The Dallas Cowboys had the worst defense in the NFL in 2025, and much of that struggle fell squarely on the shoulders of the secondary — most notably cornerback Trevon Diggs and safety Donovan Wilson.
Watching the 2 get cooked by NFL wide receivers all year was its own special kind of torture. Diggs, when he actually played, was terrible. He was eventually waived on December 30 after refusing to board a team flight home from an away game on the East Coast
Wilson wasn’t much better, and his 50.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked him 88th out of 98 eligible NFL safeties.
Now, both players are looking for new jobs and still ranked among ESPN’s “Top Free Agents Available” just 2 months out from training camp.
Diggs & Wilson Signed Massive Contracts in 2023
Diggs, 27, was the youngest player to make the list at No. 13.
“Diggs has played in just 22 games over the past three seasons, and he was released by the Cowboys and Packers this past season,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote. “However, teams could see Diggs as a reclamation project with his playmaking eyes in the secondary. He has had 20 career interceptions, including a league high of 11 in 2021.”
Wilson, 31, came in at No. 17 on ESPN’s list. Unlike Diggs, he has been durable. Wilson played at least 15 games each of the last 4 seasons and played all 17 games twice, in 2022 and 2024.
“Wilson is a box/split-field safety who plays with a tone-setting mentality,” Bowen wrote. “He can also mix it up in the run front or match up with tight ends in coverage. Wilson had 71 tackles and two interceptions last season.”
Part of the frustration on the part of the Cowboys and their fans was the combined $118 million in contracts the duo signed before the 2023 season — a 5-year, $97 million contract extension for Diggs and a 3-year, $21 million contract extension for Wilson.
Cowboys Ready for New Era in Secondary
Few players in Cowboys history have generated as much excitement as 2026 1st round pick (No. 11 overall) Caleb Downs.
Downs, a 3-time All-American in 3 college football seasons, was arguably the best pound-for-pound player in the draft and is projected as a plug-and-play starter who could play either safety position or slot cornerback — wherever the Cowboys need him.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put Downs, 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds, at the top of his list of 2026 draft picks who could earn Pro Bowl selections as rookies.
In 2024, Downs led Ohio State to a College Football Playoff national championship. In 2025, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and won the Jim Thorpe Award.
“Even though Downs is a safety, he can line up all over the field, which allows him to make key stops and plays on the ball,” Moton wrote. “Although safeties aren’t premium-position players, Downs will quickly garner respect around the league for his range and ball skills. Defensive backs who rack up pass breakups and generate turnovers have a good chance to make the Pro Bowl or All-Pro team. In the Cowboys’ revamped secondary, Downs could be a do-it-all chess piece who leads the club in multiple defensive categories.”
Cowboys’ $118 Million Duo Called NFL’s ‘Top Remaining Free Agents’