Cowboys stock up, stock down Week 6: Malik Hooker quietly dominates

Stock up: Malik Hooker, S

Last season, the Cowboys added three safeties in free agency and Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse did enough to earn two-year extensions in the offseason. During the 2021 campaign, Kearse was the star as he was all over the field making plays. Hooker, who was coming off an Achilles injury, was solid but really started to come along as the season ended.

Now in 2022, Hooker has been the best player in the secondary for Dallas. PFF has him graded as the third-highest safety in the entire NFL. He’s been great in coverage but even better in run support.

He had 12 tackles on Sunday night, giving him 34 on the season to go along with one interception. He’s not making splash plays but he’s been integral to the success this defense has had in 2022 and deserves praise for that.

Stock down: Michael Gallup, WR

When Michael Gallup returned against Washington, he had quite the impact. He had just two receptions but scored a touchdown in his 2022 debut.

He then added four receptions for 44 yards against the Rams, looking as though he was ready to do even more going forward. That’s not what happened in Week 6 though as he caught just two of seven targets for 18 yards.

While not every pass was accurate, he was also unable to create much separation at all. Considering he’s the wideout that was given the long extension, they need more from Gallup going forward.