Zombie Defenders: 5 buried Cowboys who could rise with new coaching

5 buried Cowboys who could rise from the grave with new defensive coaching

Dallas Cowboys fans have suffered long enough, but they haven't been alone in their misery. No, the lackluster defensive performances of the last two seasons have taken their toll on fans and players alike. On one extreme was the drastic shift from Dan Quinn to Mike Zimmer in 2024, with many failing to latch on to the teachings of the former mastermind. Then there's the shift from Zimmer to Eberflus, who had never even achieved the statistical success that sometimes occured in Zimmer's career.

To make matters worse, Eberflus was robbed of his force multiplier when Micah Parsons was traded away a few weeks before the regular season, after a full offseason of planning around his immense talent. The question is, knowing these systemic limitations, can the Cowboys' front office ever have a true sense of the players caught in the waves of those consequential hires? If Christian Parker can effect immediate change, which players have a chance of shock and awe, 2026 seasons?

Here are five candidates who have done little of significance, but could be surprise contributors in the very near future.

Linebacker Marist Liufau

The Cowboys drafted Liaufau out of Notre Dame in the third round in 2024 with the No. 87 overall selection. He played 520 defensive snaps for Zimmer, third-most on the club behind Zim's coach-on-the-field Eric Kendricks and DeMarvion Overshown. Liufau was rotational until Overshown tore his ACL, and he showed some signs of promise as an eventual starter.

However he never caught on with Matt Eberflus, getting buried in the rotation and seeing just 200 snaps on the year, including just 12 snaps in the final three games of the season when Dallas was out of the hunt. So can he actually play? It will be interesting to watch how Parker works him in, if at all. If not, he'll end up a wasted top-100 pick.

Defensive Tackle Perrion Winfrey

One of the most exciting stories of 2025 training camp was the addition of the UFL defender, Winfrey. He was routintely standing out in practice, which mattered even more during Parsons' holdout while everyone was trying to see what the level of talent was. Before the trades that brought in Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, the Cowboys had nothing at DT aside from Osa Odighizuwa and plans to rotate defensive ends inside on passing downs.

Winfrey stood out, then mysteriously landed on IR with a back injury prior to the season opener, where he languished for months. Winfrey ended up appearing in just one game, Week 16, where he played 34 defensive snaps. Signed for just over $1 million for 2026, he's going to have a chance to show Parker and new defensive line coach Marcus Dixon what he can offer.

Cornerback Caelen Carson

The Cowboys thought they had something in 2024 with their fifth-round pick based on training camp work. Carson started the first few games of the season while DaRon Bland was out, then was benched until returning for Week 9 and Week 10. A shoulder injury ended his year, then his 2025 started with a knee injury. He still has yet to show he's much in coverage, and the question is what system fits him best.

Safety Markquese Bell

Bell has been with the Cowboys for four seasons now, though his rookie year as a UDFA didn't ask much of him on defense. In 2023, he played linebacker for Dan Quinn's defense more than safety, and acquitted himself rather well in his 700 snaps, all things considered. Dallas had very little left at the position, and he managed the challenge. He barely saw the field in 2024 under Zimmer before injuring his shoulder in November.

He did see some action in 2025 with Eberflus, 356 defensive snaps, but his coverage number dropped from a 83.5 in 2023 to a 45.3 in 2025.

Defensive Tackle Jay Toia

Toia may not be a victim of coaching but rather circumstance. Drafted out of UCLA in the seventh round, there shouldn't have been much expectations for his rookie season. A big-bodied defender, Toia say the club add Kenny Clark to the equation at the start of the season, then swap in Williams for Mazi Smith mid-year. The three-headed DT monster didn't have much room for Toia, so it will be interesting to see what a full offseason in an NFL weight and training system could do for the former Bruin.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 5 Cowboys whose careers can be resurrected under DC Christian Parker