Dallas Cowboys: 1 bold prediction for each positional group
Safety
Prediction: Malik Hooker will revive his career in Dallas
This one we are going out on a bit of a limb for. But Malik Hooker was a former first-rounder for a reason. This is a player who, when coming out of college, had one AFC personnel director convinced Hooker would be an All-Pro by his third season in the NFL.
Unfortunately, numerous injuries (including an Achilles tear last season) derailed that All-Pro path and now the 15th overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft finds himself in Dallas on a one-year prove-it deal. Only 25-years old, Hooker still has a chance to resurrect his career. And the Cowboys are the perfect spot to do so.
Dallas has been in desperate need of quality safety play for years, refusing to invest anything more than former sixth-rounders as starters for the better part of the previous decade. That changed this season with the hiring of Dan Quinn as the new defensive coordinator.
The Cowboys’ current roster at safety includes Hooker, Donovan Wilson, Damontae Kazee, rookie Israel Mukuamu, Jayron Kearse, and Darian Thompson (prior to final cuts, at least). And they represent the most talent this group has seen in years.
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If Malik Hooker can stay healthy, and that’s a huge “if”, he has all the tools to become a successful free safety in Dan Quinn’s scheme. And we believe he’ll make his mark in Dallas this season and earn himself a new contract in 2022 to remain a Cowboy.