Although the new league year hasn’t begun, change around the Dallas Cowboys has already started. Out with the old, in with the new, as Dallas has moved on from Matt Eberflus and assigned Christian Parker
as the lead man to turn around a dreadful defense from 2025.
The Cowboys won’t completely overhaul the entire unit in just one offseason, but a lot of the players who featured prominently on that side of the ball shouldn’t be expected to return. Also, let’s be honest, there isn’t anywhere to go but up, considering how everything played out last season. Plus, certain players should be expected to make strides and improve, not only on defense, but throughout the roster. It’s never too early to look ahead to next season and never too early to predict a breakout season. Here are a few players who we expect to improve tremendously in 2026.
Shemar James
Let’s start with the defense. Shemar James had an uneven rookie season. He was pressed into playing almost 60 percent of the offensive snaps, and by season’s end, his head was spinning. It didn’t help that his veteran linebacker counterparts struggled as poorly as they did, putting James in some difficult positions.
However, he did gain plenty of experience out of the gate as a fifth-round pick. James had nearly 100 tackles last season, including 15 against the New York Jets. He should adjust better at recognizing defenses and route combinations in zone coverage in his second year. James has a solid foundation of physical traits to succeed; he just needs more time and more stable coaching. He should get some time in the rotation.
Jaydon Blue
Entering the offseason, the top two running backs atop the depth chart last year, Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, will be free agents. Malik Davis is still around for now, but even if he were to step in as the starter, you’d have to think Jaydon Blue would have a sizable role in the offense. Blue may have ruffled a few feathers in his rookie season among the coaching staff, making his time on the field scarce. Yet, the talent is there, and in the season finale against the New York Giants, we saw that potential Blue has to make big plays.
He has tremendous speed, and if he can show between the tackles toughness, he could be a dangerous runner with the Cowboys’ interior offensive line group. He’s an ideal third-down back who can catch passes out of the backfield, but also, with the new kickoff rules, can find a place as a kickoff return specialist alongside KaVontae Turpin. Assuming that Williams leaves in free agency, what Dallas invests in draft capital or free agent spending to replace him will have a direct result on how big a workload we can expect from Blue in 2026.
Shavon Revel
The Cowboys are counting on Shavon Revel to be better than he was last season. The most troublesome area for the Cowboys heading into this year is cornerback. Dallas was ravaged by injury and threw whatever healthy bodies they could find to cover outside the numbers. Caelen Carson has yet to claim a role, and although the Cowboys paid a hefty sum to DaRon Bland, you could also make the case that nickel is his better position. Dallas has their eyes set on a cornerback in the draft, but Revel is the prototype corner that Dallas and many teams would like to have in the draft.
Revel has length and is ideal as a press-man cornerback with his long arms and speed. Another year removed from an ACL injury should see Revel regain some of his athleticism. Fortunately for him, Christian Parker has helped many cornerbacks find their way in the NFL and may be able to do the same for Revel. You hate to say that Revel is in for a make-or-break year with the Cowboys, yet where the Cowboys are at cornerback, the future is now, and there may be no other choice but for Revel to thrive in the position he’s in.
Ryan Flournoy
Ryan Flournoy had a bit of a breakout last year when he had over 400 receiving yards in his second season. He had two games where he had more than 100 yards receiving, so we know he can be a productive member of the offense. Yet, it feels like he’s going to reach new heights next year. The Jalen Tolbert experiment is likely over, and Flournoy has won over the trust of the coaching staff. As teams gear up to contain CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who should be back next year, there will be plenty of opportunities for Flournoy to thrive. He should see even more snaps because he can do all the dirty work in addition to catching the football.
Flournoy runs solid routes and has reliable hands. Dallas could very well have Pickens and Lamb go for over 1,000 yards receiving, and Flournoy get somewhere around 700 or more. Think back to 2019 when Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper had over 1,000 yards, and Randall Cobb wasn’t far behind with 828. Dak Prescott is reaching his pinnacle as a passer, and that means his receivers are going to reap the rewards. Flournoy could be in for a big year.
