FRISCO, Texas -- The cornerback position was one of the Dallas Cowboys' biggest remaining needs entering Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. As a result, the team is selecting East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. with the 76th overall pick in the third round to stop the fall for what might be a first-round talent.
Revel totaled 17 passes defended and three interceptions in his last 15 college starts, but an ACL injury in practice following the Pirates' third game of the 2024 season ended his college career.
The Cowboys likely felt comfortable drafting Revel because head team doctor Dr. Daniel E. Cooper did his surgery and sent a letter to NFL teams to tell them he was on pace to be fully cleared in the summer.
"It was recommended," Revel said when asked about why he went with Dr. Cooper for his surgery. "My dad is a Cowboys fan, so he's going to agree with it. ... I went there, and he did an extraordinary job."
His stature allows him to win regularly in press man coverage, something Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer said was incredibly important at the team's pre-draft press conference on Tuesday. He has great traits, standing at 6-foot-2 while weighing 194 pounds with a 32 5/8" arms. That length and play style is something that had Dallas defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus fired during Revel's 30 visit earlier this spring.
"He [Eberflus] loved the way I play, but of course there's errors in my game and why I need to fix it. We went over the good, went over the bad," Revel said. "He liked my strength, he liked my speed, he liked my height and he loved my effort. I'm willing to go chase after the ball even if it's on the whole other side of the field. He just loved my effort."
"There's certainly measurables. You want length, you want size. The ability to play press man to man [coverage], Schottenheimer said. "The big thing for us defensively 'Flus [defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus] is this way, there's no house guests, so everybody's got to be willing to tackle and support the run with the thing that we do. Again, they come in all shapes and sizes, man."
Revel will join a Dallas cornerback room that is such that he could compete for starter's reps to begin the 2025 season. All-Pro corner Trevon Diggs suffered a season-ending knee injury that required surgery in December, and long-time nickel corner Jourdan Lewis signed a three-year, $30 million deal that included $20 million guaranteed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Outside of 2023 All-Pro DaRon Bland, the other Cowboys corners are unproven.
Caelen Carson, a 2024 fifth-round pick, and Kaiir Elam, a 2022 first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills whom Dallas acquired in a trade this offseason, stand as the next two options on the depth chart for Week 1. Carson dealt with a nagging shoulder injury all season before undergoing season-ending surgery in December.
If Revel can get healthy in time for training camp, he could earn a Week 1 starting spot with Diggs on the mend. He certainly he feels he would have been a first-round pick and the top corner drafted if not for the ACL tear.
"Oh yes, for sure," Revel said when asked if he would have been a first-round pick sans the ACL tear. He gave just as emphatic of an answer when asked if he would've been the CB1 if healthy. "No doubt. I feel like the way I plan, man, is totally different."
Shevon Revel Jr. NFL Draft Grade: A+
If not for a torn ACL in September, Revel likely goes significantly higher than this. He's a tall, long, big-time playmaker in man and zone coverage. Some stiffness when following routes from his backpedal, yet his makeup speed mitigated any of those issues at smaller-school level. While not a huge striker, doesn't miss many tackles. The Cowboys add another turnover creator at CB. -- Chris Trapasso
