The cornerback position is far from locked down.<\/p>\n
Dallas is lucky they\u00a0brought in DB guru<\/a>\u00a0Christian Parker to be their new defensive coordinator and work with these guys, but red flags are still flying. Let\u2019s start with Bland, because his inability to stay healthy has plagued this defense across the last two seasons, and he will still play a key role.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t long ago that the 27-year-old led the NFL with nine interceptions (and five pick-sixes) in 2023, but he\u2019s only played 19 games in the two years since. Recent history suggests that the\u00a0$92 million man<\/a>\u00a0can\u2019t stay healthy. And he did not participate in offseason activities.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s Durant, who was\u00a0one of the bigger free-agent signings<\/a>\u00a0the Cowboys made this offseason. While he was a solid starter in Los Angeles<\/a> last season, he has some issues of his own, so the Rams<\/a> were quick to cast him aside in favor of Jaylen Watson<\/a> and Trent McDuffie<\/a>.<\/p>\n The fifth-year cornerback is far from a sure thing. According to Pro Football Focus, Durant\u2019s 66.8 PFF grade\u00a0ranked 39th out of 114 qualified CBs<\/a>, while his 67.4 coverage grade ranked 37th. However, he allowed an 85.6 passer rating when targeted, and is also pretty below average as a run defender.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Revel, who\u2019s facing similar question marks to both of them. The 2025 third-round pick out of East Carolina missed the first 10 games of last season while rehabbing from the ACL tear that ended his college career. And once he returned, it got worse for him, as he played at less than 100%.<\/p>\n Keep an eye on these names you may have forgotten about.<\/p>\n OT Ajani Cornelius<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s no secret that the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys<\/a>\u00a0have a really strong offense. As long as QB Dak Prescott<\/a> is healthy, the team routinely finds themselves in, or in close proximity to, top-5 ranking in many metrics for that side of the ball. The one roster weakness they have there, though, is at the tackle position. Neither Tyler Guyton<\/a> nor Terence Steele<\/a> inspire visions of Pro Bowl appearances or All-Pro accolades. Most conversations around who could challenge them are centered around Nate Thomas or this year\u2019s fourth-round pick Drew Shelton.Expert NFL picks:\u00a0Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n But perhaps Cornelius, who is in the same position this season as Thomas was last year, could shockingly join the conversation. The No. 204 selection from 2025 out of Oregon, Cornelius was identified by this current staff as someone they hoped to develop. There are several people in his way, but the climb to the top isn\u2019t nearly as steep as other positions.<\/p>\n TE Michael Trigg<\/p>\n There\u2019s no question about it, the tight end in Dallas\u2019 offense has been fed as a result of whatever else is happening on the field. Jake Ferguson<\/a> is a good outlet, but he\u2019s not a dominating force and gives nothing after the catch. His fumbling issues has made him even less of a compliment. His backups leave a lot to be desired as pass catchers, meaning that if there\u2019s anyone with juice at the position, they have a chance to contribute.<\/p>\n The question for Trigg isn\u2019t about juice; he\u2019s a plus-level pass catcher\u2026 like highlight reel worthy pass catchter. The question is whether or not he can do the rest of the job description for being a professional tight end, and whether he can do that in the matter of one offseason. He went undrafted for those reasons, can he turn things around and become the shock player of this year\u2019s camp.<\/p>\n There\u2019s still time to add depth.<\/p>\n Despite all of their moves, Bleacher Report\u2019s Kristopher Knox is of the opinion the Cowboys should make one more addition to their linebackers room\u00a0by signing Bobby Wagner<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this stage in his career, Wagner would make the most sense for a team seeking both talent and experience on its defense and with enough overall talent to make a strong push for the postseason,\u201d Knox wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cLogical Landing Spots:\u00a0Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a>,\u201d Knox added.<\/p>\n Cowboys\u2019 current situation at linebacker<\/p>\n The Cowboys had a dire situation at the position going into the offseason, but things have improved since then.<\/p>\n Dallas\u00a0traded for Dee Winters<\/a>\u00a0before opting to select Jaishawn Barham<\/a> in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and those two join a linebackers room that also includes both DeMarvion Overshown<\/a> and Shemar James<\/a>.<\/p>\n While that should be an adequate group, there are questions about each player in it. Overshown has been plagued by injury during his career, Barham and James are unproven and Winters amounts to an OK but not great starting option.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s one position group that could use a final piece to put it over the top, it\u2019s linebacker.<\/p>\n Fans have to hope history repeats itself.<\/p>\n Ernie Stautner, Dave Wannstedt, Butch Davis, and Dave Campo all\u00a0led defenses during Super Bowl seasons<\/a>.<\/p>\n We know those names now because of what came later, but it doesn\u2019t mean each one arrived as some famous NFL coordinator everybody wanted.<\/p>\n Stautner built his reputation with the defensive line under Tom Landry.\u00a0Wannstedt followed Jimmy Johnson<\/a>\u00a0from the University of Miami and got his first NFL coaching job in Dallas. Davis worked his way up through the defensive front. Campo climbed through the secondary.<\/p>\n Dallas didn\u2019t always chase the hottest name available, but instead trusted coaches who were still moving up and gave them a defense before the rest of the league knew who they were.<\/p>\n I think that\u2019s where I\u2019m at on the Christian Parker hire.<\/p>\n