The Dallas Cowboys finally introduced their new defensive coordinator Christian Parker in a news conference. It was a long overdue introductory meeting with the press that finally answered some of the questions people were speculating about since he was first hired. With that new information we now have a better understanding of what to expect from him and his defense moving forward.<\/p>\n
While Parker held some things close to the vest as to what types of players he could be targeting in both free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft to help upgrade Dallas\u2019 defense this year, we did finally confirm his scheme will be a 3-4 base with 4-3 spacing. With that knowledge we can narrow down potential free agent and draft targets to fit his scheme. But, with so few draft picks until the later-rounds, tough decisions may need to be made.<\/p>\n
The biggest decision is what to do with WR George Pickens. Retaining him on either a franchise tag or long-term contract seems like it\u2019s the way things are leaning right now, but a tag and trade may actually be what\u2019s in the best interest of the organization\u2019s future. With that in mind, we approached this mock draft under idea Pickens could be best utilized to help aid Christian Parker in rebuilding Dallas\u2019 defense from top to bottom.<\/p>\n
Cowboys receive 2.36, 3.67; Raiders receive WR George Pickens<\/p>\n
The Cowboys regain second- and third-round draft picks they used to acquire WR George Pickens and Quinnen Williams last year and the Raiders get a true No. 1 WR to help their new franchise QB, rookie Fernando Mendoza.<\/p>\n
1.12: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State<\/p>\n
With the ability to play all three WR positions, create separation with his route running, and play above the rim on 50-50 balls, Tyson would immediately help complement CeeDee Lamb as George Pickens\u2019 replacement.<\/p>\n
Cowboys receive 1.29, 2.61; Rams receive 1.20, 4.112<\/p>\n
The Rams trade up in front of the Steelers to draft Matt Stafford\u2019s eventual replacement, QB Ty Simpson, someone they are supposedly very high on.<\/p>\n
1.29: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee<\/p>\n
Hood could be a potential plug-and-play starter as a rookie for the Cowboys. He checks all of the boxes as far as size, speed, and physicality are concerned and could shine under Christian Parker\u2019s tutelage.<\/p>\n
2.36: S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon<\/p>\n
Thieneman looks like what Christian Parker wants in a versatile safety. He can play in nickel, box, or deep formations, and play a role similar to what Cooper DeJean does with the Philadelphia Eagles.<\/p>\n
2.61: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech<\/p>\n
Rodriguez was the QB for the defense during his time as Texas Tech and could continue the role as an MLB with the Cowboys. He has a knack for creating turnovers and is equally effective as a run and pass defender.<\/p>\n
Cowboys receive 3.76, 4.121; Steelers receive 2.67<\/p>\n
The Steelers use one of their third-round draft picks to trade up with the Cowboys to select their hopeful QB of the future, Garrett Nussmeier, who was considered a first-round talent not long ago.<\/p>\n
3.76: EDGE Keyron Crawford, Auburn<\/p>\n
Crawford was asked to do a lot playing the \u201cBuck\u201d position at Auburn, showcasing his ability to rush and drop into coverage in space. That skill set would fit nicely in Christian Parker\u2019s scheme.<\/p>\n
Cowboys receive 4.109; Chiefs receive 4.121, 5.150<\/p>\n
The Cowboys move up 20 slots to draft their new starting nickel CB. The Chiefs retain a pick in the fourth-round while also picking up an extra fifth-round pick, their third, with no sixth- or seven-rounders.<\/p>\n
4.109: CB Chandler Rivers, Duke<\/p>\n
Rivers has inside and out versatility and has the scheme versatility to play in man or zone coverage. At 5\u201910\u201d, 185-pounds he\u2019s a heatseeking missile in run support and could be a starting nickel in Dallas as a rookie.<\/p>\n
5.177: TE Tyler Koziol, Houston<\/p>\n
At 6\u20196\u201d, 245-pounds with 34\u201d arms Koziol has proven to be one of the better contested catch receiving weapons in this year\u2019s draft class. He could be a red zone threat and move TE as a backup in Dallas.<\/p>\n
6.215: S Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech<\/p>\n
Wisniewski is another versatile DB prospect who could fit nicely in Christian Parker\u2019s defense. The 6\u20193\u201d, 214-pound LB turned S, would provide much-needed depth and special teams value for the Cowboys.<\/p>\n
7.221: LB Jaden Dugger, Louisiana-Lafayette<\/p>\n
At 6\u20194\u201d, 240-pounds with nearly 35\u201d arms and a wingspan of 85.5\u201d, Dugger possesses some intriguing size and talent to make the Cowboys roster. He could have the position flex to play MLB or OLB in Parker\u2019s scheme.<\/p>\n
7.225: OT Isaiah World, Oregon<\/p>\n
World was a mid-round OT prospect prior to tearing the ACL in his left knee in the playoff game against Indiana, likely making him a late-round pick or go undrafted. He could be a steal here for the Cowboys.<\/p>\n
Would you trade George Pickens to help the defense?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Cowboys finally introduced their new defensive coordinator Christian Parker in a news conference. It was a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":773410,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2066],"tags":[230,229,91200,257,437,2461,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-773409","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas-cowboys","8":"tag-cowboys","9":"tag-dallas","10":"tag-dallas-cowboy-mock-drafts","11":"tag-dallas-cowboys","12":"tag-dallas-cowboys-draft","13":"tag-dallascowboys","14":"tag-football","15":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116126158477061130","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=773409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773409\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/773410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=773409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=773409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=773409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}