What if I told you there is a roster lock hiding in plain sight for the Dallas Cowboys? The team is set to play its second preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, and this young player is one to watch as he keeps looking like a 53-man roster guy. 

I’m talking about Cowboys safety Julius Wood, who keeps making plays in training camp and the preseason. At this point, the evidence suggests he’s making the 53-man roster.

You see, most people look at Wood as a roster bubble player, but his special teams impact and his waiver claim history give him two advantages that most bubble players don’t have heading into roster cutdown day. Let’s break it down.

Wood keeps making plays for the Cowboys

If you haven’t been following Cowboys practices or didn’t watch the preseason opener, you might not know that Wood has been flashing throughout training camp. Against the Seattle Seahawks, he shot through his gap on a goal-line stand and made an open-field tackle on an outside run that showcased his athleticism. He also delivered a big-time tackle in kickoff coverage in the same game and showed up in other instances. 

For someone fighting to be part of a crowded safety room, that special teams production is crucial. Additionally, this isn’t about one big August game. It’s about a big training camp in general. Cowboys coaches have prioritized consistency this offseason and Wood keeps making plays in camp. 

Now granted, the challenge for Wood is obvious. The Cowboys have rookie Caleb Downs, Malik Hooker, Jalen Thompson, and PJ Locke ahead of him. Thompson signed a $33 million deal in March. Downs is a first-round pick the Cowboys drafted to be a difference-maker. Hooker is an established starter. And Locke, while not as big a name, is a Christian Parker guy who keeps running with the first and second teams. Downs has even cited Locke as a player he’s learned a lot from, and that football IQ in Parker’s defense goes a long way.

I don’t think Locke is going anywhere. Neither are the other three, obviously. That is to say, if Wood cracks the roster, it has to be as the fifth safety.

Two reasons Wood overcomes the odds

Number one: he has a game-day role on special teams. Dallas isn’t putting Downs, Hooker, or Thompson on kickoff coverage units. Locke might contribute there, but Wood brings something different to the table. Having a clear game-day role is massive for someone trying to survive the final cuts.

Number two, and I think this is pretty overlooked: the fear of losing Wood in waivers is more than justified. 

We often exaggerate about this but this already happened to the Cowboys. In 2024, Dallas waived Wood during August roster cuts and the Tennessee Titans claimed him. He went on to play nine games for Tennessee before an NFL suspension cut his season short, a suspension that even carried into the 2025 season. Dallas got him back on its practice squad in 2025, and he’s been with the team since.

That waiver claim history matters on cutdown day because the Cowboys know getting Wood back on the practice squad is going to be a struggle. Unlike other players they might consider cutting, Wood has evidence on his resume that someone else will scoop him up.

The intriguing part is he’s not fighting the other four safeties for a starting job. He’s fighting players at other positions for that famous 53rd spot, trying to convince the Cowboys to go long at safety instead of going long at cornerback, running back, tight end, or linebacker.

But my take? He’s looking like a roster lock.