Following a disappointing season where they surrendered the most points in franchise history, the Dallas Cowboys have overhauled their defensive coaching staff, hiring new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. In an effort to support this transition, the front office should aggressively pursue new personnel to match the vision of the coaching staff's new scheme. Whether through free agency, trades, or the draft, the team should look to make the necessary investments so this new staff has a chance to succeed.
A former NFL defensive end who appeared in 33 games with the Rams, Ah You turned to coaching following the end of his playing career. Apart from a brief stint in the XFL, Ah You has only coached at the collegiate level. He started as a special teams quality control coach at his alma mater, Oklahoma, before heading to a defensive line coaching job at Vanderbilt.
Running back is where people might think Dallas spends, but as true fans, we know better. Over five years, the Cowboys spent about $13 million at the position, and that includes returns, depth backs, and one-year flyers. Ezekiel Elliot, Ronald Jones, Corey Clement, Rico Dowdle, and Javonte Williams. None of these deals were meant to define the offense, they were meant to fill touches.
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.
Now, more than a decade later, the Cowboys have not one, but three solid defensive tackles that could reshape how we view the defense in 2026. Looking at the two teams in the Super Bowl, there's a common theme between them centered around the heart of their defensive front-the ability to generate pressure. It's not just the two teams in the Super Bowl, either. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle duos were in the top four in pressures at their position.
Tate is a big, quarterback-friendly target who wins with polish and ball skills more than gimmicks. He tracks the ball cleanly, extends his arms to pluck it away from his frame, and plays above the rim on contested throws, plus he's a savvy route runner who uses tempo and body position to create space.
Tyler Guyton - It's been a mixed bag from Guyton in his young NFL career. He's been far from a bust, but also hasn't been as consistent or immediately impactful as you'd like from a first-round pick. Missing nearly all of last year's training camp with a knee injury, and then seven games last year with other issues, certainly didn't help. The Cowboys are banking on Guyton to blossom in his third season, and he's flashed enough at times that it's a reasonable expectation.
Smiley began his coaching career at Dartmouth, where he initially served as assistant quarterbacks/specialists coach in 2005 before being named special teams coordinator after his first year. He then went to Division III Eureka, where he spent a year as offensive coordinator and the next at defensive coordinator until he was named interim head coach. Following that, he worked three years at Eastern Illinois as running backs coach/special teams coordinator and a year at Charleston Southern with the same title.
