3 Dallas Cowboys players that might have won starting jobs with win over Jets, including late round rookie

OT Nate Thomas

This is a tricky one. Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele have good arguments to start, but the Cowboys' backup left tackle has handled business during the last couple of weeks. Last week, he took care of Micah Parsons (one-on-one more than once) and the Green Bay Packers' pass rush. This time, he was a big reason why Prescott was kept clean in the pocket. The quarterback praised his young teammate postgame.

"You got a young Nate Thomas coming up to me after the game saying that he can do better and he will do better," Prescott told reporters. "And it’s like, 'dude, I know you will.' That’s as rewarding as this win is, because you’ve got guys who care about this as much as you do and want to be their best every single play."

Thomas also shined in the run game, having key blocks in Javonte Williams' 66-yard run and in other run plays. While the All-22 review will say more about the state of the Cowboys' tackle position, it's more than clear Thomas should be in a spot to compete to start, be it at left or right tackle.

LB Shemar James

A fifth-round rookie, James is far from perfect, but he did lead the team with 15 tackles, taking on a bigger role than expected following Jack Sanborn's injury. Specifically, James stood out by flying all over the field, showing off the explosive range that made him a draft pick in the first place. Eight of his tackles were solo.

Though James is still a raw player, the truth is the Cowboys' linebackers haven't been good enough to keep him at bay. Marist Liufau got a start on Sunday, and James might have a case for more playing time himself. What is clear is that Matt Eberflus needs to keep looking for answers at this position.

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