The Dallas Cowboys have two first-round picks and no idea what to do with them. That’s not speculation. Cowboys EVP, director of player personnel, and the owner and GM  Jerry Jones‘ son, Stephen Jones, has indicated just that. Just days after firing Matt Eberflus, Dallas is interviewing defensive coordinators without a clear draft blueprint. They’re letting the hire dictate their strategy, which sounds smart until you realize how backwards that timeline is. While the coaching search is happening in January, the draft is in April.

“We also want to know their vision for how they develop young guys because we’ve got two first-round picks,” Jones told reporters on Thursday, January 15. “A lot of people, and probably rightfully so, think they may end up being defensive players, but at the same time we were going to draft a defensive player when we drafted CeeDee Lamb… I think it’s just a work in progress, and I think it’s coming together good for us.”

Translation? They’re winging it. The thing is, Dallas holds serious draft capital. Their own pick slots around No. 12 with the addition of the Green Bay Packers’ No. 20. Beyond that, they’ve also got a fourth-rounder, two fifth-rounders, one sixth, and two seventh-round picks to cap it all off. That’s franchise-altering ammunition for a team that went 7-9-1 and watched their defense crater all season.

But Jones won’t commit just yet. Defense seems obvious, right? The unit collapsed in 2025, and they’ve cycled through four defensive coordinators since 2020. But young stars like DeMarvion Overshown, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Shavon Revel need help. Draft prospects like Ohio State safety Caleb Downs or linebacker Arvell Reese could transform the back seven.

And yet, the offense has gaps too. Every time CeeDee Lamb missed snaps with injuries, George Pickens got smothered. The Cowboys brought Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers specifically to take pressure off Lamb, and it worked, too. Pickens has 93 catches for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns for the 2025 season. But with Lamb down, Pickens has faced increased pressure and coverage all game. They need more backups.

Tight end Jake Ferguson and wide receiver Ryan Flournoy have also shown major flashes. But neither of them scares defensive coordinators as much as Pickens or Lamb. Franchise quarterback Dak Prescott needs that serious threat to keep safeties honest. Without it, the whole offense could bog down, especially with the opposition getting a whole offseason to plan against them once again. So, what’s it going to be, defense or offense?

Stephen Jones isn’t saying. He’s waiting on the new DC to guide that decision. They’ve already compiled a list of 10-12 candidates and are narrowing them to in-person meetings, per Jones. But no hire means no philosophy, and no philosophy means no draft plan, until there’s a new defensive blueprint.

What will it take to be the next Dallas DC?

While draft plans stay murky, the defensive coordinator requirements seem to be crystal clear. Stephen Jones isn’t messing around anymore.

“When you have the interview, you look for those traits. Are they a great teacher? Can they communicate and verbalize complicated things in a way that makes it easy for the players so he doesn’t have to be out there thinking?” Jones explained. “He’s using his skill set and playing 100%, playing fast, playing reckless in terms of being able to make plays and not having to think about what his assignments are because he does have a great feel for what he’s supposed to do.”

That’s a direct shot at what failed under Eberflus. Communication breakdowns plagued Dallas all season. Players looked lost in coverage, assignments got blown, and the complexity overwhelmed guys who should’ve been playing instinctively. Meanwhile, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has already laid out that same blueprint: teacher, communicator- all simplified. Now Stephen Jones is holding candidates accountable to those exact standards. And it seems like that’s helping their hiring process.

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“All of those things are the traits that we’re looking for, and certainly we’re seeing that in a lot of the guys that we’re interviewing, and certainly looking for how they’re going to utilize some of the pieces we already have in place,” Jones continued.

The DC candidate list includes Jim Leonhard, Daronte Jones, Ephraim Banda, Aaron Whitecotton, Jonathan Gannon, and Zach Orr, to name a few. Different backgrounds, different philosophies. But every single one of them will face the same test: how do you develop young talent? That part’s non-negotiable.

Dallas now has Quinnen Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, and Kenny Clark on the defensive line. They’ve got Overshown emerging as a powerful linebacker. And those two first-rounders? Probably defensive players (unless Dallas pulls a CeeDee Lamb). The new coordinator will inherit a foundation; he just needs to build on it.

Dallas refuses to set a deadline. Jones has made it clear they’ll hire when they find the right fit, not before. However, this franchise has a history of getting coordinator hires wrong. Ever since Dan Quinn left Dallas to become the head coach for the Washington Commanders, they haven’t known defensive success. The Cowboys need to connect these dots fast. Hire the right DC, let that choice guide draft strategy, and execute both moves perfectly. It’s risky, it’s unconventional, but it’s also very Dallas.