OXNARD, Calif. — Cowboys corner DaRon Bland earned the nickname “Pick-Six King” after setting the NFL record for interceptions returned for a touchdown in 2023. He’s earned a new nickname around the team recently.
“We like to call him ‘The Weapon’ on defense,” Cowboys secondary and nickels coach Darrian Thompson said.
For good reason. But with any good weapon comes a caveat: It doesn’t matter how sharp the blade is if the person holding it doesn’t use it correctly.
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Bland’s versatility and the ability to play both outside and in the nickel spot for the Cowboys is an asset. It’s also become a quandary for them, because moving assets from one spot to the other can lead to a depreciation in the former spot.
In the pursuit of finding the best 11 players on defense, something has to give when it comes to Bland’s position, right?
The Cowboys, at least currently, look at it as a good problem to have — but one that requires a solution nonetheless.
“The thing we don’t worry about with DaRon: He has the ability to play both,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Wednesday. “We’d like to figure out the nickel. What are we going to do? Can it be DaRon? Is it going to be DaRon? What do we want to do with that?”
It’s a question the Cowboys are forced to answer for the first time in a couple seasons. That’s because Jourdan Lewis held down the role the past two years.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) attempts to intercept a pass thrown to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (81) during a training camp practice in Oxnard, California, July 31, 2025.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Lewis, despite the odds, proved to be someone the Cowboys could count on. He returned after a potential career-ending foot injury to play in 32 games the past two years combined. His value was known to the Cowboys. The Jacksonville Jaguars saw it, too, because they gave Lewis a three-year, $30 million deal in free agency.
Lewis, from the outside, was considered a priority for the Cowboys — someone they shouldn’t have let walk. Now that he has, the Cowboys are left to find his replacement.
“One thing about J-Lew — and I’m sure you guys all know — he’s a scrappy little leader,” Thompson said. “He’s a scrappy leader. There’s no gray, and everything is black and white, and that’s kind of how we coach.”
Finding his replacement has been a little bit of a gray area so far. The Cowboys have used multiple people outside Bland. They’ve had former North Texas corner Kemon Hall out there.
“He’s had a great camp so far. A great offseason,” Thompson said, adding that he believes the Cowboys have the players to replace Lewis. “The attention to detail this guy brings to work every, trying to perfect his craft, trying to become the best player he can be, it’s been awesome to see him grow.”
Former safety Israel Mukuamu has played in the slot as well as outside. Undrafted free agent Zion Childress out of Kentucky was someone cornerbacks coach David Overstreet pointed out, as well.
Ideally, it seems, the Cowboys would have one of those players emerge as a starting option so they could use Bland outside, especially as they await the return of former All-Pro Trevon Diggs and third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. Their return status for the season opener remains unlikely.
“I don’t have any comment because I don’t know,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said about Diggs and Revel’s timetable. “I don’t think anybody does, but I’m pleased they’re making progress.”
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The Cowboys are always awaiting the return of Josh Butler and Caelen Carson — two guys that played outside corner last season.
With Bland in the slot, in the meantime, that means that former second-round pick Andrew Booth, Troy Pride Jr. and Mukuamu are rotating at the opposite outside corner spot of Kaiir Elam. That rotation was someone the Rams and backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had success against during the joint practice on Tuesday. Davante Adams had multiple touchdown catches, including a toe-tap reception in the back of the end zone during a red-zone drill. Puka Nacua had a touchdown on the very next play of the red-zone session.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) celebrates after ripping the ball from Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White’s (1) hands following a late fourth run at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, December 22, 2024. The Cowboys defeated the Buccaneers, 26-24.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
“Davante Adams, still pretty good,” Schottenheimer said. “Puka Nacua is still pretty good. They should keep those guys … but again, I wouldn’t read too much into it. We literally played two coverages. We literally kept all our clubs in the bag.”
Bland, in terms of the secondary, will be the most versatile club they have in the bag. How they use that club will be a challenge.
“Hey, that’s called coaching,” Cowboys defensive backs coach David Overstreet II said. “That’s called coaching: they always give us the hard stuff to do.”
Having to play both brings challenges for Bland, too. Overstreet said that he’s had to communicate more and be more vocal, something that’s a little out of his comfort zone. Overstreet said he jokingly calls Bland “a mute all the time,” even if he’s been getting more vocal.
“So he’s been stepping up in that aspect as well,” Overstreet said. “And with him transitioning and being able to play outside and inside it forces him to have to talk more because the nickel position he has to make a lot of checks a lot of coverage adjustments and that dude’s a weapon. He’s a weapon for us.”
For good reason.
Twitter: @JoeJHoyt
Photos: Dallas Cowboys coaches speak to the media at training camp in Oxnard
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