Three things you should know about Cowboys preseason Week 1 standout Camden Brown

Camden Brown dedicated his preseason performance to his late sister 

Brown made his preseason debut nearly five years after the death of his sister, Kaden. On Aug. 13, 2021, she died at 17 due to complications from kidney failure. She wasn't expected to live past three, per Brown. 

In a postgame news conference, Brown wore a chain with a picture of himself and his sister. He said she motivates him to prove his doubters wrong. 

"She lived through me today," Brown said. "She's smiling at me right now."

Why did Camden Brown go undrafted? 

Brown, a former three-star recruit, signed with the Auburn Tigers in December 2021. He played sparingly in three seasons with the SEC program, recording 26 receptions for 289 yards and three touchdown catches. 

Brown, 22, transferred to the Georgia Southern Eagles before the 2025 season and instantly became a WR1 for the Sun Belt program. In 13 games in 2025, he had 65 receptions for 1,079 yards and a conference-leading 14 TD catches, earning a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference nod. 

Despite breaking out in 2025, scouts likely ignored Brown (6-foot-2, 204 pounds) due in part to the slow start to his college career. In his scouting report, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein noted Brown's lack of production in the SEC would "create doubt for some teams" about whether he could produce at the NFL level. 

These squads may have felt his lack of elite athleticism prevented him from doing so. Brown ran a 4.61 40-yard dash at his pro day on March 9. 

What are Camden Brown's chances of making the final 53-man roster?

2025 Pro Bowlers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens headline the Cowboys' loaded WR room. And let's not forget about third-year WR Ryan Flournoy, who could be a breakout candidate after ranking fourth on the team in receiving yards (475) last season. That sparks questions about whether the Cowboys will have enough room for Brown when they trim the roster from 90 players to 53 before the deadline on Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. ET. 

Despite the star power, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer clearly believes there could be a place for Brown if he continues stacking solid performances in practice and preseason games. 

"The game is not too big for [Brown]," Schottenheimer said postgame. "He does that every day in practice. We see it all the time ... What I love about him is he does the little things, too. You watch him on special teams drills, one-on-one drills and things like that; he realizes that's how you make this football team when you got a receiver room that's filled with George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, Ryan Flournoy and people like that. That stuff matters."