Dallas Cowboys NFL free agency grades: DB breakdown, analysis

How does the DB group look for the Dallas Cowboys after the first week of NFL free agency?

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Just a couple of years ago, the Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the most feared secondaries in the NFL. Former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn helped them become an opportunistic group that turned the ball over at a historic rate.

Injuries have slowed them down over the past two seasons, with Trevon Diggs missing 15 games in 2023 and six in 2024. DaRon Bland became a star in place of Diggs in 2023 with nine interceptions but he too dealt with injuries last year, missing 10 games.

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With Jourdan Lewis leaving in free agency, health will be paramount for this secondary if they're going to have any success. That being said, let's look at who is on the roster after the first week of free agency.

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Dallas Cowboys Cornerbacks

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs takes the field to play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Starters:
Trevon Diggs
DaRon Bland
Israel Mukuamu (slot)

Diggs and Bland are an elite tandem when healthy, but they haven't been healthy together since 2022. If they can both stay on the field in 2025, this unit has a chance.

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Losing Lewis was tough but Israel Mukuamu, who is technically listed as a safety, can play in the slot. Unless someone is added in the upcoming draft, he's going to man that job. He did well in spot duty but hasn't been tested for a full season.

Reserves:
Caelen Carson
Kaiir Elam
Josh Butler
Kemon Hall
Andrew Booth
Troy Pride, Jr.
C.J. Goodwin

Caelen Carson is a promising young talent who showed flashes as a rookie. He should be the primary reserve but Dallas hopes Kaiir Elam can make strides after failing to live up to his draft status in Buffalo.

Josh Butler was a fun story in 2024, and could be a factor as well — if healthy. Kemon Hall and Andrew Booth will be fighting for a spot on the team and Troy Pride is a potential practice squad player. C.J. Goodwin is listed as a cornerback, but he will only play there in an emergency. He's in Dallas to play special teams only.

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Dallas Cowboys Safeties

Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker celebrates with teammates after making an interception / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Starters:
Malik Hooker
Donovan Wilson

Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson have been tabbed as potential salary cap cuts, but they're still standing. At this point, it would be a surprise to see anyone other than those two as the starters in Week 1.

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Reserves:
Markquese Bell
Juanyeh Thomas

The bench seems thin with Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas as the only names mentioned here, but again, Mukuamu is going to be in the mix at safety. This is still a deep unit, even if it's less than spectacular.

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Grade: C+

Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu reacts after intercepting the ball in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Dallas hasn't improved this offseason in the secondary. They stayed the same at safety, which is good since Bell and Mukuamu were free agents.

The problem is they lost Lewis and only added Elam to replace him. They head into the 2025 NFL Draft with this as one of their most pressing needs.

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