Why Cowboys' 2026 draft situation is reminiscent of 2005

FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys were in a similar spot 21 years ago, making a defensive scheme change from the 4-3 to the 3-4.

The stakes weren't so dire in 2005. The Cowboys' defense finished ranked 16th in the NFL in yards per game in 2004 but allowed 405 points, a staggering 145 more than the previous year.

In the past two years, however, the Cowboys have finished 28th and 30th in yards per game and 31st and 32nd in points allowed.

The 3-4 scheme preferred by then head coach Bill Parcells in 2005 is not the same as what new defensive coordinator Christian Parker prefers in 2026, but the premise remains the same: They want more size and athletes on the field.

"We've made a conscious decision to be a blend of the equivalent of the 3-4. It won't be a pure 3-4," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "And you can say that's with the times too. You got to have flexibility. It's not new to me. From Bill Parcells throughout my time in sport, even going back to college, the 3-4 concept can give you a better run support. The question is can that outside guy do a little pass covering, cover a little space, plus give you the pressure on the outside? That's always been the big thing."

Parcells' greatest successes as a head coach came with 3-4 defenses with the New York Giants, New England Patriots and New York Jets. He just was not as comfortable with a 4-3 scheme that relied on speed and undersized players.

Heading into the 2005 draft, the Cowboys had two first-round picks (Nos. 11 and 20) like they have two first-round picks this year (Nos. 12 and 20). According to Jeff Ireland, who was the Cowboys' vice president of college and pro scouting and is now the New Orleans Saints assistant general manager and college scouting director, Parcells was not locked into the 3-4 move.

"I just remember going into [the draft] like he's still a little iffy on it, but he wanted to get big people," Ireland said. "He said, 'I think this could be a two-year process.'"

It turned out to be a two-day process.

With the 11th pick, the Cowboys drafted linebacker DeMarcus Ware out of Troy. At No. 20, they selected LSU defensive end Marcus Spears. In the second round, they got linebacker Kevin Burnett. In Round 4, they got defensive end Chris Canty. In the seventh, they got defensive lineman Jay Ratliff.

The Cowboys' move to the 3-4 saw them improve to a top-10 defense. Ware became a Hall of Famer. Spears, who played eight years for the Cowboys, and Canty were impactful contributors as rookies. Burnett lasted nine years in the NFL. Ratliff's career jumped in 2007 when Parcells' successor, Wade Phillips, used him as an undersize nose tackle and he made four Pro Bowls.

From 2005 to 2009, the Cowboys' defense finished in the top 10 four times.

"I'd like to have another draft like that," Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones said. "Let's do that right now. We'll take it. I mean even Parcells, I think he'll say that it was maybe his best draft he ever had as a head coach. So we'll take that draft over again."

This offseason, the Cowboys have acquired Rashan Gary, an outside linebacker, from the Green Bay Packers. They added free agent defensive linemen Jonathan Bullard and Otito Ogbonnia to pair with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. They signed safeties Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke. They added cornerback Cobie Durant as well. They re-signed Sam Williams and believe a second year off a torn ACL will help his productivity.

They have not found the middle linebacker piece yet. Perhaps that comes in next week's draft. Coach Brian Schottenheimer said the Cowboys would be OK with a rookie as the defensive signal caller.

"We've got some firepower now going into the draft," Schottenheimer said. "We're not done. We're always open for business."

Like now, the Cowboys had to make a choice in 2005 of what position to attack first. Parcells favored size and initially wanted Spears because he could affect the line of scrimmage. Others in the room wanted Ware because of his pass-rush ability despite coming from a smaller school.

Ireland and the Joneses told Parcells they could accomplish both.

"We can get this dynamic high-high-makeup pressure player. We can still get what Bill wants in the same first round. We can get Marcus. I think the argument was the valuation of Marcus and DeMarcus," Ireland said. "And Bill's argument I think was, 'Well, we're going to take the one we want first and see if the next guy's there,' and our argument was, 'It's flipped. We can get DeMarcus [at 11] and get Marcus at 20.' And he just didn't necessarily believe that at that moment.

"I think we convinced him at the end. It was never that he didn't want DeMarcus -- he loved Marcus; he loved him from the day we saw him."

What really flipped the Cowboys' mood, however, was taking Canty in the fourth round. Prior to the draft, he suffered a detached retina when he was hit by a glass bottle when leaving a bar. The Cowboys contemplated taking Canty with their first pick in Round 4 but instead took running back Marion Barber. They still got Canty later in the round at pick No. 132, following a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I just didn't think we could do that in one draft, and we were able to, which was pretty cool," Ireland said.

The Cowboys have eight picks in this draft, same as 2005. They don't have a second-rounder, but they do have a third, unlike 2005. Instead of two fourth-rounders, like 2005, they have three fifth-rounders.

The 2005 puzzle came together perfectly for the Cowboys. They need the 2026 puzzle to do the same.

"I think we had a great search in terms of revamping our defensive staff, so feel very optimistic about that and what we can get done there," Stephen Jones said. "Certainly feel good about our start with our personnel and what we've done in free agency. And certainly sitting here with two No. 1s, you feel good about improving our team. We're very optimistic about what we can do."