Coming off back-to-back victories for the first time this season, the Dallas Cowboys will look to keep their momentum going against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. The Cowboys’ offense has led the way even without the services of injured receiver CeeDee Lamb, but Dallas still has plenty to assess on defense.
The Cowboys held the New York Jets to a season-low 22 points last week, but they still rank 29th in the NFL by allowing 30.8 points per game entering Week 6. One way to improve the defense is to address the issues plaguing safety Donovan Wilson, who has struggled in the secondary.
While there are no signs that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is ready to send Wilson to the bench, the football gods may have decided that for him after Wilson left Sunday’s game with an injury. Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram added that Wilson did not practice on Wednesday due to the injury, and it could open the door for a shakeup in the Dallas secondary.
Donovan Wilson’s Injury Could Be a Blessing in Disguise for Cowboys
A sixth-round pick by the Cowboys in the 2019 draft, Wilson has been a mainstay in the Dallas secondary dating back to the 2020 season, when he appeared in 14 games and made 10 starts. In total, Wilson has appeared in 88 games, including 65 starts, amassing 402 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, and 16 pass defenses. Despite his ability to find the ball and lay the wood on opposing receivers, Wilson's biggest issues have come in coverage.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson owns a career 109.0 passer rating when targeted. Those coverage issues have only been amplified over the past two seasons, when Wilson gave up five touchdowns in coverage in 2024. This season has been more of the same, unfortunately, as Wilson has already allowed three touchdowns, including a score in Sunday’s win over the Jets.
While Wilson remains a solid tackler with an 11.8% missed tackle rate, his struggles in coverage and his new injury could open the door for Markquese Bell. A former UDFA, Bell signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension this offseason. After making an impact as a special teams player, Bell has been waiting for his opportunity behind Juanyeh Thomas, Malik Hooker, and Wilson. Now, it could be coming if Wilson is out for an extended period.
Thomas has been a solid player in his fourth season out of Georgia Tech, and while Hooker is likely to stay in a starting role, Bell could get more defensive snaps in place of Wilson. It could even linger into Wilson’s return as his tackling ability could allow him to play at linebacker even though he’s undersized at six feet and 204 pounds.
It adds up to an interesting situation if Wilson continues to miss practice, as it could give Dallas a chance to shake up its secondary and evaluate some young players to improve their defense moving forward.