Cowboys Banking on Defensive Overhaul, But Draft Strategy Raises Questions
The Dallas Cowboys knew change was coming after a defensive collapse in 2025 that was as glaring as it was costly. Ranked 30th in total yards allowed and dead last in points surrendered per game, Dallas gave up a staggering 377.0 yards and 30.1 points per contest.
That kind of performance doesn’t just get noticed - it gets people fired. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was out just two days after the season ended.
Now, the Cowboys are turning the page with a fresh face: 34-year-old Christian Parker. Coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent the last two seasons as defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator, Parker is seen as a rising star in coaching circles. And for a defense that couldn’t stop much of anything last year, his arrival brings a much-needed jolt of energy and innovation.
But here’s the thing - Parker can only do so much with what he’s given. And right now, the Cowboys’ defensive cupboard is far from stocked.
That’s why so much attention is shifting to April’s NFL Draft, where Dallas holds not one but two first-round picks. Thanks to the Micah Parsons trade, they own Green Bay’s first-rounder in addition to their own.
With no picks in the second or third rounds - those were shipped off in trades for Quinnen Williams and George Pickens - the pressure is on to hit big in the first.
A recent three-round mock draft stirred the pot by projecting that Dallas would use those two premium picks on defense - but not in the secondary. According to the mock, the Cowboys take Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 12 and Clemson edge rusher T.J.
Parker at No. 20.
On paper, those are solid choices. Styles is a versatile, high-IQ linebacker who can help clean up a lot of the mess in the middle of the field.
Parker brings juice off the edge and could be the kind of pass-rusher who forces quarterbacks into bad decisions.
But the glaring omission? No defensive backs.
None. And that’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that allowed more passing yards than anyone else in the league - 251.5 per game.
That’s not just a weakness; it’s a full-blown liability.
Now, maybe the thinking is that Dallas will address the secondary in free agency, which opens in March. There are always a few veteran corners and safeties who shake loose, and if the Cowboys can land one or two difference-makers, the urgency to draft a DB early might fade. But that’s a big “if” - and in the meantime, their division rivals are loading up.
In that same mock draft, the New York Giants snag Monsoor Delane from LSU at No. 5 overall. Delane is widely considered the top cornerback in this class - a lockdown guy with size, speed, and instincts who could immediately elevate a secondary.
Then, two picks later, the Washington Commanders take Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, arguably the best safety prospect on the board. Downs is a playmaker with range, physicality, and a football IQ that jumps off the tape - and he feels like a tailor-made fit for Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme in Washington.
Both the Giants and Commanders had their own defensive issues last season. New York ranked 28th in total yards allowed (359.5 per game), and while their pass defense was middle of the pack (214.2 yards per game, 16th), adding a talent like Delane is a no-brainer.
Washington, meanwhile, gave up 384.0 yards per game - the worst in the league - and was 28th against the pass at 242.5 yards per game. For a team trying to re-establish a defensive identity under Quinn, Downs could be a cornerstone.
So here’s the concern for Cowboys fans: if Dallas passes on a top-tier DB in the first round, and their NFC East rivals walk away with two of the best in the draft, that’s a tough look. Especially for a team trying to rebuild its defense under a coach whose expertise lies in the secondary.
There’s still time. Free agency will shape some of these decisions, and the draft board could shift in unexpected ways.
But one thing’s clear - if the Cowboys want Christian Parker to succeed, they’ve got to give him the tools. Because in today’s NFL, if you can’t defend the pass, you’re not going far.
And right now, the Cowboys are staring at a division where the arms race in the secondary is already underway.