Cowboys Rookie CB with Rare Size Could Become Starter

The Dallas Cowboys unquestionably improved their defense this offseason, with a modern perspective in Christian Parker taking over as coordinator and two first-round draft prospects, Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence, likely contributors right away.

But the Cowboys could have landed another Day 1 contributor on the defensive side, which would be significant after how last season went.

Dallas drafted former Florida Gators cornerback Devin Moore in the fourth round. Despite a history of injuries, Moore brings high-level collegiate experience and one quality that can't be taught: size.

It's a facet Cowboys player personnel director Will McClay spoke highly of when it comes to the secondary.

"When you’re 6-foot-3, and you can drop your weight, and you can change direction, and you can play press - a lot of tall guys, because of body builds, change of direction is a little bit different," McClay explained.

"But when you find someone of his length and athletic ability, to be able to change direction, play press, play off, and play zone, to be able to see it and process it and understand route combinations and what’s coming at you, and then be 6-3 … you think there is some positive things about what we are trying to do defensively."

The Cowboys have seen those traits on display so far at rookie minicamp in Frisco. Like many other defensive backs added this offseason - safeties Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke, and cornerback Cobie Durant - Moore is beginning to learn the playbook and give the coaches ideas of how he can be used.

With a positive showing, he could compete for a starting job...

But ... those injuries.

At Florida, Moore dealt with a shoulder injury as a freshman, then hurt his back and suffered a concussion as a sophomore. Another shoulder ailment impacted his junior season before finally playing double-digit games as a senior last year.

In 11 games played in 2025, he totaled 35 tackles, two interceptions and three pass deflections. For those efforts, he proclaimed before the draft that he's among the best corners in the class.

The health concerns dropped him to the fourth round, but after the Cowboys' due diligence in his scouting, they still found it promising to select him. That has to make you think there's still an avenue where he can become a rotational piece down the line.

Moore, grateful for the opportunity nonetheless, is now carrying a chip on his shoulder going into his rookie campaign.

"I had some injuries in college," Moore told the team website at the start of rookie minicamp. "I feel like that had me very overlooked and slept on. The size, the speed, ability to bend and tackle, the length, I feel like I had been overlooked."

Now that he's in the building, he'll become quite familiar with the system Parker aims to install, where defensive backs who can play multiple positions will receive plenty of snaps throughout the season.

"The main thing is versatility," Moore said about what he brings to the team. "I can play man. I can play zone. I'm smart enough to know the whole secondary.

"I'm versatile, and that was the main conversation [with Parker]. … The NFL is a very complicated game. You can't run man the whole game, and you can't run zone the whole game. You have to have players out there that can mix it up with both coverages, that can give the QB and offenses different looks."

With a rare combination of elite size and physical toughness, Moore could shape out to be another rookie to make a major impact on the Dallas defense as soon as the 2026 season.

"I'm so excited man," Moore said about playing for the Cowboys. "I felt like even in college, I never reached playing my best ball. So just being somewhere where there's as many resources as there is in the world here to try and elevate my game to be the best I can be."