As the offseason maneuvers from the winter and spring crystallized into on-field performance throughout the summer, some of the early concerns about the weak spots on the Dallas Cowboys‘ roster dissipated. The linebackers looked better than expected. The left tackle situation appeared sorted, with Tyler Guyton easily winning the job. The edge rushers had enough depth. But if there is a worry that remains even after a full training camp and a slate of preseason games, it’s the cornerbacks, where the Cowboys were weak last season but left free-agent Cobie Durant as their only major offseason investment.
Heading into Sunday night’s Week 1 opener, the corner situation has still not been settled. In the first unofficial depth chart of the season, the Cowboys have written in DaRon Bland as one starting corner, and have left the other spot undecided, with “Cobie Durant OR Shavon Revel” listed.
Cowboys Depth Chart Has Cobie Durant or Shavon Revel
Of course, every team’s first depth chart is going to be one pocked with real concerns that are plastered over with hope and crossed fingers. For the Cowboys, that spot remains cornerback, where both Bland and Revel fought through disappointing and injury-plagued 2025 seasons. For both, it was injury setbacks that sent their seasons into a spiral.
Revel had ACL surgery that ended his final season at East Carolina in 2024. The Cowboys gambled on him in the third round of the draft, though, before Revel had a setback that pushed his debut date back to Week 11. By then, the Cowboys’ secondary was a mess and Revel was too far behind as a rookie to catch up.
For Bland, it was a persistent injury in his foot that had been surgically repaired. But the surgery did not hold, and Bland had a setback, too. He fought through the pain and tried to play, but he was a shell of himself and was eventually shut down for the season.
Quarterbacks that targeted Revel had a passer rating of 126.1. Those who targeted Bland had a rating of 103.3. Bland, who had 14 interceptions in 34 games in his first two NFL seasons, has had one in his last 19, going back to the foot injury.
Cobie Durant Was the Only Real Addition at CB
But in the end, the signing of Cobie Durant was the only way the Cowboys addressed the cornerback problem. They picked Devin Moore in the fourth round of the April draft, but he has struggled with injuries, too, and has shown he is not quite ready to be on an NFL field.
The depth is not great, either. The Cowboys’ chart has journeyman Amer Speed, on his fifth team in four years (with only 17 games played) behind Revel and Durant. Caelen Carson, the oft-injured 2024 fifth-rounder, is listed as Bland’s backup.
Cowboys CB Approach: ‘You’ll See Them All Play’
It’s got to be a concern for the Cowboys, even if they sneak in Caleb Downs–who is listed as a defensive back, not a safety–at nickel. The team invested in the defense this offseason, but did not put much into the cornerback room, with “hope they are healthy” seeming to be the strategy.
Coach Brian Schottenheimer, for one, is not worried–he said no matter who starts, there will be plenty of snaps for everyone.
“”We haven’t decided,” Schottenheimer said Durant vs. Revel. “It’s based on packages and plans. Obviously, Caleb gives us a lot of versatility, but you’ll see them all play.”
Cowboys Still Silent on Week 1 Starting Battle at Key Position