The safety position has been a disappointment for the Cowboys in 2024.
Safety Donovan Wilson signed a three-year extension for $21 million before the 2023 season, and he earned it. The year before, Wilson had his best season as a pro with 101 tackles (seven tackles for loss), five sacks, an interception, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Even last season was productive for Wilson with 88 tackles (two tackles for loss), two interceptions, three pass breakups, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
When it comes to the NFL, though, every player has to constantly update their résumé. For Wilson, he hasn’t put forth the performance the Cowboys need at the safety spot. Wilson has 11 missed tackles on the season, which is just one fewer than he had last season, and there’s still seven games for the Cowboys to play. He has a missed tackle percentage of 18%, the second-worst of his career. In coverage, it’s been even worse. Wilson has allowed 19 receptions (tied for the second-most of his career). The 280 yards, 90.5% reception percentage, and 14.7 yards per catch Wilson has surrendered in 2024 are the worst marks he’s had in his six seasons in the league.
Wilson is known for playing downhill and being a head-hunter. He has the instincts of a linebacker and that gets him in trouble when trying to cover guys. His aggressiveness gets him beat and also leads to the missed tackle issue mentioned earlier. Coverage has never been a real strength when it comes to Wilson, but it looks worse that it ever has, and simply can’t be that way, especially with a defense that is as bad as the Cowboys are this season. Even if their defense was good, it would still be an issue because that’s not ideal for the backend of your unit.
In 2026, Wilson will be an unrestricted free agent. Next season was already going to be a contract year, but with how his play has slipped, it will be even more paramount for him to bounce back, or he could likely be wearing another uniform.
