Dallas Cowboys fourth-year defensive back Israel Mukuamu is welcoming all challengers this summer, especially recent trade acquisition George Pickens, who’s set to be the No. 2 option in the passing game behind CeeDee Lamb.
Pickens has reportedly impressed during minicamp, showcasing a smooth transition to the Dallas offense thanks to a budding relationship with Dak Prescott as a featured threat downfield. Mukuamu took issue with Pickens beating him on a comeback route and made sure to tout his own progression in the secondary.
“Talk about how I’ve been locking up too since we started, first catch I gave up on him,” Mukuamu wrote Tuesday on “X” after practice intel from the Cowboys indicated Pickens’ impressive effort.
Mukuamu is trying to make the most of extended reps at the back end of the defense since he mostly played special teams last season for the Cowboys. He re-signed with the franchise in March on a one-year deal, but has a chance to break into the two-deep with several projected starters on the mend.
The Cowboys saw Jourdan Lewis leave for the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency on a three-year, $30 million deal, and cornerback Trevon Diggs isn’t expected back for training camp next month after undergoing cartilage surgery this offseason.
Micah Parsons contract: While the Cowboys star attends mandatory minicamp, a new deal is nowhere to be found
Garrett Podell
As it stands, DaRon Bland and offseason signing Kaiir Elam figure to be the first players on the field for the Cowboys in the secondary if Diggs is unavailable to start the season. There’s hope Caelen Carson, a 2024 fifth-round pick, has improved and the franchise is not rushing the return of Shavon Revel, a rookie from ECU who missed most of his final college season with a knee injury.
This is a critical time for Mukuamu to impress the Cowboys’ coaching staff with his size — at 6-foot-4 — and overall skill set.
Pickens was the headliner in a blockbuster deal earlier this year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pickens has been a model for consistency on the field after three seasons in the NFL including an 1,140-yard campaign in 2023, but has made a series of questionable decisions off of it.
The Cowboys’ goal is to keep Pickens’ emotions in check and relieve some of the pressure off Lamb, one of the league’s top pass-catchers. In his final start with the Steelers, Pickens hauled in five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown during the franchise’s postseason loss at Baltimore.
Pickens said after the deal this offseason that he’s anxious for a fresh start. And from early reports in minicamp, he seems to be making his presence felt amongst his new teammates — even the ones on defense.
“Just taking one day at a time. I feel like everybody in the world is working on growing on their bettering of their self,” Pickens said. “I feel like growth for me is taking a great direction in me coming to the Cowboys. I can’t change anyone’s opinion. Me, personally, I just continue to grow. Everyone in the world has to grow as you get older and older. I’m just trying to build a winning culture, which they already have at the Cowboys. I’m just glad to be joining.”
Go to Source
Author: Brad Crawford
June 11, 2025 | 8:55 am
