Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker returns an interception during training camp. Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Cowboys starter named team's 'most underrated player' ahead of 2025 season

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated May 15, 2025 7:23 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025 NFL season after an impressive showing in the offseason, including making a splash with the George Pickens trade and the highly-touted haul in the NFL Draft.

However, there are still questions about the team's plans for the defensive backfield.

Star cornerback Trevon Diggs is coming off another season-ending knee injury, third-round pick Shavon Revel is returning from a torn ACL that ended his college career, and there are concerns about the team's depth.

While the secondary is littered with big names like Diggs and DaRon Bland, who is in a contract year, Malik Hooker has quietly flown under the radar despite being a starting safety since 2022.

While Hooker has flown under the radar, he has been producing. In fact, he has been ranked inside of the top 10 or top 20 in key categories, according to PFF.

That is why when PFF's Jonathon Macri took a look at the "most underrated player" for all 32 teams, Hooker was tabbed as the man in Big D.

"Hooker took over as a starting safety in 2022 and never looked back, playing nearly 3,000 defensive snaps over that span," Macri wrote. "He has earned a top-10 PFF run-defense grade (89.3) and a top-20 PFF overall grade (78.8) at the position since 2022.

"Hooker is once again set to be the Cowboys' reliable deep safety in Matt Eberflus’ defense in 2025 and should continue to provide a solid return on the team’s investment in him."

Last season, Hooker recorded 81 tackles, three tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and five passes defensed for the Cowboys. He has been a consistent force in the defensive backfield and it will be interesting to see how he continues to excel in Eberflus' system.

While he may be one of the best-kept secrets in the NFL, PFF has officially taken notice.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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