3 Cowboys Most Likely to Be Traded Before Roster Cutdown Day

2. Israel Mukuamu, S

When Dan Quinn was the defensive coordinator in Dallas, he made no secret his affinity for tall cornerbacks with long arms. In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Cowboys selected the two tallest corners as they added Nahshon Wright (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) out of Oregon State in the third round and South Carolina's Israel Mukuamu (6-foot-4, 205 pounds) in the sixth.

Wright was recently traded to the Minnesota Vikings for former first-round pick Andrew Booth and never developed into the defensive back they envisioned. As for Mukuamu, he moved to safety and has spent the past three seasons developing his skills.

Primarily a reserve, Mukuamu has 23 tackles, an interception, one fumble recovery, and two pass defenses in his career. Most of his work has come on special teams but in 2022, he moved into the slot to help cover injuries at cornerback and did a good job - which is impressive since this is often the toughest position in the secondary.

In fact, he plays well whenever he's on the field. The problem is that Dallas is really deep at safety. They're still starting Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker while getting Markquese Bell on the field often. There's also Juanyeh Thomas and even undrafted rookie Julius Wood has shown flashes.

Mukuamu could still be the fourth safety but the talent behind him is good enough that the Cowboys could explore a trade. With Mukuamu in the final year of his rookie contract, they could look to add an extra Day 3 pick while giving Thomas more time on the field.