Analyzing the Cowboys safety unit before the 2023 regular season
By John Herndon
Donovan Wilson
He had the most pressures among all the safeties, with 14, but tends to be overly aggressive, as shown by his 18 missed tackles. The physical tone that Donovan Wilson sets resonates throughout the defense, not just the safeties.
Wilson inked a $21 million, three-year contract extension with the Cowboys in March. It was surprising that Dallas managed to keep him given the interest he gaged on the open market.
Unfortunately, a calf strain has sidelined the hard-hitting safety since the start of camp and his status for Sunday's season-opener is in question.
Malik Hooker
Kearse, Wilson and Hooker make up one of the best safety trios in the NFL. Hooker's primary role in Quinn's defense is to prevent big plays as the deep-lying safety and make tackles.
There may not be a better scheme fit on this list than Hooker being paired with Dan Quinn’s Cover 3 defense. Hooker is a true free safety with the speed to man the deep middle by himself and he's without question the best pure tackler on the roster. Per PFF, Hooker missed just four tackles all of last season.
Stephen Gilmore has been added to the roster to pair with Trevon Diggs. From my point of view, Hooker will generate more takeaways with this pairing.