FRISCO, Texas — In his first game back from a groin injury against the 49ers, Cowboys’ safety Donovan Wilson wasted no time making his presence known in the backfield.
After missing two weeks, the A&M product tallied his first career interception, two pass breakups, and eight tackles. Wilson was consistently around the football and turned heads with his impact plays. He brought an energy and physicality to the secondary that had been lacking. Dallas has their box safety of the future.
“His passion, his aggressiveness, and his ball instincts are infectious,” Mike McCarthy told D210SPORTS. “You see the way his teammates respond to his play style. He has had some big open field tackles and the way he goes for the football- The break he had on the ball for the interception was excellent. It’s exactly what you are looking for.”
In the fourth quarter, Wilson’s instincts paid off. The second-year player was in two deep man coverage, saw the favorable one-on-one matchup for Nick Mullens, Jaylon Smith vs. Jordan Reed, read, and reacted. He sprinted towards Reed before the ball even left Mullens’ hands and undercut the tight end to come away with the interception. That is the anticipation the Dallas defense has needed.
In addition to his innate ability to get his hands on the ball, his energy is contagious in the locker room that teammates feed off.
“He’s been a ball guy since he got here,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis described to media following the 41-33 victory. “We saw flashes of it in training camp as soon as he got here as a rookie. He can go out there and flat-out ball. He gives us energy, plays with high energy and is always around the ball. It signifies the defense as a whole the way he plays.”
Despite only being named a starter midway through the 2020 season and missing the previous two games, Wilson is setting the standard of excellence for the Cowboys’ last line of defense with his hustle. At one point against San Francisco, Wilson threw his primary target, fullback Kyle Juszczyk to the side and took down the running back with a hard tackle. There is certainly no debate or cause to question Wilson’s effort. In reality, he is often cleaning up mistakes and getting to ball carriers that have seeped past the front two levels of the defense. He stays square and finishes tackles in the open field to prevent yards gained. In eight game starts, Wilson is ranked fourth on the team with 2.5 sacks, second with three forced fumbles, and second with two fumble recoveries.
“Can’t say enough about Donovan,” Mike McCarthy elaborated to D210. “He has really stepped up and taken control of the safety position. He makes plays. He makes plays every time he is in the game back there. You can see and feel his impact all the time.”
It is a shame the physical, instinctive safety the Cowboys’ had desperately been searching for was on their bench. But now, Wilson has earned his starting role and continues to take advantage of every snap. In 2020, Dallas’ defense has certainly been ‘less good than advertised’ resulting in being the focal point for every meme available, but Wilson has been a constant bright spot elevating those around him. No.37 is one to keep your eyes on in the Cowboys’ secondary. Wilson plays lights out and is making his mark wearing the iconic Star.
