The Dallas Cowboys had the NFL’s worst pass defense last season, and they’re well aware of it. Heading to the next campaign, Brian Schottenheimer has already started taking necessary steps to fix the defensive shortcomings, from attending the NFL Combine last month to now making trips to the university pro days to evaluate his top prospects, with the franchise legend Michael Irvin joining him to steer the draft strategies.

“Coach and I ⁦@CanesFootball Pro Day,” wrote Irvin on X. “I told Coach we need as many guys as we can get from the U!!!!”

The Miami Hurricanes Pro Day took place on Monday in Coral Gables, Florida. The event was attended by over 100 NFL personnel from 32 franchises, including coaches and general managers. For the Dallas Cowboys, Brian Schottenheimer himself was present alongside the new defensive coordinator, Christian Parker.

Where Does Dallas Cowboys Roster Still Lack Elite Talent?

Let Tony do the scouting, you just make the pick.

Pick your positions. Get Tony’s top 5:

C

CB

DE

DT

FB

G

ILB

OLB

P

PK

QB

RB

S

T

TE

WR

View Tony’s Picks

The head coach was accompanied by the legendary Michael Irvin, who played for both the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Hurricanes. Given the performance of some top Hurricane players, the Cowboys coach may follow through on Irvin’s request.

The cornerback Keionte Scott stood out with his athleticism at the pro day, completing the 40-yard dash in just 4.33 seconds. Following his impressive show, he could very well be in the top 50 of the NFL Draft and certainly will be on the radar of Schottenheimer as a defensive player.

Scott is viewed as one of the top nickel corner prospects in this class, and he aligns well with what Dallas needs in the secondary.

The five-time Super Bowl champions have two first-round picks from the 2026 NFL Draft (12 and 20). Given the level of performance displayed, it would be hardly surprising to see the Miami Hurricanes players being drafted by the Schottenheimer in the opening round or the later rounds that follow.

However, the Cowboys HC’s college Pro Day hunt wasn’t limited to Miami.

Cowboys evaluate top collegiate prospects through packed Pro Day circuit

Brian Schottenheimer and Christian Parker have been doing scouting activities through multiple college campuses nationwide. They had a packed schedule for this week, starting with the Hurricanes’ Pro Day on March 23, 2026.

The very next day, they traveled to the Texas Longhorns Pro Day, which took place in Austin. 16 of their top players worked out, with players like Anthony Hill, Trey Moore, and Malik Muhammad standing out.

The coach’s next stop was Texas A&M Pro Day, which took place on March 25, 2026, where the linebacker Taurean York stole the show with a 4:53-second 40-yard dash, which still fell short of the Hurricanes’ Keionte Scott.

The fourth day of Schottenheimer’s scouting road trip was at Texas Tech, where the top prospects were Lee Hunter, Jacob Rodriguez, and David Bailey. Beyond these four Pro Days, the Cowboys coaching duo visited nine more campuses this month, showing their strong intent of finding the elite young prospects from collegiate football.