Shavon Revel Offers Up Hope for Year 2 Turnaround with Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel believes having a normal offseason will be "very beneficial" for him in 2026.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

After sporting the league's worst pass defense in 2025, the Dallas Cowboys desperately need their cornerbacks to step up in 2026.

Part of the problem last season was Shavon Revel, who struggled over seven games after returning from a torn ACL. The 2025 third-round pick gave up a completion rate of 67.6% and a passer rating of 119.7 en route to 34.6 coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus, which ranked dead-last in the NFL among cornerbacks.

The hope has been that Revel will be able to bounce back in Year 2 now that he's another year removed from his injury and will have a normal offseason, which he believes will be "very beneficial."

"It's very beneficial," Revel said, according to Tommy Yarrish of the team's official website. "Just because I can clean up a lot of things, a lot of errors I didn't see last year, or I did see last year, that I could clean up this year."

"My knee is 100%, so now it's time to focus on situational ball and I've got to see what I need to fix or get better at," he added.

Cowboys' cornerback competition

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The first week of OTAs revealed who is competing for the starting job at cornerback.

With DaRon Bland sidelined as he continues to recover from foot surgery, Revel, Cobie Durant and Caelen Carson received first-team reps on the outside at practice.

Bland figures to be locked into one spot on the boundary, at least to start the season, so those three are competing for the starting spot opposite him.

Despite the amount of competition he's facing, Revel remains confident.

"I'm very confident in myself," he said. "I feel like it's a battle right now. We've got some great dudes that're battling right now, and that's pushing me to the edge. It's my choice if I fall or I fight back against it. Everybody has a purpose, everybody wants to start, everybody wants to win. At the end of the day, you've got to fight. How I'm going to approach each day is everybody got to fight."

"At the end of the day, you're teammates, but at the end of the day, you want to play? You want to make your money? Let's do it," he added.

Revel certainly has the right mindset as he faces a crucial season for his career. Now, he's got to go out on the field and prove he's ready to turn the corner in 2026.