The Cowboys are coming off of a season where they were led by the defense, which is uncommon during the Dak Prescott/Ezekiel Elliott era. One of the positions that shined the brightest was safety as Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker proved to be valuable free agent additions, and both were rewarded with multi-year deals during the offseason.

Last season wasn't as kind to another member of the secondary. Donovan Wilson was the starting strong safety in Week 1, but a nagging groin injury from the preseason forced him to miss the next four games while shoulder and chest injuries cost him four more in the second half of the year. With 2022 being a contract season, Wilson is at a crossroads when it comes to his future with the Cowboys.

The Athletic dived into five Cowboys players who are faced with having to prove themselves in 2022. Coming in at No. 4 was Wilson.

Bob Sturm on the former sixth-rounder :

"This one is interesting for me. I think Donovan Wilson was one of the few bright spots on the 2020 defense, but was unable to stay on the field for long stretches in 2021. When he did, the impact was far more limited as Dan Quinn had brought in a trio of veteran safeties to change the math. Wilson is the type of age where his flashes and splash plays might make him a coveted piece as a free agent next spring, but we know how this works. He also could be looking for any job anywhere next August. That is the way this league works. He is slated as the starter with Malik Hooker (Jayron Kearse plays his own position with the linebackers). Big year, to say the least."

Dallas had arguably its worst defense in history in 2020 as they gave up a franchise-record 473 points and finished 31st against the run. Wilson wasn't a part of the problem as he took full advantage of his chances. The former Texas A&M Aggie played in 14 games (10 starts) and racked up 71 tackles, two interceptions, three passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and 3.5 sacks.

Talk about filling up the stat sheet across the board. This was an encouraging sign for Wilson's development with the Cowboys after his promising 2019 preseason, in which he led the NFL with three interceptions, couldn't translate into the regular season as an ankle injury set him back and only allowed him to log 16 defensive snaps (played 138 on special teams).

It's incumbent upon Wilson to find his stride from a few years ago. The reason is undrafted free agent, Markquese Bell, is making major waves with the Cowboys. So much so that Cowboys' defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has already mentioned different ways he wants to get Bell on the field, so his roster spot is secure barring anything unforeseen.

Bell has the leg up in the competition for the fourth safety spot which has him battling another former undrafted free agent Tyler Coyle and 2021 sixth-round pick Israel Mukuamu. However, if his trajectory keeps pointing up, he will challenge Wilson for the third safety spot, and with the Cowboys using a lot of three safety looks on their big Nickel package, Bell would see a lot of action this season.

Wilson is experiencing the harsh reality of the NFL, especially when you're not an established commodity. Your spot on the roster becomes more vulnerable, and if Wilson plans on staying with the Cowboys, he has to treat this like the most important season of his career.

Feature image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports