The Dallas Cowboys thought they got 1st-round value with cornerback Shavon Revel when he free-falled to them in the 3rd round (No. 76 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft.
When Revel finally got on the field for the Cowboys in Week 11, the prevailing thought was that they may have drafted him a few rounds too early.
Headed into his 2nd season, The Athletic’s Jon Machota thinks Revel is ready to shake off those Year 2 struggles and become the answer for the Cowboys at what was their worst position group in 2025.
The Athletic singled out Revel as the 1 player on the Cowboys most ready to have a “breakout season” in 2026.
“Had it not been for a torn ACL in his final college season, Revel might have been a first-round pick in last year’s draft,” Machota wrote on July 13. “Instead, he fell to the third round where the Cowboys selected him 76th overall. Recovery from the knee injury prevented him from appearing in a game last season until Week 11. Now fully healed, Revel is in position to compete for a starting cornerback spot. He has the ideal size (6-2, 200), strength and athleticism to be a quality outside corner. Cornerback is one of the biggest question marks on the roster. Revel should get a lot of valuable training camp work going against CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.”
Shavon Revel Exposed by Chargers in Week 16
The Los Angeles Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert had a pretty clear plan of attack against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, and it included going directly at Revel from start to finish.
It worked because the Chargers walked away with a 34-17 win, and Revel walked away with Bleacher Report labeling him one of the NFL’s “Biggest Losers” after the loss and the Cowboys finished the season 7-9-1 just 2 weeks later.
“Opponents have continually targeted the Cowboys’ rookie cornerback in recent weeks,” Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski wrote on December 21. “It’s never a good sign when a cornerback leads his squad in tackles, as Revel did Sunday. Ironically, the first-year defensive back isn’t a strong tackler, which shows up during his weekly performance. The Chargers went after Revel and generally found success.”
“Justin Herbert targeted Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel 12 times today,” Cowboys reporter Bobby Belt wrote on X. “(Herbert went) 11-12 for 152 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 158.3 passer rating (perfect).”
Hard to Judge Shavon Revel With Lame Duck DC
Pro Football Focus has Revel with a 35.4 overall grade through 6 games — putting him among the NFL’s very worst cornerbacks.
While Revel might already seem like a bust, it would be foolish to judge him on the 2025 season alone, as he was playing for lame duck defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who didn’t seem to want to put Revel in situations where he could succeed.
Revel should have a much better chance for success playing for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who turned a pair of cornerbacks into All-Pros in their 2nd seasons on the Philadelphia Eagles with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.
“Following the Cowboys’ Week 14 loss to the Lions, many Dallas fans highlighted that Eberflus is playing Revel in zone coverage and not in man-to-man, which is what he excels at,” Sports DFW’s Jovan Alford wrote. “In that game vs. Detroit, the rookie cornerback allowed four completions (six targets) for 39 yards and a TD. For most Cowboys fans, this misuse of talent just gave them another reason to call for the firing of Eberflus. As a defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator, or head coach, your job is to put your players in a position to be at their best. And for a rookie, it is even more important to put them in the best spot, as you could ruin their confidence, especially playing cornerback.”
Struggling Cowboys CB Predicted for Breakout Season