To say that Christian Parker's arrival as defensive coordinator is going to shake things up for the Dallas Cowboys would be an understatement.
That is already proving true with the coaching staff, as Parker has already moved on from three of Matt Eberflus' assistants, a sign that he wants to bring in an entirely new staff.
While that obviously can’t happen with Dallas’ defensive personnel overnight, seismic changes are certainly coming. It will take time for Parker’s vision to fully come together, but free agency and the draft will provide a blueprint for the type of defense he wants to build.
Evaluating the current personnel should be relatively easy. For one grizzled veteran -- safety Donovan Wilson -- Parker's arrival may have already sealed his fate once the new league year begins.
Cowboys' Christian Parker hire is bad news for safety Donovan Wilson
With Wilson set to become a free agent, it felt like the perfect time for Dallas to move on after his dreadful 2025 season. That the Cowboys handed the keys to the defense to a defensive back Guru in Parker makes Wilson's departure all the more likely.
Not all of that is on Wilson. Matt Eberflus insisted on using him deep in coverage all season, a responsibility he was never well-suited for, let alone at this stage of his career.
Wilson is at his best when he’s allowed to get downhill and bring physicality in the run game. He could be serviceable as a full-time box safety, but teams will still try to single him out in coverage. It was evident this year that Wilson can't move in the open field.
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According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson's 38.8 coverage grade ranked 93rd out of 98 safeties. He allowed a 119.2 passer rating when targeted, and he finished with more missed tackles (18) than defensive stops (15), which are tackles that constitute a "failure" for the offense.
Wilson's one saving grace could be that he overlapped at Texas A&M with Parker in 2017, when Parker served as an analyst for the Aggies. But would Parker allow emotions to influence big personnel decisions as a first-time defensive coordinator? He seems much more buttoned-up than that.
Regardless, the Cowboys need to get younger at safety. Malik Hooker is under contract and will turn 30 in April.
It won't be hard for the front office to find an upgrade over Wilson in the draft and free agency. With 75 starts and 98 appearances in his seven seasons with Dallas, the former sixth-round pick has carved out a nice career, but it's time to move on.