To say the Dallas Cowboys cornerback group underperformed in 2025 is a massive understatement. DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, two former All-Pros, failed to even remotely resemble their pre-injury selves. Diggs would play so poorly he was released before the season even ended, while Bland found himself back on IR after continued issues with his foot.
Things weren’t much better down-roster with reserves Trikweze Bridges and Reddy Stewart falling near the bottom of the league in Pro Football Focus cornerback grades, and top rookie draft pick Shevon Revel grading out as the 112th of 112 qualifying players. Overall, the Cowboys gave up the second-worst success rate in the NFL through the air, along with the third-worst EPA/dropback.
While many offseason reports discussed the majority of hope being pinned on Bland to get healthy and Revel to get comfortable, it’s actually a different duo that’s been standing out in offseason minicamps: free agent pickup Cobie Durant and third-year player Caelen Carson.
Durant, 28, came to Dallas via the Los Angeles Rams. The former fourth-round pick out of South Carolina State has been on the No. 1 unit on the outside in minicamps and has been drawing the praise of coaches and teammates alike. In Durant’s four NFL seasons, he’s never graded much higher than average as a cornerback, but 2026 he looks primed to improve on this resurging Dallas defense.
Carson, entering the 2026 as more of an afterthought than hopeful, is reminding everyone why he was once considered a steal in the 2024 NFL draft. Throughout his first two seasons, the Wake Forest product has struggled with health and confidence. Lining up opposite Durant, he appears to have put those issues behind him and looks ready to finally live up to the hype.
With viable options like Carson and Durant surfacing at these moments of need, suddenly all hope isn’t being pinned on Revel and Bland. Best yet, their ascension has allowed the Cowboys to slow-play Revel and Bland as they ramp up to full speed for training camp.
Make no mistake, Revel and Bland still control the ceiling of this position group. Bland is a former All-Pro and pick-six record holder, so if he can put his foot injuries behind him, he could reclaim that CB1 role that seems to be up the air at the moment. Revel is more of a developmental player who, once upon a time, was considered one of the best prospects in his class. This duo still brings the daydreams of “what if,” it’s just the doom and gloom are starting to dissipate with contingency plans like Durant and Carson starting to shine.
A notable item to monitor will be Durant’s usage in the slot. Earlier in offseason work, Durant was seen working as the second-team inside cornerback behind Caleb Downs. That nickel role could very well be the most important role of the three cornerback spots and a sign in how much the Cowboys coaching staff respects Durant’s game. Though he started his pro career there, only 36 of Durant’s 985 snaps last season came in the slot, so it’s an experiment worth testing this preseason.
Regardless of how things eventually shake out at the starting cornerback spots, it’s good to see two surprise performers shinning so brightly in minicamps. Revel and Bland come with health risks so any bit of insurance the Cowboys can find this summer is pure gold.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Unexpected Cowboys standout CBs are welcomed as depth could be fixed
Reporting by Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
