NEW Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker opened up on the team’s approach for the upcoming 2026 season.
Parker, 34, is looking to make a splash as the team’s youngest ever coordinator, having previously held roles as a defensive backs coach with the Denver Broncos and as passing game coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles.
He learned his trade under one of the league’s most tenured names in defensive guru Vic Fangio at both teams.
But he is now on his own as he faces the unenviable task of turning around a Cowboys defence that allowed more points per game (30.1) than any other in the league, and were 30th in terms of yards allowed per game (377).
When asked about the depth of the rebuild required in his introductory press conference, Parker said: “Yeah, I don’t think we want to put any expectations on it in that regard, I think we just want to kind of take it day by day and do it the right way. So we’re kind of just taking that approach.
“We’ll get our head out of the sand at some point, but right now we got tunnel vision on doing things the right way.”
Parker highlighted some of the names he feels can help the team rebound from a successive season without play-off football.
He praised a defensive line including former New York Jets star and Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams, and Kenny Clark, who the Cowboys received alongside two first-round picks in exchange for Micah Parsons in a trade with the Green Bay Packers last year.
He also singled out cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr, the former East Carolina man and third-round pick, who returned from a torn ACL towards the end of last season.
But as many weapons as Parker believes he has, it’s clear that a significant rebuild is needed in Texas between the draft and free agency.
Parker is gunning for a particular type of player to allow his defense to stay versatile in the early stages of the season.
He said: “Of course, you want to have your core principles and foundational beliefs, but as you kind of move forward in the process, what do your guys do well?
“How can you put players in highlighted positions, create one-on-ones for certain guys? How can you protect certain guys?
“If we can win on blitzing a running back, then we’re going to blitz a lot. If we’ve got good man-to-man corners, we’re going to play man. If we’re better than zone vision, we’ll play more zone.
“You want to build a package that has diversity in scheme, and you want to tailor it to the players you have.
“Of course, you have schematic fits, but I think the really good players are the ones you can’t peg them into a certain scheme, and that’s the only way they can play football.
“You want to have guys that whatever scheme they are in, they can be significant contributors.”
Parker says he will push for two defensive players with the Cowboys’ two first-round picks, but has received no promises from owner Jerry Jones.
But Jones himself admitted that something needs to change on defense this season, saying earlier this month: “It’s pretty obvious that we didn’t do it right on the defensive side of the ball.
“But we’re working on it. As it turns out, we’ve pretty much overhauled our defensive staff. I’m excited about the makeup of those coaches.”
It is clear that Parker has a vision for his off-season and pre-season work, and it is one that head coach Brian Schottenheimer is buying into fully.
The boss oversaw a selection process including nine interviews with potential candidates, but he is 100 per cent convinced that he has got his man in Parker.
Schottenheimer said: “The way he carries himself, he’s wise beyond his years.
I mean this, he’s convicted and I did tell him I was a coordinator at 32 years old. He’s 34, so he’s been slacking – a little disappointing I had to beat him by two years.
I say that in jest because he’s been preparing for this for the last four or five years.
A ton of respect for Vic Fangio. He’s cut his teeth under Vic, but he’s not Vic. He’s got his own convictions and beliefs, and that’s what I learned about the guy.
“I think we hit a home run with this guy.”
