The Dallas Cowboys saw the 2025 NFL season get flushed down the drain thanks to a bottom-tier defense led by former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. The Cowboys parted with Eberflus after the season in a move that anyone could see coming.
Christian Parker was brought in as the new defensive coordinator. Parker had just recently spent some time with the Philadelphia Eagles under Vic Fangio, arguably one of the best defensive minds in the history of the NFL. It's not a shock that many fans were and are excited about this new era of Cowboys defense.
And even though we have yet to hit the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cowboys have already made some notable changes.
Signing safety Jalen Thompson and trading for defensive end Rashan Gary are two rock-solid moves that will improve this unit as a whole, and Thompson sounded off recently in a confident tone of what is to come (h/t Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
Jalen Thompson is clearly excited for this new era of Dallas Cowboys defense
“He’s [Ryan Smith] definitely a players’ coach,” he said. “He knows how to coach really well. Knowing that a guy like that is over here with an organization like this, it made the decision that much easier for me.”
“I just feel like we have all the right pieces,” Thompson said. “[Parker] puts the players in the right places. Players that have worked under him have been All-Pros. He brings that versatility to the defense where he puts guys in different places that do the right thing for the team.”
“We got all the right pieces. We’re ready to go. I’m excited to get going with the guys and meet the others as well and create our identity this year as a defense. We got to show that it’s not the same defense as last year.”
That last sentence about 'showing that it's not the same defense as last year' is especially telling. Even the newcomers understand that the Cowboys defense from 2025 simply cannot repeat in 2026. Dallas had the 7th-best scoring offense in the NFL last year, averaging 27.7 points per game, but the team ranked 32nd in scoring defense, allowing 30.1 points per game.
Dak Prescott led the NFL in completions and threw for 30 touchdowns, while wide receiver George Pickens had 1,429 yards and earned All-Pro honors. It was an offensive masterclass all over the place last year, but Eberflus' bottom-feeding defense wasted it all away.
There has to be some element of wanting to 'right the ship' and prove people wrong that could have motivated Thompson to sign with Dallas. And when you think about it, the Cowboys may only need a league-average defense to win double-digit games and clinch a playoff spot.
If the Cowboys have a top-10 scoring offense again, the defense really won't have to do a whole lot. While this is true, it also could paint a much brighter picture. If Parker can make quick work of this defense and perhaps get them into that top 10-12 range, the sky is the limit for this team.
While Dallas does tend to be seen as a dysfunctional, dramatic team, this roster is flat-out loaded with good players, and with two first-round picks to boot in the 2026 NFL Draft, it'd be a massive shock if this unit wasn't significantly better in 2026.