Cowboys roster review for the safeties
As we wrap up our 2025 roster bubble series, it’s ironic that our final position may not even have one. For this year’s Dallas Cowboys, safety may be the easiest spot to predict who will and won’t make the roster. That isn’t to say surprises aren’t possible, but it means one of our veterans may have to suffer a big fall to make room for one of the hopefuls.
Three guys we know will make the team are Malik Hooker, Juanyeh Thomas, and Markquese Bell. Hooker has not only become one of the more underrated Cowboys, but he’s also now a bridge player to help his teammates adapt to their new defensive coordinator. Hooker played under Matt Eberflus from 2018-2020, albeit with a lot of injury issues during that span. Hooker isn’t a superstar but he’s a solid starter, and his presence this year may be more valuable than ever.
An exciting backup for the last two years, Thomas might be starting for Dallas in the near future. He’s also cheap, not being eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2027. He’d make for exceptional depth this year, locking him onto the roster, but also has a real shot at competing for the starting job. Thomas offers more athleticism and coverage ability than Donovan Wilson, which is big for the two-high safety approach that Eberflus is known for.
Bell just got a new three-year deal to stick around in Dallas, so the team likely has a plan for him at least in 2025. The Cowboys could’ve gone with just a one-year restricted free agent deal to keep Bell. Experienced both on defense and special teams, plus having some positive flex from his one year at linebacker, Bell covers a lot of bases.
While these are the only guys we’re prepared to declare as locks, we’re highly confident that Wilson and Israel Mukuamu will also be on the team. That would give you five safeties, which is probably all Dallas would carry. But since there’s a foreseeable chance one or both of these veterans won’t make it, let’s dig into them a little more, and also a few of the guys who could steal their jobs.
Donovan Wilson
As mentioned, Wilson may have a hard time fighting off Thomas for the starting job. He was a better fit in Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer’s defenses, able to do more work closer to the line of scrimmage where his hard-hitting style shone. Wilson has always had to make up for coverage liability with playmaking, and that could be harder with Eberflus. The Cowboys can also clear about $7 million in cap space by releasing or trading him. The fact that he wasn’t a cap casualty last March was already surprising to some, so something happening now wouldn’t be out of nowhere.
Israel Mukuamu
Still officially listed among the safeties, Mukuamu’s job security may come more for his versatility as a cornerback option. He’s been getting work there so far this offseason, which could prove vital with Trevon Diggs, Shavon Revel, and Josh Butler all questionable at best for Week 1. Though he got a fairly minimal one-year deal to return to Dallas this year, Mukuamu’s experience and versatility will make him hard to oust.
Alijah Clark
Dallas made Clark their highest-paid UDFA and he’s the current frontrunner to sneak onto the roster. Clark offers position flex as a safety and slot corner, with the latter being of high importance right now after Jourdan Lewis’ exit and other CB injury issues. He’s been making noise so far in the spring camps, but it will take a lot more than that to force his way past one of the veterans. His best hope is likely that Mukuamu goes to cornerback full time.
