Perhaps since the season ended, Dallas Cowboys fans have been focusing on how to improve the porous defense of 2025. Arguably, the most maligned group on the defense was the secondary. They battled injuries and bizarre circumstances that sometimes had disastrous results on the field. The one thing the Cowboys frustratingly failed to do last year was limit big plays deep down the field. Who can forget Russell Wilson pushing the Cowboys to the brink because they couldn’t keep the Giants’ receivers
in front of them?
Safety Caleb Downs could be the answer to everyone’s prayers to keep teams from connecting on throws deep into the secondary. However, Downs being available to the Cowboys seems unlikely based on current ratings. If he does drop to 12, the knee issue could also be at play as Downs was flagged with a potential issue on the medical side at the combine.
More than likely, the Cowboys will have to look at other options at safety with Downs unavailable at pick 12, and that’s exactly why we need to examine the alternatives. Here are three other safety prospects to keep your eyes on.
Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Listed as Mel Kiper’s number two safety, Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman has a lot of traits to consider. The first thing that stands out is his instincts. In 2023, he recorded six interceptions while playing for Purdue, primarily by doing a great job of reading the eyes of the quarterback and using his excellent range to track the football. He’s also a very productive tackler, recording on average over 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons.
Once arriving at the combine, Thieneman put himself further on the map with an impressive showing for those in attendance. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds while also posting a broad jump of 10’5” and a vertical jump of 41”. Thieneman isn’t just an exceptional athlete; he has the mental makeup to put himself in the right position and gives the effort to make the tackle once he properly diagnoses the play. He’s not an elite man-coverage defender, but he will create turnovers and limit plays down the field. He’s likely to be drafted between the late first round and the middle of the second.
Bud Clark, TCU
If Dallas were to miss out on Thieneman, there is still hope, and look no further than the Fort Worth area with TCU’s Bud Clark. Clark is an older prospect, having spent six seasons with the Horned Frogs. Clark strung together some good days at the Senior Bowl and displayed his ability to play man coverage. As a sixth-year senior, Clark has extensive playing time and has more polish to his game than his younger safety counterparts coming out in the draft.
Similar to Thieneman, Clark has ballhawk traits, intercepting 15 passes in his time as a collegiate. He also timed well at the combine, running a 4.41 40-yard dash. He’s not a thumper that will make the big hit, but will support the run with the proper angles. Clark is projected to go in the fourth round, and it just so happens that Dallas holds the 12th pick in that round. Dallas would be getting a decorated player with versatility, experience, and terrific speed at a great value if they choose Clark somewhere near where he’s projected.
Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
What more can you say? It’s a pretty good class of safeties this year. Zakee Wheatley is a big, tall athlete at 6’3” who runs very well. Wheatley gets downhill in a hurry to deliver big hits. Thanks to his size and speed, he has good range to take away potential big plays in the secondary. He can play in a two-deep shell and handle playing as the single high safety. His best year in college came in 2024 when he had 96 tackles, a sack, and three interceptions. Wheatley will need to work on shedding blocks, especially when playing in the box. Wheatley is set to land between the second and third round, so Dallas will have to maneuver some if they hope to get him in that range.
