Philadelphia Eagles: Ranking the safety selections of the NFC East

3. Dallas Cowboys

Honesty time: The Dallas Cowboys safety unit is pretty mediocre… but so are the secondaries of the rest of the NFC East, so this really comes down to talent in versus talent out.

The Cowboys lost Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal – who was used more as a linebacker than a safety, but it’s still relevant – and other than a few UDFAs like Markquese Bell, who were signed to take his place, the Cowboys are largely hoping to survive on their depth of Malik Hooker, a performer about to be profiled, and Donovan Wilson, a 2019 sixth-round pick out of Texas A&M who played 337 snaps for the Cowboys last fall.

Unless the Cowboys opt to acquire a big-name performer like Jessie Bates and do so in a hurry, their safety unit should be solid, though not spectacular.

Most important performer: Jayron Kearse

In 2021, Jayron Kearse was a darn good performer in a unique role. He had 101 tackles, played defensive subpackages, and looked like he could be a near-every snap performer in Dan Quinn’s scheme.

If that happens this fall, the rest of the NFC East will have to be on notice, as there aren’t a lot of 6-foot-4 safeties running around making plays even in 2022.