The Dallas Cowboys opened up their three-day rookie minicamp on Thursday at The Star in Frisco, bringing in a mix of drafted and undrafted newcomers, with first-round picks Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence leading the group. It didn’t take long for things to get real, though, as a few rookies struggled early on, dealing with nausea during workouts as they adjusted to the intensity of the NFL.
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Head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the situation during a May 2 press conference, acknowledging that several players had fallen ill during recent sessions.
“None of these guys are in great shape right now.” Head coach Brian Schottenheimer speaks with the media: “You might have seen a few guys getting sick yesterday, a little bit of vomiting going on.”
The Cowboys have brought in their 2025 rookie class, a group of 19 players in total. Nine of them were selected in the NFL Draft, while the rest earned their shot through undrafted free agent deals, all coming in with something to prove.
Schotty has already shared his philosophy for getting the new players acclimated this weekend.
“I talked about it to them, the three C’s,” he said. “Get them comfortable, a Cowboy, getting them caught up with football, but probably most importantly, getting them connected to one another.”
This group, especially the nine draft picks, really stands. Whether it’s their professionalism or their experience as college captains, they clearly reflect Schotty’s focus on bringing strong character into the locker room. If they fail to keep up health-wise, it could end up disrupting quite a few things.
“The maturity of this group … they are very mature,” Schottenheimer said. “I think they’ll maximize the fact that, while they’re away, they’ll use that time to get caught up on what we’re doing but also find time to work out.”
The group is strong on defense as well, with Downs and Lawrence leading the way. Barham, Drew Shelton, and Moore add depth across the team. The Cowboys also brought in several undrafted free agents to compete at the rookie minicamp, including running back Dominic Richardson, wide receivers Camden Brown and Jordan Hudson, tight ends Michael Trigg and DJ Rogers, and offensive lineman Sidney Fugar.
However, there have been some early challenges too. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said tight ends Michael Trigg and DJ Rogers are not in top shape yet, so the team has to manage their workload carefully.
![Patrik [No C] Walker](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1946640157798494209/XNWwENH__normal.jpg){kind=small}
Schotty says the #Cowboys have truly started putting their rookie class through the conditioning paces this weekend, to get them NFL ready now, not later. … and to the point where “there was some vomiting” over the past couple days. welcome to the NFL.
Still, the rookies are making the most of it all.
“It’s just been really cool,” fourth-round pick and offensive lineman Drew Shelton said. “This is a place that has so much history. To meet all the new teammates and everything like that, it’s just been very fun.”
Some players have also seen familiar faces.
“Just walking through the halls, I was blessed enough to see Shemar James, a former Gator,” Cornerback Devin Moore said. “We came in the same recruiting class together. Just seeing him here, knowing that there are guys of that caliber and character around the building, it’s a blessing to be here.”
After the minicamp ends on Saturday, the team will meet again for OTAs on June 1, followed by mandatory minicamp from June 16 to 18. As things move forward, Schottenheimer also shared what has stood out about the first-round pick Caleb Downs so far.
Brian Schottenheimer impressed by Caleb Downs at rookie camp
The Dallas Cowboys selected Caleb Downs with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, making him the first safety taken in this class. Dallas made the move in a deal with the Miami Dolphins, giving up two 2026 fifth-round picks.
Caleb Downs spent a good part of Friday’s practice working with Christian Parker. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer seems quite impressed with what he has seen so far.
“The person, elite. The intelligence elite,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s cool for me on the field to watch the ability for him to be going in any direction and how quickly he can get into balance. Why that matters is it matters with the ability to tackle in open field space, make plays on the ball in coverage, and time up blitzes.”
“He’s just got incredible lower-body athleticism that when you watch him, he always gets into that same position where he’s ready to strike with the same foot and same shoulder, whether it’s left foot forward or right foot forward. The way he moves in the individual periods, which is really what mostly this camp is going to be, it’s very impressive how he can do that.”
Downs had a great college career at Ohio State Buckeyes and was a two-time All-American. In 2025, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and also won the Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott Trophy. Last season, he had 68 tackles, five tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions in 14 games.
He can play multiple positions like nickel corner, free safety, strong safety, and even linebacker. He reads the game very fast and reacts quickly on the field. There is no doubt Caleb Downs brings a lot to the Dallas defense, which finished near the bottom last season.
