The Dallas Cowboys have done a lot to try and fix a secondary that was devoid of talent and in desperate need of playmakers. In the 2021 offseason, they added Damontae Kazee, Jayon Kearse, Malik Hooker, and Israel Mukuamu to the safety position to compete with Donovan Wilson and Darian Thompson.
Though there’s optimism that Wilson will take the next step in his development, there’s still a lot to be desired from a coverage standpoint. Kazee, Kearse, and Hooker joined the Cowboys on one-year deals. Mukuamu is making the transition from cornerback. While they’ve attempted to answer the question for 2021, the question at safety remains after this season.
In his way-too-early 2022 NFL mock draft at The Draft Network, Joe Marino potentially answers that question with Michigan Safety Daxton Hill.
The Cowboys’ defense remains a work in progress. The unit needs more size on the interior defensive line, pass-rushing consistency, and playmakers to emerge in the secondary. Dallas has options at safety, but the group has a lot to prove and can use a featured piece to help stabilize the secondary. Hill is a former 5-star recruit that has quickly emerged as a star on the backend for Michigan. He has terrific size, athleticism, physicality, and ball skills, making him the total package. He can line up in a variety of spots, including from the slot, as a one-high safety, and in split zones. – Marino
Hill sounds like 2022’s version of TCU Safety Trevon Moehrig. A versatile playmaker who could play single-high safety looks and play in the slot and provide help in run support.
The Cowboys haven’t shown much interest in taking a safety early in the draft, even when they were staring them right in the face. In previous years they had opportunities to take a player at the safety position only to pass because they placed a higher premium on another position.
Could Daxton Hill be enough of a playmaker that it could sway Dallas Cowboys decision-makers Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, and Will McClay to take him in the first round? Time will tell, but as the 2021 college football season fast approaches, Hill is a name to have on your radar for the next draft cycle.
