3 Aging Cowboys Veterans Who Should Be Replaced in the NFL Draft

One area where the Dallas Cowboys have excelled for several years is their drafting. Led by Will McClay, they’ve been great when it comes to scouting and building their roster from within. They don’t hit all the time but they’ve done very well — especially in Round 1.

This year, they’re going to need to lean on the draft once again since they lost a lot of talent in free agency. They’ll need to fill several holes but should also find players to groom behind these three veterans so they don’t get behind the eight ball again in the near future.

3. Donovan Wilson, S

Despite being drafted two years after Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson is actually the oldest of the starting safeties in Dallas. Wilson recently turned 29 and is under contract for two more seasons. He signed a three-year extension worth $21 million last year, which was a surprise. Dallas was expected to lose him after a breakout season in 2022.

Wilson continued to play well in 2022 but wasn’t the same impact player. He recorded two interceptions and 88 tackles but went from five sacks in 2022 to none this past season. He also had issues in coverage while seeing his PFF grade go from 71.3 to 66.2.

Dallas doesn’t need to replace Wilson right away but they should add a late-round pick to groom behind him. That would allow them some flexibility if Wilson continues to slide this year. And considering he will turn 30 before 2025, it’s a possibility he does regress — which is what we just saw with Jayron Kearse.