The Dallas Cowboys will report to the 2026 training camp in 6 days in Oxnard, California. But before the practice sessions and the player-position battles started, the Cowboys’ star cornerback, DaRon Bland, received a major endorsement from a Cowboys beat writer, John Owning, who has also worked for Bleacher Report.
Owning appeared on the 105.3 The Fan podcast on July 22. When the host of the podcast asked the writer to pick two best corners from the Cowboys, Owning did not waste time naming Bland as the top Cowboys cornerback.
“I think DaRon Bland is definitely your top corner,” Bland said. “I think he is really underrated. Not only his coverage ability, but his ability to support against the run. I think that’s the part that I have been most impressed upon before the injury, when he was in the slot, as I really liked how he would use and run support.”
The writer also added, “But after him, I would say, based on what we have seen, it has to be Cobie Durant in my opinion. I think that he has proven to be a solid corner. I think all fans should hope that Shavon Revel Jr. becomes that guy for the Cowboys, because that means only good things for his improvement and his progress.”
Is this what Owning is thinking? Let’s take a closer look at how good CB Bland is.
How good is Cowboys CB DaRon Bland?
According to PFF, Bland ranks 48th among 114 cornerbacks in the NFL with a 65.3 overall grade for the 2025 NFL season. The Cowboys’ 2025 defense was so bad that they ranked 30th in the defense rankings. Also, they couldn’t contribute enough to get the Cowboys the victories they deserve. So, you must be asking where Bland was when the Cowboys were not putting in the work every single week in 2025?
Well, Bland did his part to the best of his ability. Even though he played only 12 games, his best season was the 2025 NFL season from a tackling standpoint. He made a total of 73 tackles among them, 45 were solo tackles, apart from one interception and one touchdown in the Oct. 10, 2025 matchup with the Washington Commanders.
Overall, the 2023 season was the best for him. In that season, he made 69 total tackles and nine interceptions for 209 yards. He also landed five touchdowns in the same season. But then he got injured, which ended his 2025 campaign. Actually, the injury happened in the 2024 season itself; he suffered a left foot stress fracture during the 2024 training camp and missed the first 10 games. But eventually, after the 2025 season, Bland finally decided to undergo surgery and solve the injury issues.
Well, but what if he did not have to leave the team because of the foot injury? Without a doubt, it would have definitely been a problem for the opponents’ offenses.
The update is that, after the injury, he underwent surgery done by Dr. David Porter in Indianapolis and Bland is expected to report to the 2026 training camp. And now, before the storylines of best Cowboys CB, Owning has already partially ended the discussion by picking up Bland as the top one.
However, the biggest locker room competition Bland could face is Cobie Durant. Durant put pen to paper to sign a one-year, $5.5M deal in March 2026. Previously, Durant has played for only the Los Angeles Rams since he was picked up in the 2022 NFL draft. Currently, he ranks (39th) above Bland in the overall CB ranking by PFF. It is expected that there would be a sufficient amount of battle between the two cornerbacks to get the top CB position.
Overall, it will be a win-win situation. The Cowboys’ defense will grow either way. As top NFL insider Adam Schefter said yesterday, July 22, the Cowboys’ defense will be one of the most dangerous in the league in the 2026 season. Check out the article now and let’s wait till the 2026 training camp starts.