The Cowboys’ No. 6 debate comes down to a familiar kind of football argument: peak versus staying power. Chris Jones had the longest run in the jersey, but the real decision was always going to be between Nick Folk and Donovan Wilson.
Folk has the cleanest resume on paper. He’s the only player on the list to make a Pro Bowl, and he did it as a rookie after Dallas grabbed him in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft with the 178th overall pick. That first season was a big one: 26 of 31 on field goals, a perfect 53-for-53 on extra points, and 131 points scored, which at the time ranked second in a single season in Cowboys history behind only Emmitt Smith’s 150 in 1995.
He was solid again in year two, hitting 20 of 22 field goals and all 42 PATs. Year three, though, was a different story. Folk stayed perfect on extra points, but he made only 18 of 28 field goals before Dallas released him late in the season.
That opened the door for Wilson.
A sixth-round pick in 2019, Wilson started out wearing No. 37 for two seasons. Then the NFL’s jersey policy changed ahead of the 2021 campaign, and he moved to No. 6, the number he had worn in the final years of his college career at Texas A&M.
His second season in No. 37 was productive enough - 71 total tackles and 3.5 sacks - but his best football came after the switch. Wilson was never going to be confused for a shutdown coverage safety, but his athleticism was obvious, and at his best he was one of the NFL’s hardest-hitting box safeties.
His peak came in 2022, when he piled up a career-high 101 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, two passes defended and an interception. Two years later, he followed with 82 tackles, six tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, five passes defended and another pick.
That’s why Wilson gets the edge over Folk, even with the Pro Bowl on Folk’s side. Wilson’s best seasons in Dallas came in No. 6, and with a little more longevity, he might have made the answer even easier. As it stands, he just barely wins the jersey.
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For Dallas, the appeal is obvious. The Cowboys have been searching for more stability and upside at running back, and a player like Johnson would at least give them another swing at solving it. If Pittsburgh decides it has better options in the room, Dallas could be positioned to pounce on a back with real tools and a chance to grow into more than a depth piece. [Read more 🡒]
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The debate gets sharper because the ranking did not ignore the blemishes. Fergusons ball security has become part of the conversation, and that matters for a player the Cowboys rewarded with a modest extension last year. Even so, he still comes out as the highest-ranked tight end in the NFC East, a small but notable distinction in a division where no one at the position cracked the top 10. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Still Talk About This Texas Stadium Playoff Takeover
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Dennis Thurmans night is part of what made it memorable, and so is the kind of creativity that defined that era. One of the lasting images is Drew Pearson uncorking a 49-yard pass to Tony Hill, the sort of wrinkle that gave Dallas an edge in those years and helped make that playoff run such a durable piece of Cowboys history. [Read more 🡒]