The Dallas Cowboys are dealing with several injuries at cornerback, but that’s nothing new. Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel continue to work on the side and Josh Butler isn’t expected to return anytime soon. Caelan Carson is dealing with a knee injury that could keep him out 4-6 weeks, which means Dallas is down four cornerbacks going into Week 1 of the preseason.
But there is one defensive back who is starting to get more opportunities because of the injuries at cornerback, and that is Zion Childress, an undrafted rookie from Kentucky.
In a recent article by Todd Archer of ESPN, he mentioned that Childress worked with the first-team defense during Thursday’s practice with Daron Bland and Kaiir Elam on the outside. That's a bit of a change after Childress was working with the second and third units during the first few weeks of camp.
Zion Childress could be Week 1 starter in Cowboys' secondary
The Cowboys signed Childress as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL Draft, and it sure seems like Dallas got a steal. Childress played all over for the Wildcats, including safety and slot corner. Dallas has been primarily working with Childress at safety, but with the injuries at cornerback, he’s gotten more opportunities in the slot.
Coming out of college, Childress is very similar to Xavier Woods, another former hybrid defensive back with the Cowboys. Both are undersized as safeties, but their ability to play multiple positions makes them valuable to any defense.
Childress is a fearless tackler and is an effective blitzer, which are needed skills from the slot. The Cowboys want their defensive backs to be better tacklers this year, and that could be a big reason why Childress is seeing more opportunities.
While it’s too soon to say exactly what the ceiling is for Childress in Dallas, but it’s clear that they think he could be an option for the starting slot job.
The Cowboys hope that Diggs or Revel will be back within a few weeks of the regular season, but they will need another cornerback to pair with Bland and Elam for the first couple of games. Childress is an option to fill that void until October.
Keep an eye on Childress throughout the preseason as he is one of the top undrafted rookies on the roster and has an excellent chance of making the 53-man roster. And with a strong preseason, he might just open the season in the slot against the Philadelphia Eagles.