{"id":54002,"date":"2025-06-07T01:42:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T01:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=54002"},"modified":"2025-06-07T01:42:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-07T01:42:12","slug":"does-cowboys-udfa-have-a-chance-to-start-on-defense-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=54002","title":{"rendered":"Does Cowboys UDFA have a chance to start on defense in 2025?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the weakest areas on the Dallas Cowboys roster entering the 2025 NFL campaign is in the secondary. The team has been decimated by injuries over the past year, and it has left the unit relatively thin.<\/p>\n

With players recovering from injury, it has opened up opportunities for players who are fighting to earn their spots on the roster.<\/p>\n

One of those players is promising undrafted free agent safety Alijah Clark, who signed with the Cowboys after the 2025 NFL draft out of Syracuse.<\/p>\n

Good Start<\/h2>\n

From what I have seen and read on Twitter, Clark looked pretty good both in videos, and by word of mouth.<\/p>\n

During some of the OTA work starting safety, Malik Hooker, had an injury on Tuesday, which then allowed Clark to jump in with the first-team defense and get some reps.<\/p>\n

If you did not know, Clark is currently the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 highest-paid undrafted free agent.<\/p>\n

He is set to earn a $234,000 guaranteed salary, and was granted a $25,000 signing bonus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Hooker out, UDFA safeties Alijah Clark and Mike Smith got some run with the first team alongside Juanyeh Thomas,\u201d Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com wrote on X. \u201cIsrael Mukuamu played some outside corner with Andrew Booth absent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout his college career, Clark, who ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, recorded 189 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, nine passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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