It will be hard enough for some of the Cowboys’ new defensive backs to make the 53-man roster, and likely harder for some holdover talents. Safety Julius Wood, in his second stint as a prospect with Dallas, will need a shockingly good summer if he’s going to make it to fall.
Background
Years in NFL: 2Acquired by: Free agency (2025)
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After years as a defensive leader at East Carolina, Wood went undrafted in 2024 and signed as a free agent with Dallas. He was with the team through the preseason but released at final cuts. Before the Cowboys could add him to the practice squad, if that was their intention, the Titans swooped in and claimed him off waivers.
Wood appeared in nine games for Tennessee as a rookie, playing almost entirely on special teams. That December, he got a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s PED policy. He missed the rest of that year, but the Titans brought him back last year for training camp. He did not make the roster this time around, and remained unemployed for the first month of the season.
Wood returned to Dallas last October via the practice squad. He did not get called up for any games, but did receive a futures deal in January to return in 2026.
Contract Status
Years Left: 22026 Cap Hit: $1.01 million
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Wood has a typical contract for guys who get futures deal, minimal money and zero guarantees.
2026 Projections
Role: Backup SRoster Chance: 5%
You hate to stick anyone with the “camp body” label at this point, especially with so much movement across Dallas’ defense. But it’s hard not to see Wood that way given all of the other prospects the Cowboys will have in this year’s camp, and how Wood’s game seems less suited to Christian Parker’s scheme than what Dallas was previously running.
In 2024, Wood sounded like a younger version of Donovan Wilson as a downhill, hard-hitting safety who played more like a small linebacker. Wilson did not get a new deal to return to Dallas this year, and the Cowboys haven’t really replaced him with a similar talent. Parker’s defense is expected to use a lot of two-high safety looks, putting more emphasis on coverage skills. As such, like Wilson, Wood’s skill set feels like a bad fit.
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The numbers game is also working against Wood. Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson, and P.J. Locke are now here, two of them likely starters and Locke expected to be a key roleplayer. Even veterans Malik Hooker and Markquese Bell are in precarious spots now, especially with young prospects like Alijah Clark and Zion Childress in the mix. The odds that enough of those players will falter and make a path for Wood seem very low.
Wood’s one real hope, as it so often is for these dark horse guys, is on special teams. He will have a hard time against Bell and Clark in that arena too, but it was where he foud work as a rookie with Tennessee. And if the Cowboys didn’t any real way for him to contribute in 2026, especially after hiring Parker, Wood probably wouldn’t still be here now. So there’s a least something there that they want to see more of, which gives him at least a slim chance to earn further consideration.
Check out our previous player profiles from this series:
RB Israel Abanikanda | C Cooper Beebe | G Tyler Booker | S Alijah Clark | DT Tommy Dunn | CB Cobie Durant |OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku | TE Princeton Fant | TE Jake Ferguson | WR Ryan Flournoy | C Matt Hennessy | S Malik Hooker |OLB James Houston | WR Jordan Hudson | LB Shemar James | G Trevor Keegan | CB Derion Kendrick |OLB Isaiah Land | S P.J. Locke | FB Hunter Luepke | RB Phil Mafah | QB Joe Milton III | WR Jonathan Mingo |CB Devin Moore | LB DeMarvion Overshown | TE DJ Rogers | TE Luke Schoonmaker | LS Trent Sieg |WR Anthony Smith | OT Terence Steele | CB Reddy Steward | OT Nate Thomas | DT Jay Toia | OLB Tyrus Wheat | RB Javonte Williams | OLB Sam Williams | DT D.J. Withers
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