Dallas Cowboys Interviewing Two Prominent Defensive Assistants on Friday – Randy Gurzi, Cowboys On SI
The Cowboys are working diligently to fill out Christian Parker’s defensive staff.
Stephen Jones said the Dallas Cowboys want to finalize their coaching staff as early as this weekend. They’ve ramped up their search, with two in-person interviews set up for Friday.
The two candidates are Derrick Ansley, the defensive passing game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings defensive line coach Marcus Dixon.
Following a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Chargers, Ansley joined the Packers.
In 2024, his first season with the team, Ansley helped them increase their total takeaways from 18 to 31. That was the biggest improvement in the league that season, and the top one-year increase for the Packers since 1998-99.
Green Bay’s entire defense improved when Ansley arrived, finishing top 10 in total defense, run defense, scoring defense, yards allowed per play, and sacks. That was the most top-10 statistical finishes their defense has had since 1996.
Here’s an early projection for the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive starters in 2026 – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
What will the Cowboys defense look like next season?
Take an intentional approach into free agency
Dare it be said, the front office deserves some credit for at least its approach to free agency in 2025. Was it completely successful? Absolutely not, but taking swings on players like Dante Fowler Jr., Javonte Williams and even Jadeveon Clowney after the season started signaled an intentional effort that maybe didn’t always manifest in previous years.
This offseason, that will need to be the case once again. Only two defensive ends — Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Houston — are under contract, the linebacker position desperately needs consistency, and the secondary is simply looking for healthy bodies.
Let’s start in the edge room. The Cowboys will need young and veteran bodies alike. Re-signing Clowney has already been pointed to as a priority for the front office. The team has also shown a tendency to sign former top-100 draft picks heading into a second contract. Names like Baltimore’s David Ojabo, Philadelphia’s Azeez Ojulari and Cincinnati’s Joseph Ossai exist as affordable options on the open market.
But even at the trade deadline in 2025, the Cowboys looked at names like Tennessee’s Arden Key, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Odafe Oweh and Atlanta’s Arnold Ebiketie. If the checkbook is willing to have an extra zero written on some pages, those options would provide immediate production without the need of an early draft pick at the position.
At linebacker, the team desperately needs a communicator. Nakobe Dean hits the open market after two years playing under Parker in Philadelphia, although he hasn’t had lead-communicator experience since 2023. The New York Jets’ Quincy Williams could look for a reunion with his brother, Quinnen.
But if there is any position on defense that needs valuable money spent, it has to be linebacker. Big names like Washington’s Bobby Wagner, New Orleans’ Demario Davis, Green Bay’s Quay Walker and Cleveland’s Devin Bush are durable, effective leaders in the middle who would provide day one efficiency.
The secondary has so many wild cards that it will be tough to predict who will return in 2026. Donovan Wilson is a free agent, DaRon Bland just had a second foot surgery, and Shavon Revel Jr. has yet to play at 100 percent health. Could Parker bring Philadelphia’s Reed Blankenship to Dallas with him in free agency? How about bringing in a veteran cornerback to provide reliability and consistency?
Options will present themselves in free agency. And after such a productive season on offense, the majority of the focus can be put on the defensive side of the ball to give Parker the pieces that are needed to compete.
Latest Cowboys’ coaching hire has fans daydreaming about another massive addition – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports
Cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith has ties to LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
If there’s one thing we know about new Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker, it’s that he values defensive backs. He rose through the NFL ranks by coaching DBs and being the pass game coordinator for Vic Fangio’s defense with the Philadelphia Eagles. In the process, he developed three All-Pro corners; Patrick Surtain II, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean.
So it’s safe to bet his decision to hire Ryan Smith as cornerbacks coach isn’t one he took lightly. Smith’s a coach on the rise, and he’s someone that could help the Cowboys land one of the best defensive players in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Smith has ties to Mansoor Delane
Smith’s rise through the coaching ranks—which includes being named a “College Football Rising Star” by 24/7 Sports in 2020—featured a big jump in 2020, when he joined Virginia Tech’s coaching staff to mentor Caleb Farley, who wound up a first-round pick in the NFL. Smith’s good work yielded two things: He added pass game coordinator responsibilities and he caught the attention of this year’s top cornerback of the 2026 NFL Draft, Mansoor Delane.
According to Tech Sideline, “Delane cited CB coach Ryan Smith and DC Justin Hamilton as big reasons he chose the Hokies.”
Delane would later head to LSU, and he’s now considered a surefire first-round pick thanks to his sticky coverage and high-IQ play in the SEC. Given Smith and Delane’s relationship, which has been noted by many fans and content creators online, Cowboys Nation is daydreaming about Delane being the pick at No. 12.
If it comes to that, the Cowboys would have a Day 1 starter at cornerback that looks like a game-changing piece. Stephen Jones admitted earlier in January that cornerback was among the Cowboys’ biggest needs.
Why Cowboys will change their ‘bargain bin’ approach to free agency in 2026 – Brian Martin, Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys would benefit greatly from an aggressive free agency plan.
For little over a decade now the Dallas Cowboys have been pretty consistent about how they choose to approach free agency year after year. They’ve chosen to shop from the “bargain bin” for about 11 years now and haven’t really paid an outside free agent over $6 million annually in that timeframe. This approach to free agency hasn’t netted any positive results and it’s definitely time for a big shift.
As luck would have it, it looks like 2026 will be the year Jerry Jones and Company are finally willing to make some big changes in order to become more productive as an organization. They appear to have already allowed Brian Schottenheimer to run more of the show without their interference as evidenced by the hiring of 34-year-old, first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
The hiring of Christian Parker already bucks the trend of the Cowboys going with a more tried-and-true coordinator with a proven track record, which signals a big shift in mentality and that other changes could be coming this year. The next big change we expect coming in Dallas is how they approach free agency and the players they choose to target because of it.
As we know, the NFL is a copycat league, monkey see monkey do if you will. And, as we also know, Jerry Jones has Super Bowl envy and wants more than anything to add to his Super Bowl trophy collection sooner rather than later before his time on earth comes to an end. That’s probably one of the reasons why he and the rest the Cowboys brass are allowing Brian Schottenheimer more control, but of course it extends beyond that too.
With the Super Bowl LX set between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, this will mark the 30th season the Dallas Cowboys have had to watch the big event from home. As difficult as that is to fathom, this could actually serve as a learning experience for Jerry Jones and Company, and if he’s paying attention, follow the blueprint both of these teams utilized to have a chance to lift the ever elusive Lombardi trophy.
Coincidence or just their roster-building strategy, both the Patriots and Seahawks were among the league leaders in the free agency spending a year ago and now both organizations are vying for the opportunity to be the sole survivor and Super Bowl champion as a result. Both teams were in the Top 5 in the offseason free agent spending (Patriots 1st, Seahawks 4th).
3 Senior Bowl standouts at OT that should spark Cowboys’ interest – Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire
Dallas should certainly consider upgrading at offensive tackle at some point in the NFL draft.
Whether anyone wants to admit or not, the Dallas Cowboys have an offensive tackle problem. After investing $82,500,000 million in one OT and a first-round pick in the other, one would imagine this would be a position of strength. Unfortunately, it’s been anything but, and now faces a massive shakeup heading into 2026.
With the needs of the defense taking pole position on the Cowboys’ draft board, it’s highly unlikely Pick 12 will go anywhere but to the defense. Subsequent picks might be a different story. The 2026 Senior Bowl has flashed more than a few non-blue-chip prospects appearing to be upgrades to anything the Cowboys currently have. It’s possible that after trading back from Pick 20 Dallas could acquire extra draft capital in the top 100 in order to justify further offensive investment.
While many of the top OT prospects passed on the Senior Bowl preferring to rest on their laurels of the previous season, other prospects, more of the blue-collar variety, opted to compete and improve their fortune. For these three OTs, that’s mission accomplished.
OL Gennings Dunker, Iowa
Gennings Dunker, 6-foot-5, 320-pounds, has been a media favorite at the Senior Bowl this week. The mulleted mauler follows a long tradition of norse-like linemen from the Midwest. The Iowa right tackle has practiced and played across the line with some suggesting guard is his ideal position. Yet, based on practice reps, RT looks well within his wheelhouse and puts him on the verge of first-round conversation as he looks to improve his current consensus draft location of 50.
The Cowboys may very well be parting with Terence Steele in 2026 opening up the RT spot to competition. They’re also considering Tyler Smith as an option at left tackle after Tyler Guyton’s struggles with performance and health the past two seasons. There’s a need.
