playing well on special teams. He needs to be a gunner on kickoff coverage and be one of the elite players at the position.
Dallas will need him to be able to do a lot on the roster and on defense. He’s proven to be a great player in coverage and a playmaker, but more needs to be done. How he plays the run will determine how far he goes in training camp.
The Cowboys are a few days away from their first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. That will be Barron’s first real test to prove himself in front of a home crowd with the pressure on him.
With the cameras on, Barron should get plenty of playing time in Christian Parker’s defense with the backups playing more often. It will be the first real test to see if Barron is for real.
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