Before the Cowboys added Jayron Kearse into the fold in 2021, the safety position had become a black hole of sorts for Dallas. Regarded as an afterthought in most of their roster-building endeavors, the Cowboys’ safety room was often comprised of long shots and retreads. Kearse came to Dallas as a little bit of both.
The same offseason Kearse arrived, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn also brought in free agents Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal, safeties from Quinn’s time in Atlanta. To make things even harder for Kearse, former first-round pick, Malik Hooker, was signed as a high-end reclamation project for Dallas.
And as if that wasn’t enough talent at the safety position in 2021, expectations were high for Donovan Wilson to breakout in his third NFL season.
Kearse, at the time, was a career role player who was just getting his chance to contribute. In his previous five seasons he barely logged a combined 1,000 defensive snaps. In fact, in three of his seasons prior to Dallas, he posted more snaps on special teams than he did on defense. It wasn’t until midway through 2020, when he began getting a regular dose of starter snaps for a floundering Detroit team with an interim coach and the league’s worst defense.
There was no guarantee he’d even make the Cowboys the following year, let alone seize a starting spot. But that’s exactly what he did, starting 15 games that first season with the Cowboys and establishing himself as the definitive leader of the secondary.