Each NFL team’s biggest breakout candidate
By Conor Dorney
Dallas Cowboys – Xavier Woods
The Dallas Cowboys have invested heavily in the secondary via the Draft over the past couple years, but no addition may be as important as safety Xavier Woods.
A sixth-round selection in the 2017 Draft, Woods saw himself playing a huge role from day one as a safety/slot corner hybrid and finished the season with 31 tackles and one interception. Now, with Byron Jones’ move to corner, Woods could be in line for an even more important role in the Cowboys’ secondary.
Woods possesses both the ability to play receivers in coverage and hold up as a run defender at the line of scrimmage. He particularly excelled at covering receivers out of the slot, allowing just 0.54 yards per coverage snap (second in the NFL) last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
One of the biggest indicators of Dallas’ faith in Woods is the unwillingness the team showed to cave to the high trade return demands for Seahawks’ star Earl Thomas, who seemed pretty clear in his desire to play for the team after last season’s matchup between the two clubs.
If players like Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis continue to develop, along with the addition of Bryon Jones to the cornerback rotation, Xavier Woods could see himself becoming one of the best young safeties in the NFL by the end of this season.