After parting ways with Matt Eberflus earlier this month, the Dallas Cowboys finally found a defensive coordinator, and it’s considered a home run among the fanbase. According to multiple reports on Thursday, the Cowboys are hiring Christian Parker as their next defensive coordinator.
Parker has spent the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as their defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator under the direction of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. During his time in Philadelphia, the 34-year-old Parker had the chance to work exclusively with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Mitchell and DeJean have become one of the better young cornerbacks in the league, and were named first-team All-Pros in only their second season. And if that doesn’t sway you, as a Dallas fan, Parker has had the chance to work with Jaire Alexander and Patrick Surtain II early in his coaching career.
That being said, this hire bodes well for rookie cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., who had a rough first season in the NFL. A lot of fans weren’t pleased with the rookie cornerback based on the situations that Eberflus put him in.
However, based on Parker’s track record, he should be able to get Revel back on track and play like the first-round prospect he was believed to be before injury.
Christian Parker Hiring Is Great News for Shavon Revel Jr.’s Development
The 24-year-old Revel made his NFL debut in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders after returning from a torn ACL that he suffered to start his last year at East Carolina.
The 6-foot-1 defensive back played 19 defensive snaps in his debut vs. Las Vegas and then 39 snaps in the following week against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12. After that game against the Eagles, Revel started in the Cowboys' next five games.
Over that stretch, Revel posted 32 combined tackles, three pass deflections, and a tackle for loss. However, the young cornerback went through his fair share of struggles in pass coverage. If you ask Cowboys fans, they would blame Eberflus for playing him out of position.
Opposing quarterbacks went after Revel, who had a 71.9% completion rate allowed on targets, 11.7 yards per reception allowed, and 128.3 passer rating. He also gave up three TDs in the process.
It was a rough experience for Revel, who didn’t have a typical offseason and training camp to get prepared for his rookie season. That said, it's too early to write the book on Revel’s career, as he can easily turn into a Pro Bowl player in 2026, which fans would love to see.
The Cowboys will likely be expecting Revel to be a starter next season with Trevon Diggs out the door. Luckily for the former East Carolina star, he has a way better coach in Parker, who now has the task of not only coaching the defensive back, but the entire defense.