FRISCO, Texas — As Christian Parker begins to quickly settle into his new role as Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator, named the successor to the short and disappointing reign of Matt Eberflus, the next order of business, following Parker putting pen to paper and officially departing the Philadelphia Eagles, is to build out his staff.
The first domino in that equation has now fallen, and it involves Arizona Cardinals cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith. Parker and the Cowboys are working toward adding Smith as the first position coach hired on the defensive side of the ball, and he brings a wealth of talent to Dallas.
Smith helped lead the Cardinals' passing defense to becoming one of the best in the NFL last season, building off the upswing from the back half of the 2024 season.
Additionally, in 2025, the Cardinals allowed the fewest passing touchdowns in the entire NFL (10) and the defense, as a whole, allowed the fewest total touchdowns in the league (20) — also finishing at No. 4 overall in points per game allowed (19.6).
While Parker was helping to mold Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into First-team All-Pro defensive backs last season, Smith was doing something not entirely dissimilar with former third-round pick Garrett Wiliams, developing him into one of the most promising young cornerbacks heading into 2026.
Prior to his three seasons spent in the desert, Smith sharpened his coaching teeth at Northwestern University as their cornerbacks coach, preceded by his time at Virginia Tech — where he developed Caleb Farley into a First-Team All-ACC talent and first-round pick — and time as a safeties coach at James Madison in seasons prior.
Next for the Cowboys will be identifying a new defensive line coach, Aaron Whitecotton set to reunite with Robert Saleh for the Tennessee Titans, as well as a linebackers coach and more.
And with several candidates having either already been interviewed or scheduled for one in the coming days, the dust should begin to settle quickly under Parker.
