The most likely aspect that’ll come over for Parker from a schematic standpoint is the two-high safety look. It’s a versatile approach that doesn’t tip the secondary’s plan pre-snap and forces the QB to make post-snap reads as defenders can rotate into all sorts of different coverage looks after the snap in both man and zone.
From a coverage standpoint, their most utilized coverage was Cover 3 over the two years Parker coached the Eagles (32.1% on average). Next was Cover 1 (22.2%) and Cover 6 (21%), with Cover 4 (16.5%) rounding out the four most-utilized coverage packages that Philadelphia used. Their zone/man coverage splits sat around 70/30% respectively,
Now that the Cowboys have their coach, the next important piece of the puzzle is the personnel. Dallas is high on CB Shavon Revel, who they selected with their third-round pick in 2025. Injuries held him back for most of the season, however, but a fresh start with Parker and full offseason and training camp for the first time at the NFL level could be massive in his development. There’s also former All-Pro CB DaRon Bland, who will also be looking to get healthy after undergoing surgery on his foot and is aiming to return to his 2023 form.
Dallas also has two first-round picks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. The front office has made clear that they’ll evaluate all options on both sides of the ball when they’re on the clock, but given Parker’s background with early-round draft picks, a secondary player being one – if not both – of the selections would make sense. There’s also the free agency market that the Cowboys can work with, as Parker has gotten plenty out of veteran players in his past too.
Finally, the other question ahead of Parker and the Cowboys is what his defensive coaching staff will look like. While Parker’s history is with the secondary, he’ll have much more responsibility now as the coordinator. Who does he trust to coach those positions when he’s elsewhere?
Similarly, the front seven is a crucial part of the defense as well. Part of what made the defenses Parker was a part of in Denver and Philadelphia great as a whole was their front units too, which complimented the secondary and allowed the entire group to have success. The coaching hires there, as well as personnel moves that will be made in the offseason, are going to be an important aspect to monitor ahead of Parker’s first year calling an NFL defense.