The Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator, butwhat led them to decide Parker was "the" guy?
The Dallas Cowboys did exactly as they said they would in their defensive coordinator search, and they cast a wide net.
And that search, after nine candidates, led them to Christian Parker, a young defensive mind with head coach potential down the road.
After stops in Denver and Philadelphia, Parker grew in reputation, so much so that the response to Dallas hiring Christian has been met with applause.
Of course, he's never called plays before, but listening to those in the know, Parker is a fast riser in the industry, and now he'll be working with the Cowboys in trying to fix that awful defense.
But of the handful of candidates that the Cowboys interviewed, what made Parker stand out from the rest?
Dallas' Vice President of Player Personnel, Will McClay, explained why the franchise ultimately settled on Parker as its new defensive coordinator.
"No. 1, everybody you talked to, nobody said anything negative about him," McClay said. "Then when we got the chance to meet and talk to him, wise beyond his years, but the way that he puts things together, the way he talks about the defense, his awareness to the front and the back end.
"Excited to work with him because, and the staff that he's going to put together, because I think there's some exciting things that we can do."
Now, attention turns to who Parker will want on the field in 2026.
Free agency is approaching, and the Cowboys also have two first-round draft picks, which many think should be used on defense.
Given that there are so many holes at linebacker, pass rusher, safety, and corner, the Cowboys have their work cut out to fill as many as possible in one offseason.
But have there been any talks with Parker regarding the type of players he wants on his defense in 2026?
"We've had general conversations to begin with, but he wants good players, and he wants smart players, which every coach does," McClay added. "We'll get down to the nitty-gritty once they get the rest of the staff together, but we talked about our roster.
"He has a vision for the guys that we have. So, it's off to a good start right now."
With the Senior Bowl underway, the Cowboys and McClay will be canvassing the field to see which players fit Parker's wants as he looks to rebuild one of the NFL's worst defenses in his first defensive coordinator role.
Let the Parker era begin.