While the Cowboys weren't exactly quiet during free agency this spring, there is still plenty of work to do for this team that finished 7-10 in 2024.
Not only did they add some key players in free agency and via trades, but they also re-signed some of the core depth as well.
Still, there are other guys on this team that must take that next step in order for the Cowboys to be successful in 2025.
Today, we'll continue the Next Man Up series with safety Juanyeh Thomas.
- Name: Juanyeh Thomas
- Position: Safety
- Experience: 3 years (2 accrued)
- Games Played/Starts: 29/1
- Years Left on Contract: 1
- How Acquired: Re-signed 2025
- Key Stat: 43-yard kickoff return for TD vs. WAS (Week 12, 2024)
The Past: Few know what paying dues looks like to the degree that Thomas does. The 24-year-old began his NFL career with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2022, likely having viewed himself as an eventual draft pick after garnering Freshman All-American honors in 2018 at Georgia Tech. Instead, he'd put his nose to the grindstone and that included spending the entirety of his rookie season in Dallas on the team's practice squad, clawing away for an opportunity to prove himself on the field. That wouldn't arrive until Year 2, however, but he quickly made the most of it once he was given a shot.
The Present: He's since been on the field for 29 games over the last two seasons, as both a key special teamer and a high-level backup at the safety position. Despite limited burn thus far on defense (11% in 2024), he's managed to account for 36 career tackles (24 of them being solo) and five pass deflections along with a forced fumble. You likely know him well for the aforementioned kickoff return that buried the Commanders in 2024, but he's contributed far more than simply that — a high-motor, physical player willing to do the dirty work, and thriving when asked to.
The Future: What might this mean for Thomas' future, though? He entered this offseason as an exclusive rights free agent whose option was picked up by the Cowboys and that's a very, very wise decision by the front office. Thomas is simply becoming too valuable to let walk, and he hasn't even reached his peak potential as of yet. How he'll be utilized by Matt Eberflus will be something to watch, his skillset creating an opportunity to possibly be used at times at nickel corner, the spot vacated by Jourdan Lewis in free agency (after all, he is No. 2 now, for now), and then there's the fact that Thomas could be viewed as the future at safety in the eventual post-Malik Hooker era, and that means he'll need more playing time sooner than later to help make that case.
