OXNARD, Calif. — Most coaches wouldn’t do what Brian Schottenheimer did Thursday morning. In his final news conference of the California portion of their training camp, the Dallas Cowboys head coach named the players who have exceeded his expectations.Schottenheimer was asked for five names. He didn’t hesitate, grabbing his roster and going down the list. He named 10.“Caleb Downs, special young player,” he said. “Rashan Gary’s leadership has jumped out at me. And as a player, you guys know that. (Otito Ogbonnia), I mean, you talk about a guy that we thought we were getting maybe a run stopper. This guy’s a good football player, damn good football player, massive, really strong with his hands.“Very proud of (Shavon Revel). I’m just going to keep ripping names. … Jonathan Mingo, Camden Brown, Tyler Guyton, Javonte Williams, Ryan Flournoy, Bryan Anger, however old he is. He just hit a couple 75 yard punts.“But it’s been a great camp. It really has. And there’s been a ton of guys that have stood out. I’m very, very pleased with how the camp’s going.”Go behind the scenes at Cowboys training campJon MachotaThe reason most coaches wouldn’t do what Schottenheimer did is because it leads to speculation about why other players weren’t mentioned.Having watched all 13 practices during the team’s four weeks on the two River Ridge grass fields, I decided to come up with my own list of 10 with one player from each position group that exceeded my expectations.Quarterback: Joe Milton. The arm strength and athleticism is obvious. And he has been showing that off. But the accuracy and the way he has kept the ball from the defense has been most impressive.Running back: Israel Abanikanda. Questions remain at the position. Abanikanda is still unlikely to make the team. But he had several practices where he looked like one of Dallas’ top three backs.Running back Israel Abanikanda has just 22 career carries — all in 2023 with the Jets — but has made an impression in Cowboys camp. (Steven Bisig / Imagn Images)Wide receiver: Camden Brown. Pretty much every practice he made a highlight grab. That obviously carried over into the preseason. Brown was not expected to make the roster entering camp. He seems like a lock now.Tight end: Michael Trigg. This was the toughest position group to pick from. They all pretty much performed how I expected. Trigg was coming on before his recent toe injury. Luke Schoonmaker had some moments catching the football later in camp that were noteworthy.Offensive line: Tyler Guyton. Left tackle was one of the biggest areas of concern entering camp. Guyton has been solid, quieting that noise. As long as he can stay healthy, Guyton should be fine. Leaving California, right tackle seems like a bigger concern.Defensive line: Otito Ogbonnia. All eyes are going to be on Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark this season. But Ogbonnia should hold his own and play a lot. No. 91 can cause problems in the middle.Outside linebacker: Rashan Gary. He won a lot of pass-rush reps, but what was even more notable was his effort. He gets after it even on the days when the team isn’t in full pads.Inside linebacker: DeMarvion Overshown. This one might’ve been Jaishawn Barham but his groin injury limited some of his momentum. Overshown was moving well throughout, making noticeable hits in the run game. If he can stay healthy, Dallas should be fine at the position.Cornerback: Shavon Revel. I wasn’t sure what to expect entering camp, but he absolutely looked the part of a quality starting cornerback. He’s physical and quick. Most importantly, he’s healthy. The play of Revel, DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant have the Cowboys looking like they will have a quality trio of corners.Safety: Julius Wood. He’s a player you might not be looking for, but you often find yourself noticing No. 32 making a play. The safety group is the best it’s been in over a decade in Dallas.Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked Thursday who has stood out most to him. Last week, he mentioned Guyton.“I like our receiving group and I think they’ve earned it and they have worked,” Jones said. “I like our quarterbacks. And I really like what we’re doing, frankly, in our secondary. I think you’re seeing the results of good communication out there. And you’re seeing players that are actually playing at a level that they can attain because of good communication.“They’re not worried about as much if they’re making a mistake of where they are. They’ve got a good feel for it. And that’s the point. That’s what they’re trying to do. So, I see the effect of what we’re trying to do on defense relative to communication. And then I obviously really like the players and their individual abilities to execute.”Why adding Von Miller will give the Cowboys a defensive boostJon MachotaCowboys quarterback Dak Prescott called it a “successful” camp. He believes the team is where it needs to be, but he declined to take the bait when asked for any standouts.The biggest question entering camp was about the defense and the improvement it would show from last season. The biggest boost might just be that it doesn’t appear any of their top players will be traded a week before the season starts.On paper, the defense looks much better. The signs are also there on the field. From Quinnen Williams to Overshown and Jalen Thompson, it appears that they have legitimate playmakers at all three levels. The biggest game-changer could come down to what they get from first-round pick Caleb Downs.He didn’t have any takeaways in practices open to reporters, but he was constantly around the ball while defending the run or covering a talented group of receivers. It wasn’t an accident that he was the first player Schottenheimer named.“I feel like it went well,” Downs said of his first camp experience. “I learned a lot, and got more confident. That’s the biggest thing. I’m just ready to go compete.”He later added: “Mike Tyson said success breeds confidence and confidence breeds success. I feel like those two work together. When you win at things, and you do good at things, it allows you to feel more confident. And then when you succeed, it just continues to grow from there.”The Cowboys travel to Arizona on Friday for their second preseason game on Saturday. They return to Dallas on Sunday and continue training camp at The Star in Frisco, Texas, next week.“We’re far from done,” Schottenheimer said. “I reminded the guys that (Thursday). We’ve loved the time out here … but training camp is not over. When we go back to Frisco, we’re still in training camp mode and we’re still working training camp hours. We’re a long way from the season opener.”