The team will be without an impact safety and a key depth piece for the next few weeks, but Malik Hooker is confident in the abilities of Markquese Bell and other young talent.
OXNARD, Calif. — The safety unit for the Dallas Cowboys suffered not one, but two separate blows on Day 1 of training camp, namely losing both Donovan Wilson and Israel Mukuamu to the injury bug, whose bite will keep them sidelined the next several weeks. And with Wilson out, it's veteran free safety Malik Hooker leading the charge in the safety room — along with Jayron Kearse.
"He's feeling good, man. He's feeling good," said Hooker following Day 2 of practice. "I mean, as far as the timetable and everything, I'm not really sure on that aspect of it. But you know, he has his confidence up and, just knowing Dono, he's a dog. He's gonna do whatever he can to get back to us as fast as he can.
"And we're looking forward to having him back."
The good news at the moment is the timing of Wilson's injury, having occurred more than six weeks prior to the season opener against the New York Giants. Having signed a multi-year extension in the spring, a move that keeps the Cowboys' three-headed hydra at safety intact, the potential for an even more impactful season in 2023 is on the table.
Wilson had a career season in 2022 and, by everyone's account, was the tone-setter for the entire defensive secondary.
"That's the heartpiece of our defense," Hooker said. "You know, that's one of those guys that gets everybody going, and that's one of the guys we don't want to go into Sunday without."
In his absence (and Mukuamu's), however, the onus is on the young players to step up and into the limelight — led by Markquese Bell.
Bell received a heavy dose of reps at all three safety positions, particularly in the second practice, and the Cowboys will get a great opportunity to assess his abilities along with others, namely Juanyeh Thomas, Tyler Coyle and Sheldrick Redwine.
"Oh, man, they've been doing a great job but just you know, stepping up not only just on the field, but off the field stuff too, you know, they're becoming professionals," Hooker said. "They're learning the game, studying the game a lot and you know, they're really taking on tasks, stepping into roles of any one of us not being out there. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do this year."
And Hooker is especially impressed, already, with what Bell is doing.
"Obviously, you see Markquese Bell out to get a lot of the first-team resume," he said of the former undrafted free agent (2022) out of Florida A&M University. "He's been vocal. He's been stepping in as if he's one of the veteran guys. You know, he called himself that the last couple of [practices].
"I mean, the last couple of days we can call him a rookie, you have to pay your dues there but, just as a professional, he handles it very well. He comes in, puts his head down and works every day and studies, and then that's all you gotta ask for as a guy.
"I like that."
If there's any one piece of knowledge Hooker can impart upon the youth, it's to play every single practice rep like it might be their last because, realistically, it might be.
That's just the nature of the NFL.
"Capitalize on your opportunities," he said. "I mean, especially around this time. A lot of guys don't get too many reps because obviously we're getting prepared for the first game as well as trying to figure some things out. So right now, it's just about capitalizing on your opportunities out there.
"Stay in the playbook. Learn the playbook. And if you can learn different positions too, [do it], because you never know what's gonna happen."
He apparently doesn't have to tell this to Bell twice, assuming he ever had to tell him once.
"As you saw yesterday, we lost two major pieces obviously — Dono and Izzy — and those guys, Juanyeh [Thomas] and Bell stepped in tremendously," said Hooker. "As you saw out there [on Thursday], Bell came out and he's been calling himself a veteran, and he's been communicating like it. That's just something special for us to see."
Bell is certainly capable, a former First-Team All-SWAC talent who racked up 95 combined tackles, five forced fumbles and two sacks in his final season at FAMU (2021).
He was brought in with the potential of being developed as a talent who might be able to step in for Wilson for whatever reason, and he'll get a lot of chances this summer to show he's the man for that job.
And so will his other teammates in the safety room who have just as much to prove.
