Seems like the Cowboys are taking a different approach to free agency. The opening of the legal tampering period saw the Cowboys make a slew of moves to try to improve the roster. Dallas traded for Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a fourth-round 2027 draft pick. This comes after the Cowboys renegotiated the contract of Terence Steele ahead of free agency. Dallas followed up the Gary addition by adding much-needed help to their secondary. The Cowboys agreed to a three-year, $36M
contract with former Arizona Cardinal Jalen Thompson. The Thompson signing checks off a glaring need for the Cowboys and helps rebuild the defensive unit in the vision of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Still, who exactly is Jalen Thompson, and what are the Cowboys getting in their new veteran safety?
Background
Thompson’s football career took an alternative route to the NFL. As a true freshman, Thompson played in all 13 games for the Washington State Cougars, tallying 57 tackles and leading the team with seven pass breakups. For his efforts, he was named a freshman All-American. Thompson was even better in his next two seasons, recording 140 tackles and six interceptions in that span.
However, in late July of 2019, Thompson was deemed ineligible by the NCAA and forced to enter the supplemental draft. Arizona took him later that summer with a fifth-round pick. Since breaking into the starting lineup as a rookie, Thompson has been one of the most integral parts of the Arizona defense. Here’s what he does well.
Positives
Thompson is an extremely productive player who has averaged over 100 tackles per season for the last five years. He’s also a very sure tackler and has a missed tackle rate of no higher than 6% since 2021 and as low as 3.5% in 2022. Thompson is a durable player who has appeared in 79 out of a possible 85 regular-season games.
Additionally, Dallas is getting a versatile talent that can cover in zone and is very adept at breaking on the ball to create deflections (37 career passes defended) or turnovers. He can play either free safety or strong safety and has no qualms about playing down in the box to support the run.
Because of his background as a cornerback, he can play in the slot against quicker receivers, which is an area the Cowboys need to find an answer for but at least Thompson provides an occasional option.
Negatives
Although he is often in the right position to make flashy plays and record interceptions, he hasn’t produced a high interception total for a given season. His most in a season is four, and he hasn’t recorded an interception in the past two years.
Thompson isn’t much in the way of a pass rusher. In his career, he’s blitzed the quarterback 60 times and has only recorded two sacks. He’ll pressure the passer (11 career pressures), but he rarely will get home.
Between his overall raw traits, 5’10”, 190 lbs., and 4.5 speed, Thompson doesn’t make enough splash plays to be amongst the elite safeties in the NFL. Although he’s limited in that regard, his intelligence and willingness to make tackles leaves the Dallas in a much better place than they were at safety last year.
