The calendar has almost turned to June and the best move of the Dallas Cowboys' offseason may have been the hiring of Mike Zimmer as defensive coordinator. While the Cowboys' draft class has fans excited, Zimmer could make the single-biggest impact of any offseason addition.
Even though OTAs are only a week old, Zimmer is already making a difference in Dallas. For starters, he had a major influence in the signing of Eric Kendricks, who had initially agreed to terms with the 49ers.
Zimmer has also stated that the Cowboys will play three linebackers (Dan Quinn only deployed two LBs in his scheme) and he's having Mazi Smith return to his Michigan playing weight and convert back to a nose tackle after he was bafflingly used as an uphill pass rusher as a rookie.
The Zimmer hype train doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. On top of working wonders with Dallas' defensive personnel, Zimmer has seemingly helped the team make a sneaky-genius coaching hire out of the blue.
A former nose tackle with the Bengals while Zimmer was their defensive coordinator, Domata Peko shared a video to Instagram that showed him working with the Cowboys' defensive line at OTAs. It's unclear if Peko has joined Zimmer's staff in a full-time capacity, but it's encouraging nonetheless that he's coaching up Dallas' defensive tackles.
Peko was a full-time starter under Zimmer in Cincinnati for six seasons (2008-2013) before Zimmer was hired as Vikings head coach in 2024. The former fourth-round pick clearly has a full grasp of what Zimmer expects from his nose tackles.
Now 39 years old, Paka spent 16 years in the NFL (most of it as a starter) before he retired following the 2020 season. It's hard to think of a better mentor for Mazi Smith, who is now recovering from offseason shoulder surgery as he aims to bounce back from a forgetful rookie year.
While Smith needs to improve, the Cowboys' nose tackles as a unit are very inexperienced. They drafted Clemson's Justin Rogers in the seventh round to develop as a one-tech prospect. Meanwhile, Illinois run-stopper Denzel Daxon was signed as an undrafted free agent.
Even if Pako has only taken up an advisory role, he has a wealth of experience under Zimmer and in successful NFL defenses. With Dallas' defense undergoing significant change this offseason both in terms of personnel and scheme, Pako's presence will allow for a smoother transition.
This is just the latest evidence that the Cowboys' defense is in good hands under Zimmer.
