3 defensive coordinators the Cowboys need to hire in 2021

The Cowboys need to find a replacement for Mike Nolan as soon as possible.

While Mike McCarthy has taken the brunt of the criticism for the disappointing performance of the Dallas Cowboys, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan should also get a good deal of blame, as his defense ranks among the worst in the NFL in several major categories.

Nolan will likely not get a second season in Dallas to fix his mistakes, meaning Dallas will be in the hunt for a sharp defensive mind. These three candidates stand out above the rest.

These three candidates should be able to do a better job with the Cowboys than Mike Nolan did

The Cowboys will need to look at coaches with a history of coaching great secondaries, as that unit has clearly been the worst-performing bunch on this roster. Pleasent is in his fourth year as the cornerback’s coach under Sean McVay, and 2020 has been his masterpiece, as he and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley have made the Rams one of the most feared units in the league. Only the Pittsburgh Steelers have surrendered fewer yards through the air than Los Angeles, and Pleasent, who spent time with Michigan before joining McVay in Washington in 2012, has earned a chance at leading an entire defense in 2021.

While he has helped keep Jalen Ramsey as one of the top cornerbacks in the league, his work with some of LA’s youngsters deserves the utmost praise. Darious Williams went from an undrafted free agent to a quality starter, while Troy Hill and David Long both look like quality starters. WIth Trevon Diggs and the rest of that secondary floundering, Pleasent needs to come in, work his developmental magic on a secondary in need of some guidance, and get the Cowboys at least into the respectable tier next season.