Cowboys secondary has surprise breakout player in Week 1 of training camp

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL, but one surprising player, Israel Mukuamu, has been a breakout star in the secondary.

Dec 11, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu (24) celebrates with fans after making an interception during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys boast a secondary that features two All-Pro starting cornerbacks, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. At safety, Malik Hooker is the standout with a number of quality players filling out the depth chart.

One of those players is Israel Mukuamu, who was a breakout star on Day 2 of padded practice at training camp.

Mukuamu was the sixth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL Draft and he is entering the final year of his rookie countract. The fourth-year player is making sure that his presence is felt on the practice field, and he did so in a big way on Wednesday.

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The former South Carolina star made two interceptions during Wednesday's padded session.

Mukuamu put his ball skills on full display, picking off a Trey Lance pass intended for wide receiver Cam Johnson and a Dak Prescott pass intended for Jalen Tolbert.

On the first interception, Mukuamu positioned himself in front of Johnson and essentially ran the route for him while tracking the ball.

Israel Mukuamu INT pic.twitter.com/JgSd96ESvN

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2024

On the second interception, Mukuamu stuck to Tolbert and jumped the route as soon as Prescott let the ball go.

Mukuamu bullied Tolbert on the route to get in position for the interception.

Israel Mukuamu with pick in coverage against Jalen Tolbert: pic.twitter.com/WOM17EWT4l

— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) July 31, 2024

At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Mukuamu possesses rare size for the position, and his skillset is intriguing.

He will need to put together more consistent efforts in practice and the preseason, but he is off to a good start in the opening week of training camp. Let's see if he can continue putting it all together as camp rolls on in Oxnard.

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