INDIANAPOLIS – It's no secret that new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker has work to do with Dallas' defense.
Parker, 34, is at the NFL Combine for the first time as a coordinator in the NFL. With a now fully assembled staff in tow, meetings all week have been centered around building the scheme, but the personnel conversations are what make the scheme.
"I think it all starts with the players," Parker said. "Evaluating our roster, free agency, the draft, they're all in cohesion with each other, but being able to find the best fits at different spots. A lot of them are already here, some of them are already here. We're not saying that we're about to bring a whole new 11, but there's definitely some positions that we need some better schematic fit."
While scheme is an intricate subject that'll take time to construct as well as time for the players to digest, a priority for Parker is figuring out what his defense's play style will be.
"Sometimes we talk too much about scheme, and I'm talking about as coaches and players, and less about the play style. What do we want that to look like? What are our principles of play? How are we taking on blocks, how are we tackling, how are we leveraging routes on the back end, and how are we talking the ball away? How are we situationally aware? I think that's where it starts from a football 101 education standpoint. As we kind of put all that together, then you kind of get into the scheme."
One of Parker's calling cards in his past has been the development of cornerbacks. Another part of the combine process is meeting with NFL Draft prospects at the position, and Parker has some non-negotiables when it comes to what he looks for in prospects at the position.
"I think you have to be physically and mentally tough," Parker said. "I think that's where he starts. We want guys that are willing to tackle them, put their hands on people in the breast, and you know they can bounce back from things that make life perfect… It's a different position. It's a lonely spot out there. You know, there's no Wi Fi."
A piece that Parker said he was excited about in his introductory press conference was Shavon Revel, the soon-to-be second-year corner Dallas drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Revel and Parker met last year during a combine interview, and Parker remembered it vividly.
"He has a hell of a story," Parker said. "Football means a lot to him, and he wants to work hard at it, so I think that's where it starts. He has that built in his mind. Physically, his traits, the height, the speed, the power, he has all of that. So now it's about just working form the neck up in terms of how the position needs to be played."
Now, the focus continues to the rest of the week at the combine before Dallas takes all the information they gathered in Indianapolis back to the drawing board. After that, evaluations continue into free agency and the draft as Parker and the Cowboys look to turn the defense around.
