FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys' 2026 organized team activities, better known as OTAs, are officially underway at the Star in Frisco.
On Thursday, media will get access for the first time and hear from head coach Brian Schottenheimer and Cowboys players. Earlier in the week on Monday and Tuesday, Dallas went through their first two OTA practices.
It's a crucial part of the offseason, and that's especially the case for Christian Parker and the Cowboys defense. This period of defensive installs sets the table for what Dallas' defense will look like as Parker heads into the first season of his career as a defensive play caller.
With that, let's look at some of the top storylines to watch during this year's OTAs:
Will George Pickens be in attendance?
The story of the Cowboys' offseason has been that of the future of WR George Pickens, who had a career-best year in his first season in Dallas and signed his franchise tag with the Cowboys on April 29.
Organized team activities are voluntary, meaning that Pickens' attendance is not required. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has said he's had no assurances that Pickens will be in attendance. The next time that Pickens is contractually required to be present in Dallas' mandatory minicamp, which runs from June 16-18.
If Pickens is on the field, it would be a plus for Dallas' offense as he gets to get reps in a practice setting with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the rest of the unit while also going up against Christian Parker's defense. Schottenheimer has mentioned how excited he is to continue to use Pickens in new ways in order to evolve the offense, and being part of OTAs would be a step in the right direction to making that happen.
Parker's secondary combinations
There are a lot of new pieces on defense for Christian Parker in his first season as defensive coordinator, and OTAs will serve as an early sign for how he's putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
In the secondary, the area Parker has had the most experience working with in the past, is especially intriguing. Starting at outside corner, will DaRon Bland be healthy enough to get reps after undergoing foot surgery in January? There's also Shavon Revel, who has had a full offseason after going into his rookie year recovering from a torn ACL. And don't forget Cobie Durant, who is one of the most experienced corners on the roster and is highly thought of.
Dropping it back one level to the safety position, the Cowboys have invested a lot in it this offseason. Dallas signed Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $33 million deal and also drafted Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 draft. The Cowboys also have veteran Malik Hooker and signed P.J. Locke, who has played for Parker in the past. Who are the starting safeties? Is Downs in the mix or will he only come in on nickel packages? Those are all questions OTAs can begin to answer, although things will always be changing.
Tyler Guyton and the left tackle position
Going into his third NFL season, Cowboys left tackle Tyler Guyton has started 21 games, missing significant time due to injuries. He's also missed some crucial times during the offseason because of injuries, which hasn't helped in terms of getting the reps he needs to continue to develop.
In this offseason, Guyton is healthy and has another chance to be able to get through a full offseason. But Brian Schottenheimer's "compete every day" mantra is something that applies to every position group, and Guyton will need to show that he can continue to hold down the spot.
Players who will be competing for the spot include Nate Thomas, who started four games at left tackle for Dallas last season. There's also rookie fourth-round pick Drew Shelton, who played left tackle in college at Penn State. The Cowboys want to keep All-Pro guard Tyler Smith, who has filled in at left tackle in the past, at guard and prefer to move him over one spot only in emergency situations. For now, Guyton is assumed to be the starter, but it'll be important for him to get these valuable reps and hold off any competition.
Who is taking reps at MIKE linebacker?
A lot has been made of the Cowboys' linebacker room, and especially who will be the "MIKE" linebacker that typically handles the green dot coach-to-player communication as well.
Currently on the roster, Dallas doesn't have many players with the experience of playing the position. When asked about it, head coach Brian Schotteneheimer mentioned DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters as potential green dot players at the position (along with safety Jalen Thompson as well) and added that he has a "favorite" and "who I think will be our green dot" in mind.
Winters has not worn the green dot in a game, only in practice. Both he and Overshown have experience playing WILL, but could they make a move to MIKE? The Cowboys could try it out, and they could also work rookie third-round pick Jaishawn Barham at the position as well. Barham, who can play both inside linebacker and EDGE, will start as an inside linebacker, according to Schottenheimer.
The RB2 role
Re-signing Javonte Williams was one of the biggest priorities for the Cowboys this offseason. They got that deal done in late February, as Williams signed a three-year, $24 million extension.
Dallas has their lead back in the stable for the foreseeable future. What about the rest of the room, and who can help when he needs a breather or if he's not available? There was a 200 carry and nearly 1,000-yard difference between Williams and the next-closest Cowboys running back in rushing yards last season, as Williams led the team with 252 carries and 1,201 rushing yards, while Malik Davis was second with 52 carries and 250 yards.
Davis had the RB2 job last season and appears to be the frontrunner for the time being. But, there is also the pair of second-year running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah that could compete for the job. Blue showed flashes of potential last season, but needs to find consistency. Mafah was on injured reserve for most of his rookie season, but brings a bigger, power-back frame into the equation that could cause trouble for defenses.
