I love NFL football. Specifically, I love Dallas Cowboys football. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to sit down five times a week to write about my favorite team. When I started playing tackle football in junior high, the coaches chose me to quarterback the defense as the free safety making the pre-snap calls.
That role didn’t last too long for me because my body never caught up with my mind. Standing at 5’5″ tall and barely 130lbs, soaking wet, with below average speed, I was quickly phased out by bigger, stronger, and faster players.
The safety position in the NFL is just as important as the quarterback is on offense. The Dallas Cowboys 2024 schedule is chock-full of intelligent and talented safeties intent on deceiving Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense.
These rankings might have been the most difficult to complete in my series so far. The level of talent at the back end of NFL defenses in today’s game is outstanding.
The safeties on the Cowboys’ 2024 schedule are anything but safe.
To read up on previous installments of these rankings, I have conveniently provided links for your reading pleasure:
3. Philadelphia Eagles — C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown
For the second consecutive installment in this series, the Philadelphia Eagles landed in the top three. Their trio of safeties is a group that the Cowboys will have to face at least twice in 2024.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson is “new” to the secondary. He spent the 2022 season in Philadelphia before departing for Detroit for a lone season, only to return to the Eagles for 2024. Gardner-Johnson is a talented safety who always finds himself around the ball, snagging six interceptions in just 12 games during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2022.
Alongside him at the rear of the defense is Reed Blankenship. Blankenship is entering his third season with a stadium’s worth of promise and potential after a mini-breakout sophomore campaign. He hauled in three interceptions on the season to go along with a whopping 11 passes defensed as the primary defender.
A talented depth piece in case of injury to one of the top two on the depth chart is second-year player Sydney Brown. He appeared in 14 games his rookie season, with six starts.
The highlight of his rookie season was a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown in a week 16 matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals. It appears the Eagles may finally have the horses to stop the Cowboys offense.
2. Baltimore Ravens — Kyle Hamilton, Marcus Williams, Eddie Jackson
The Baltimore Ravens again find themselves near the top of my rankings. This time, it’s their own talented trio of safeties that could cause problems for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense.
Their group is led by Kyle Hamilton, who, after a rookie season of growing pains, earned 1st-team All-Pro honors for his play in 2023. Hamilton snatched four interceptions last season to go along with 81 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and 13 passes defensed.
He is the unquestioned leader in the secondary and poses a threat to any offensive attack with his ability to cover the pass and defend the run with the same level of intensity.
Don’t let the image of then-rookie Marcus Williams completely whiffing on a tackle, allowing Stefon Diggs and the Vikings to walk off a playoff victory, fool you. He has come a long way since that game, notching 20 interceptions in his seven-year career.
The Ravens might not have made this list if not for their newest addition to the safety room.
Perhaps in anticipation that Williams might not be as impactful as they would like, Baltimore signed veteran Eddie Jackson to a one-year deal.
Jackson and Williams have both been in the NFL since 2017, but the former does have an All-Pro season to his name as a member of the Chicago Bears in 2018. Injuries ended his tenure with the Bears, but he is still capable of harassing opposing offenses.
1. Houston Texans — Jalen Pitre, Jimmie Ward, Lonnie Johnson Jr.
The Houston Texans are quickly becoming a popular item in many rankings across the NFL. HC DeMeco Ryans has brought back an energy to the city that has been lacking since his playing days.
After spending a few seasons in San Francisco, Ryans brought that same attitude to a Houston team that desperately needed a spark. Despite fielding one of the youngest teams in the NFL, including a rookie starting quarterback, the Texans shocked the league.
Houston demolished the Cleveland Browns in their Wildcard matchup, advancing to the Divisional Round of the playoffs when nobody expected them to even make the postseason.
A great deal of that success can be attributed to the players at the back end of the defense.
The triple-threats of newly-signed Jimmie Ward, Jalen Pitre, and Lonnie Johnson Jr. allow Ryans to send more defenders to the quarterback.
Jimmie Ward dealt with some nagging injuries in his first season in Houston, missing seven regular season games. He recorded only one interception, but it’s on par with the rest of his career.
Pass defense has not exactly been Ward’s forte. He has only eight interceptions for his entire 10-year career. He is more of a run defender and Ryans knows how to play to his strengths.
Jalen Pitre is a player who exploded onto the NFL scene with five interceptions in his rookie season. Don’t let his little sophomore slump fool you. He is incredibly talented, and with another year under Ryans, will only get better.
The Cowboys have already faced Pitre once before, and he showed us all why he was a 2nd-round pick from Baylor.
In a game the Texans had no business being in, Pitre had the game of his life versus the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, recording 12 tackles and three pass breakups to keep Houston in the game.
Lonnie Johnson Jr. was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, but spent a year each in Tennessee and New Orleans before re-signing with Houston this offseason.
Johnson brings five years of experience but just four career interceptions to the secondary. However, he is a smart player who doesn’t give up big plays and is a viable fill-in should Pitre or Ward suffer injuries.
Honorable Mentions
- Cleveland Browns — Grant Delpit, Juan Thornhill, Rodney McLeod
- Pittsburgh Steelers — Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Antoine Winfield Jr., Jordan Whitehead