6 Cowboys Whose Stock Has Fallen Ahead of Training Camp

4. Donovan Wilson, Safety

The Cowboys' defense turned things around in a major way after Dan Quinn was hired as the defensive coordinator in 2021. A huge part of that was his work with the secondary.

Not only did Quinn help develop Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland but he also put together a solid trio of safeties. Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson, and Malik Hooker all brought different strengths to the table and Quinn knew how to get the most out of each of them.

In 2023, however, there was a slight drop off from the secondary. While Hooker continued to shine as a deep coverage safety, both Wilson and Kearse had their share of struggles. Kearse hit free agency and wasn't re-signed but Wilson will be back. He also doesn't have the same soaring stock he did a year ago.

In 2022, Wilson was ranked as a top-20 safety by PFF with a grade of 71.3. That dropped to 66.2 and he was ranked 53rd out of 95 safeties in 2023. He also didn't have the impact plays we saw the prior year.

Wilson had 101 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception in 2022. While he had two picks in 2023, his tackles (88) dropped and he had no sacks. He did play in two fewer games but there was a lack of explosion.

With Markquese Bell moving back to safety (after playing linebacker in 2023), Wilson could be in danger of losing snaps. They also have Juanyeh Thomas, who took some major strides in his second season. Wilson will be the starter but the competition is real.