The Dallas Cowboys made nine selections during the 2025 NFL Draft, but the real work begins as they sift through the players that went undrafted. Dallas has signed nine UDFAs in the days following the draft, and each of them has their own traits that could help them make the team next season.
In the case of one player, it’s a perfect storm of talent and need. If he makes the team, he could find a way to be a key contributor and have rival fans kicking themselves.
Alijah Clark Could Be Sleeper in Cowboys UDFA Class
The Cowboys took plenty of chances in their UDFA class, but one of the most intriguing prospects is Syracuse safety Alijah Clark. The 6-foot-1, 188-pounder was ranked 22nd among safeties in Dane Brugler’s “The Beast” guide over at The Athletic and established himself as an interchangeable safety, spending time in nickel, field, and boundary roles for the Orange.
Clark’s 6.68 relative athletic score probably kept him from getting drafted as teams prefer athletic freaks to play a “slinebacker” or “joker” role in a defense. But Brugler points out that Clark plays with a sense of urgency and arrives with a “pop.”
The 21-year-old is projected as a nickel corner at the next level and it’s something that could play into the Cowboys’ hands. Dallas lost starting slot cornerback Jourdan Lewis to a big free agent deal from the Jacksonville Jaguars, and currently has an underwhelming competition between Israel Mukuamu, Kemon Hall, and Troy Pride Jr. to replace him.
Clark didn’t play man coverage as a slot corner, but he established himself as a jack of all trades. He racked up 187 tackles during his four-year collegiate career between Rutgers and Syracuse and made 61 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, with five pass breakups and an interception in his final year with the Orange.
Like most UDFAs, Clark doesn’t have a guaranteed spot on the roster. But with a big training camp, he has the talent to force the Cowboys’ hand and maybe become a prospect that other teams would have loved to have.
