Getty The Cowboys could consider trading safety Malik Hooker.
The Dallas Cowboys could pull off a notable trade during the 2023 NFL Draft.
As suggested by Maitland Rutledge of FanSided’s The Landry Hat, he believes safety Malik Hooker is one of three Cowboys players who are candidates to be traded during the NFL draft. Rutledge cites the re-signing of safety Donovan Wilson to a three-year, $24 million deal as a key reason for why Dallas may consider moving Hooker.
“The Cowboys worked quickly to make sure Donovan Wilson did not escape in free agency. On March 14, they re-signed him to a three-year, $24 million deal,” said Rutledge. “If Wilson did walk in free agency, having Kearse and Hooker still on the roster would still leave Dan Quinn with a solid secondary. The fact Wilson was retained and Dallas committed to him for three years could mean they are looking down the road for when Hooker’s contract is up. While Hooker can no doubt be an asset to this team, re-signing Wilson may make him expendable.”
Why Cowboys Would Consider Trading Malik Hooker
Rutledge justifies possibly trading Booker by arguing that the Cowboys could be looking to move up in the draft. By trading Hooker — or other younger players — that could give Dallas the draft position they need in order to draft a premier player.
“Based on the team trading for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks, Jerry and Stephen Jones are not showing confidence towards young players at those positions,” said Rutledge. “One or a few of them could very well be traded to help them move up to draft a player they desperately need.”
The re-signing of Wilson means Dallas will likely enter the 2023 season with him as the starting free safety and Jayron Kearse as the starting strong safety for another season.
Hooker has been a key contributor of the Cowboys over the past two seasons, starting nine of his 31 appearances during that time frame. The 27-year-old posted a career-high 66 tackles and three interceptions in six starts last season, appearing in 81% of the defensive snaps.
Through six NFL seasons — Hooker was initially a first-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts back in 2017 — Hooker has started 44 of 67 appearances and has 230 tackles to go along with 11 career interceptions.
Malik Hooker Graded as Cowboys’ Top Safety
According to Pro Football Focus, Hooker not only ranked as the Cowboys’ top safety last season, he ranked as the 13th-highest graded safety in the league during the 2022 season. Hooker posted a 76.2 defensive grade compared to Wilson’s 71.3 defensive grade and Kearse’s 71.9 defensive grade last season.
With that being said, Hooker could fetch some decent value if he is traded, especially if Dallas finds his replacement through the draft. The 27-year-old has a $4.3 million cap hit — the 15th-highest paid safety in the league — but only an $850,000 dead cap hit if he’s traded or released.
It’s worth noting that Wilson did miss eight games during the 2021 season due to shoulder and chest injuries. Considering Wilson’s recent history of injuries, the Cowboys could opt to keep Hooker as valuable insurance in case one of their top two safeties are injured.