Over four months since his original visit with the Cowboys, free agent Safety Malik Hooker appears to close to finally joining America’s Team. The 5th-year veteran visited again today and, pending the results of a physical, is expected to sign with Dallas.
The 15th-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Hooker has struggled with injuries going back to college. Considered a top-five draft prospect on talent, Malik slid down the board after surgeries kept him from participating in the Scouting Combine. Still, the Indianapolis Colts didn’t let him slide far.
After missing nine games his rookie season, Hooker only played in 13 games each of the next two years. The Colts declined to pick up his 5th-year option for 2021 before last season, and then Malik only played in two games after a torn Achilles in Week 2.
Hooker managed to snag seven career interceptions from just 2017-2019 and while missing 15 games. Still just 25 years old as of April, Malik’s talent and upside are still enough for the safety-needy Dallas Cowboys.
Free agent S Malik Hooker is visiting the Cowboys for a second time this offseason. And this time, the pairing should stick. As long as everything checks out physically, team is expected to sign Hooker, source said. He’d make a full 90-man roster.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) July 23, 2021
Interestingly, back when Dallas visited with Hooker in March, they also were checking out Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal. We know that both of those former Falcons are now Cowboys, with Neal having moved to linebacker but Kazee a frontrunner to be one of the starting safeties.
This move would potentially add some real heat to the battles for those starting jobs. Originally it felt like Kazee and Donovan Wilson were going to win them easily, but now Malik Hooker brings plenty of experience and perhaps special talent to the mix.
Malik will be among friends upon joining the Cowboys. He was college teammates with RB Ezekiel Elliott and receivers Noah Brown and Johnnie Dixon at Ohio State.
Dallas has an open roster spot after releasing CB Rashard Robinson last week. They will not need to make any other move to sign Hooker.
