Juanyeh Thomas will be a major contributor to the Cowboys defense

When it comes to new names on the Cowboys, Juanyeh Thomas is not one, but he is someone we have been wanting to see growth from the last few years.

With Jourdan Lewis now in Jaxsonville, he will have his chance, and honestly, his name is going to be called a lot in the secondary this season.

He’s physical, aggressive, and disruptive, but playmaking from the safety spot is a much different beast than playmaking from the nickel spot.

What He Brings

He covers better than Donovan Wilson and plays downhill like a linebacker. But asking Thomas to replicate what Jourdan Lewis did as the league’s highest-paid slot corner seems unrealistic.

Yet, sometimes that is all it takes; for a player to be doubted. Let people think he is not good enough to do what Lewis did the last few years.

Thomas has reportedly shown strong instincts and physicality in camp, two traits that Matt Eberflus traditionally prioritizes in his safety group.

The versatile defensive back has spent time at the back of the defense as a safety, but the defensive staff has also experimented with him at slot cornerback.

Vacated by long-time Cowboy, and now Jaguar, Jourdan Lewis, the nickel cornerback position is up for grabs, and Thomas is doing what he can to capture it.

He was undrafted in 2022, and his comments nearly a month ago show that he loves the new vibe in Dallas.

Fun again. pic.twitter.com/w7c5xmZ45M
— Juanyeh Thomas (@STG_Yeh1) May 24, 2025

“Fun again,” he said in a Twitter post above.

Clearly, these guys are having a better time with Brain Schottenheimer as the head coach than they did with Mike McCarthy.

Big Mike, I think, was an old school coach. He just did things his way, and it seemed like the vibes were few and far between.

The vibes can soar high all they want, but it is just the offseason and everything is always easier when things don’t matter as much.

Who really knows though, Juanyeh Thomas might have a breakout year, or we might be hating him every single week of the 2025 season.

It is hard to predict guys like this because we just have not seen enough play from him outside special teams.

I hate trying to talk myself into a player being great for Dallas because they normally do not work out, but we know he is going to get his shot. It is just a matter of will he be able to run away with it, or will he fall flat on his face?