4 Cowboys who will be X-factors in NFL Playoffs

3. Donovan Wilson, Safety

Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs get all the attention on the Cowboys’ defense while Jayron Kearse has become one of the more vocal leaders. But one player who continues to shine — despite getting none of the spotlight — is safety Donovan Wilson.

A 6-foot-0, 204-pounder from Texas A&M, Wilson was added in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season primarily on special teams and had just two tackles in 11 games. The hard-hitter then got more snaps in the base defense in year two as he was a breakout starter with 71 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two picks.

He missed much of the 2021 season with some nagging injuries but now in a contract year, he’s put together his best campaign as a pro. He put up career numbers in tackles, sacks, and tackles for a loss as well.

Wilson has been a weapon for Dan Quinn in both run support and getting after the quarterback, finishing with double-digit quarterback pressures from the safety position.

Dallas is going to need players such as Parsons and Diggs to do their jobs in order to find success in the playoffs. They’ll also need Malik Hooker to continue to fill out his role as the deep safety as well as he has. But in order to make it as far as they want to go, they’re going to need Wilson to come up with a few splash plays to help the defense seize the momentum.