Cowboys' three-headed monster overwhelm PFF's 2023 safety rankings

Things can change in a hurry in the NFL. Dallas Cowboys fans understand this after seeing how quickly Dan Quinn was able to change to state of the defense.

The former Atlanta Falcons head coach turned them from a laughingstock to one of the toughest defenses in the NFL in just one season. He's improved them on every level, but nowhere is this leap more pronounced than at safety.

Quinn helped develop Donovan Wilson into a star player and also utilized Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse in a way that it brings out their best qualities. Entering their third year together, big things are expected from the three-headed monster, and that's led to all three earning significant praise from Pro Football Focus.

PFF's Dalton Wasserman ranked the top 32 safeties in the NFL this year and the Cowboys trio overwhelmed the list. Kearse ranked the highest at No. 19, followed by Wilson at No. 26 and Hooker at No. 30.

Cowboys' Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson, Malik Hooker headline PFF's safety rankings

Kearse was praised for being versatile and rotating between the box and in the slot. On top of this, Dallas fans know he's become an emotional leader both on, and off, the field. If Kearse wasn't slowed by injuries in 2022 it stands to reason that he would've ranked a lot higher than the 19th-best safety in the game.

Wilson was called an aggressive player who led all safeties in the league with 14 quarterback pressures. The veteran, who recently signed a three-year extension, nearly priced himself out of Dallas, so it will be nice to see him return ... though it would have been nice if PFF gave him more respect here.

In short, Wilson was a top-five (if not higher) most important player on a Cowboys defense last season that ranked among the best in the league. You can't tell us there are 25 safeties in the league who are better than him. One member of the trio was bound to be short-changed in these rankings and Wilson wrongly bit the bullet coming off a superb season.

Wasserman finished the Dallas safeties with Hooker, saying he's a perfect fit in Quinn's Cover 3 defense. He missed just four tackles all season and was a key piece to their puzzle as the deep safety. One could argue Hooker should have ranked higher, too, as he was one of two safeties who logged more than 1,000 snaps to have a coverage grade and run-defense grade above 70.

Heading into 2023, the Cowboys are hoping to get back on top of the NFC East and having three safeties making plays all over the field is a great benefit for them as they prepare for the season.