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After three seasons, Israel Mukuamu has yet to make a name for himself with the Dallas Cowboys. Now entering the final year of his rookie contract, can the versatile defensive back finally climb the depth chart, or will he be lucky to even make the roster?

Mukuamu was a sixth-round pick for Dallas in the 2021 NFL Draft. Playing both cornerback and safety at South Carolina, he was tagged as a safety initially but only appeared in four games. 2021 was Dan Quinn’s first season as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator and with that change came a lot of turnover at safety. With Dallas sorting through their options in Malik Hooker, Jayron Kearse, Donovan WIlson, and Damontae Kazee, Mukuamu was buried on the bench and mostly inactive on game days.

With Kazee gone the following year, Mukuamu got more opportunities. He played in 15 games, mostly on special teams, but injuries led to an opportunity to be the team’s third cornerback in their playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. While the Cowboys went away disappointed in the outcome, Mukuamu showed well in the loss and raised hopes for what he might contribute going forward.

Unfortunately, Mukuamu’s third season didn’t build on the momentum. A hamstring injury limited him in training camp and seemed to drop him off the radar, or at least back down the depth charts. With DaRon Bland’s meteoric rise, Mukuamu joined fellow 2021 draftees Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright as afterthoughts at cornerback. And with Juanyeh Thomas coming on strong as safety depth, Mukuamu could only get on the field in a special teams capacity in 2023.

Now entering this crucial fourth season, Mukuamu has to hope that his versatility gives him an edge over other depth options. The final year of his contract comes with about a $1.1 million salary cap hit, which is almost entirely erasable if he gets released. Unless the Cowboys are confident that they’ll keep Mukuamu active for games, they probably won’t carry him on the roster at that price.

If the current roster stands pat by the end of preseason, he’ll be battling with Wright, fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson, Eric Scott Jr. and returning prospect Josh Butler for backup work at corner. Carson, considered a steal where Dallas got him, is likely to make the roster. That means anyone else hoping to make it will need to be a key special teams asset or provide some other incentive. That’s where Mukuamu’s versatility as a safety option could pay off.

That said, competition is pretty stiff there as well. Thomas is an emerging asset and now Markquese Bell, who spent last year at linebacker, is moving back to safety in Mike Zimmer’s defense. The move from Quinn to Zimmer will put guys like Mukuamu, who’ve only known one defensive coordinator so far in the NFL, in an interesting place to be reevaluated by a fresh set of eyes. Sometimes it works in their favor, but sometimes it means their biggest advocates are no longer in the room.