Cowboys' Unexpected DaRon Bland Preference is More Bad News for Shavon Revel

Among the many concerns the Dallas Cowboys have on defense in 2026 is cornerback, where question marks are aplenty.

The Cowboys added Cobie Durant for some much-needed help at the position, but it remains to be seen what Shavon Revel will be able to provide in his second season and DaRon Bland has been plagued by injuries and it isn't clear where he'll actually line up.

While the belief has been that Bland would likely operate out of the slot, where he has enjoyed the most success, head coach Brian Schottenheimer threw a bit of a curveball on Monday when he revealed the team's preference is to play Bland outside.

Schotty also noted how nickel cornerback remains a need on defense ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, so clearly things aren't settled in that spot.

"At the end of the day, we'd love to have a guy that allows us to keep DaRon on the outside," Schottenheimer told reporters.

Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer mentioned the nickel spot when asked about needs on defense.

He expands on that point here and mentions that the plan is to keep CB DaRon Bland on the outside.

“We feel like he can shut down a side of the field.” pic.twitter.com/lJOZlAcwyz
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) March 30, 2026

When it comes to in-house options who can play in the slot, the Cowboys have multiple, a list that includes Durant and free-agent acquisitions Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke.

Bad News for Shavon Revel?

One player who doesn't figure to factor into the equation in the slot is Revel, who played nearly all of his rookie snaps on the boundary in 2025.

Knowing that, the plan with Bland, and knowing that the Cowboys could very well draft a boundary cornerback with one of their first-round picks, it's now possible that Revel won't have a starting spot to grab in 2026.

If the Cowboys were to draft LSU's Mansoor Delane, for example, the expectation would be he would start on the outside opposite Bland.

From there, Dallas could roll with one of the three aforementioned options or draft a nickel corner in the later rounds in April, which could throw Revel in a competition with the more experienced Durant.

All of this potentially spells major trouble for Revel, who already appeared to be on shaky ground following the signing of Durant.