Although perhaps a bit unusual for a team that finished below .500 the year before, much of the Dallas Cowboys' depth chart is set in stone before the 2026 NFL season. Dak Prescott under center. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens out wide. Quinnen Williams in the middle. You get the point.
This is both a testament to the talent that America's Team already has, but also serves as a reminder of how important coaching is in this league to maximize said talent. But that doesn't mean that the Cowboys don't still have intriguing roster battles to sort through at OTAs and into training camp.
While most eyes are on the left tackle spot, where Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas are fighting for the starting spot, choosing between free agent bargain Cobie Durant and promising 2025 draft pick Shavon Revel Jr. as the starting boundary corner opposite DaRon Bland is critical as well.
And Durant has drawn first blood at OTAs.
Cobie Durant strikes first in Dallas Cowboys CB2 battle with OTAs interception
According to Fort Worth Star-Telegram Cowboys reporter Nick Harris, "Durant jumped a quick route on the outside for an interception off Dak" during Dallas' Tuesday OTA practice. Not only that, but he noted that Revel Jr. worked with both the first and second-team defense.
These two tidbits means several things.
One is that Durant has struck first in this position battle with a splash play, picking off one of the NFL's best quarterbacks. Durant is clearly running with the first-team defense if he's facing Prescott, but Revel Jr. is flipping back and forth. It sounds like Durant has the inside track, at least as of now.
The other is that if Bland still isn't practicing in a full capacity at OTAs, and Revel Jr. isn't even working exclusively with the 1s alongside Durant, then one could even argue that Revel Jr. is more so in a battle with Caelen Carson than Durant at this juncture.
Obviously, Bland coming back will clean up this picture. And it is certainly not a bad thing for Carson to be playing well, especially if Revel Jr. is looking and feeling good, too. With Bland's injury history, the more respectable bodies they have on the outside, the better.
But it is clear through the early portion of OTAs that Durant is pulling ahead. Yes, the team invested a third-round pick in Revel Jr. just over a year ago, and ideally, he pans out as at least a strong rotational player. However, it is never a bad thing to bargain bin shop and find some old designer clothes.
Durant was signed on a measly one-year, $4 million prove-it deal. And if he proves it, Dallas will eventually have to pony up to keep him. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let's just acknowledge that the cheap and unheralded free agent signing drew first blood in the CB2 battle.
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