The Dallas Cowboys moved on from DC Mike Zimmer after one season and will now hand the defense over to Matt Eberflus. And while the Chicago Bears players didn’t care for Eberflus as a head coach, the Cowboys are hoping a return to his coordinator roots will pay off.
Eberflus has already made a key change that Cowboys fans noticed. He has former safety Israel Mukuamu playing slot cornerback during OTAs, per The Landry Hat.
Mukuamu was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Cowboys. He played both corner and safety for South Carolina. But in the pros he’s mostly been limited to safety.
New Cowboys DC adds Israel Mukuamu to CB mix
The 6’4” 25-year-old defensive back offers rare length at corner. And now the Cowboys’ third defensive coordinator in three years is finally giving him a chance. Dallas already has a strong corner tandem with DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs. If Mukuamu can settle in at the nickel position, the Cowboys would have an excellent CB room.
Article Continues BelowOf course, Dallas also took Shavon Revel Jr. in the third round of the 2025 draft. Revel was considered one of the top cornerback prospects in the 2025 class. But a torn ACL suffered last season when he was at East Carolina dropped him in the draft. When healthy, Revel will push for snaps in what’s quickly becoming a crowded secondary.
Although his time in Chicago ended badly, the Cowboys are embracing Eberflus. Dallas is anticipating a bounce back year after missing the playoffs last season and having an experienced coordinator run the defensive side of things is definitely an advantage for first time head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The Cowboys will have six prime-time games in 2025, so the team is hoping to put its best foot forward. And having a healthy and motivated Dak Prescott back will certainly help the offense. But Dallas hasn’t done much to ensure that its defensive leader is fully locked in.
The contract dispute between Dallas and Micah Parsons continues to loom over the team. And the Cowboys have drawn criticism for the situation, which led to Parsons skipping OTAs. The four-time Pro Bowler is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal and awaiting an extension from the team. Parsons could end up resetting the market as the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback.
