2025 OTA Update: Cowboys best option to play slot CB might be All-Pro defender
2025 OTA Update: Cowboys best option to play slot CB might be All-Pro defender
Some Cowboys OTA stuff:
CB DaRon Bland got some work in the slot. Bland said he prefers to play outside but is cool with everything.
QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) was cleared to work in OTA practices but not contact work.
DE Micah Parsons wasn't at OTAs today. — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) May 20, 2025
The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best cornerback groups in the NFL, when healthy. Those last two words are extremely important when discussing the position because the defense isn't expected to have their full complement of CBs when the season begins.
Without All-Pro CB Trevon Diggs and prized rookie third-round pick Shavon Revel in the lineup, the Cowboys have a pedestrian group. It's also a defense without a true slot corner since Jourdan Lewis moved on in free agency. Lewis is one of the best slot CBs in the league and was a staple in Dallas but now the team must find someone new to do the job that was held down for the last eight years. New defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is tasked to find the best option to replace Lewis, and when the Cowboys held their initial OTA session, one of the first options was DaRon Bland.
The fourth-year veteran CB and All-Pro Pick-6 king might just be the best option. As a rookie, Bland made an impact in the second half of the season, when he primarily played the slot. PFF contributor and Cowboys game film content producer John Owning believes that Bland should be the top choice and backs it up with the coverage grade for the All-Pro.
Guess that Cowboy Part 2! This is how a certain DAL player has performed among DBs since entering the NFL. pic.twitter.com/TPc85W7AdU — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 15, 2025
In the "Guess that Cowboy Part 2" tweet, that 88th percentile coverage grade in the slot for Bland is the best of the current options and he looks versatile enough to handle the job. Bland is the best CB on the Cowboys, and they'll need to lean on him both before and after the injured players return.
Dallas is doing their diligence in trying to find the best option, not just at slot corner, but where all the CB pieces fit.
Bland being inside might be the top choice, but it leaves Kaiir Elam and some combination of Andrew Booth or Caelen Carson as the outside CBs until Diggs or Revel are ready, which isn't ideal. The team will have to weigh those risks if they are putting Bland in the slot.
Bland wasn't the only defensive back who saw slot reps, veteran CB Israel Mukuamu, who has experience playing inside, and safety Juanyeh Thomas also got work in the slot at the first OTA.
There's a long way to go before the Cowboys have to line up and play a game that matters; nothing is set in stone in May. These things tend to work themselves out; an unknown option could emerge in the next few months, or the health of the position could be improved by the time September rolls around. Training camp and preseason games will provide a clearer view of who the best CBs are, and where they fit on the roster.
For now, Bland looks like the best choice to replace the stellar play Lewis provided in the slot. The Cowboys could do a lot worse than having an All-Pro man the position.
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