Cowboys 3 best moves of the 2023 offseason
By Jerry Trotta
2. Re-signing Donovan Wilson
This was a toss-up between Wilson and Leighton Vander Esch. While both players are pivotal to Dallas' defensive success, we went with Wilson simply because of the many hats he dons in Dan Quinn's system.
A former sixth round pick in 2019, Wilson enjoyed a career year in 2022 and cemented himself as a top-five most important player on the defense, if not higher. He led the team with 101 combined tackles and added 5.0 sacks, 9 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, and 37 defensive stops.
In a testament to Wilson's versatility, he played 404 snaps in the box, 357 as a deep-lying safety, 99 as a slot corner, 20 as a wide corner and 79 as a pass-rusher outside an opposing offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus. Wilson is the rare breed of a positionless player who plays several roles at a high level.
Before the legal tampering period, some Cowboys reporters expressed concern about the team's ability to keep Wilson, who ostensibly had a robust market. When the rubber met the road, though, they brought him back on a three-year deal worth up to $24 million.