Shavon Revel of the Dallas Cowboys

For the Dallas Cowboys, maybe it would be best to forget that Shavon Revel‘s rookie year ever happened. Of course, the Cowboys might like to forget their entire 2025 defense ever happened, but Revel was a big part of that.

The Cowboys drafted Revel in the third round as a good-value flier on a player who had suffered a torn ACL during the previous season at East Carolina. The Cowboys were complimented for the pick–Revel’s value was higher than a third-rounder, but for the injury. Once he recovered from the surgery, the feeling was, he would be a starter-caliber corner.

But recovery was not so easy. Revel had a setback in late July, as training camp was heating up. The Cowboys had been hopeful that Revel would be ready for Week 1, and even after the re-injury, it was reported he would need eight weeks to get back. That would put him back on the field in late September.

Instead, he did not debut for the Cowboys until November 17, almost four months after the re-injury. And when he got on the field, he was clearly out of his depth–Pro Football Focus rated him No. 112 out of 112 corners in the NFL.

‘Shavon Revel Is Moving Really Well’

So, maybe we can scratch that all off of the ledger for Revel and give him a fresh start in 2026 with the Cowboys. The problem is that, to do so, the team will need to see that he is fully healthy and words is that, so far through the team’s first set of OTAs, Revel has looked like teh player the Cowboys thought they would be drafting.

When Cowboys podcaster Foots Da King wrote on Twitter/X, “Asking a few trusted folks. I’m hearing Shavon Revel is moving really well. Not just at OTA’s but all the offseason work he’s done, he is 100% back,” beat writer Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram responded.

Wrote Harris: “Had a good 10 minute conversation with him in the locker room yesterday. Confidence is building back up, he’s trusting his body, and he’s itching to start doing some press man stuff again (likely won’t happen until pads come on in Oxnard).”

Cowboys Need Health in the Secondary

That’s good news for the Cowboys, obviously, who will try to piece together a secondary out of some new pieces and hoped-for improvement from the holdovers. Former All-Pro DaRon Bland, who is out after having another foot injury, would be the star of the group if he could return to form. But Revel has five starts under his belt, and could be a game-changer if healthy.

The Cowboys added veteran Cobie Durant in free agency, and have been using first-round pick Caleb Downs in the slot. Coach Brian Schottenheimer was also highly complimentary of the work  done by another DB returning from injury, Caelen Carson, the 2024 fifth-round pick who has played just 14 games in two seasons.

Carson struggled with a knee injury in camp last year, and dealt with hamstring and shoulder issues during the season.

Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney