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He’s solidified himself as one of the most important defensive playmakers on the team and some people barely noticed. What he’s become and developed into over the years has been incredible. Mike - If you’re not sure Hooker could be classed as undervalued then Wilson has to be the winner of that title. It is rather overlooked because of the trades for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks, but it kept one of the real keys of the defense in the fold, and the price was very affordable. To me, the new contract the Cowboys worked out with him was one of the most important moves of the offseason. And he comes for the passer a lot, getting five sacks and nine QB hits last year. There are no footsteps that opposing players listen for more than him. Using the speed he builds up coming up to make a stop, his tackles are often more like TKOs. He is the enforcer of the entire defense. Normally you don’t want a member of the secondary to lead that category, but in Dan Quinn’s defense, this seems to be part of the plan. Tom - Wilson plays more of a strong safety role than Hooker, meaning he comes up in run support as well as being more involved in defending short and medium passes.
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The Cowboys took a chance on him when an injury-riddled start to his NFL career looked to make him unplayable, and that chance is now paying off big time for a team that used to devalue the position so much. In Cover 1 or Cover 3 alignment there maybe no better and patient safety than Hooker and this helps generate the extra pressure from the defensive line to get in the quarterback’s face. Him roaming and keeping everything in front of him helps keep offenses searching for open receivers while the pressure swarms in.
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He’s maybe the most underrated player on the Cowboys roster, and what he does by being such a smart and athletic centerfielder is one reason why the pass rush up front can be so effective. Mike - I have a huge soft spot for Hooker and loved him even when he was at the Buckeyes. Hooker is not spectacular, but the team doesn’t need him to be. To me, that says more about the rest of the defense than him. He was directly involved in less than four plays per game last year. I read that as the defense making stops well before they get to him. I love his stats, because they show he is not that involved in plays. Hooker is closer to the concept of free safety, the guy who is deepest in coverage and who reflects the name of the position, there to provide a last line of defense in the secondary. Tom - Let me start this installment with a little discussion of the way the position is used in Dallas. This edition is looking at the safeties for Dallas, so let’s get straight to it. The Position Breakdown Series is taking every position group for the Dallas Cowboys and looking at the players, their rankings, contract numbers and predicting the upcoming season for each player.