The Cowboys spent the offseason trying to patch up a defense that had nowhere to go but up. Dallas finished with the worst unit in the league and gave up a franchise-record 511 points, blowing past its previous high of 473 in 2020 during the COVID season and the Mike Nolan era.
The front office attacked the problem with additions like Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, Jalen Thompson, and Dee Winters, and the hope is that Christian Parker can help pull the whole thing together. Even with that influx of talent, though, the real swing factor is still the same: the Cowboys need several veterans to take major leaps if this defense is going to change shape.
That’s where DeMarvion Overshown comes in.
Benjamin Solak of ESPN recently picked one breakout candidate for every NFL team, and for Dallas he landed on Overshown, who is heading into a crucial contract year. He has played only 13 career games, but there’s a real belief that he could be in line for a big season and position himself for a major deal in 2027.
Solak sees both the upside and the warning signs. On the optimistic side, he believes Overshown can be one of the most important defensive players on the roster.
On the skeptical side, there’s still the question of whether he’s fully back after last season. As Solak put it:
“Overshown did not look like himself after returning last season in Week 11 -- he had only one TFL in six games after posting eight in 13 games during the 2024 season. He cleared 19 mph in top speed seven separate times in the 2024 season, per NFL Next Gen Stats; he never cleared it in 2025. As he gets further away from the injury, he'll hopefully recover the top speed that allowed him to play sideline to sideline and trigger quickly on those behind-the-line opportunities.”
This is the first time since his rookie year in 2023 that Overshown is going into training camp fully healthy. The Cowboys should still handle him carefully, though, and that likely means plenty of veteran rest days while camp unfolds.
Linebacker remains the clearest question mark on the roster entering 2026. Dee Winters and Jaishawn Barham give Dallas more options than it had a year ago, but Overshown is still the most gifted player in the group.
The flashes have been there. Now the challenge is putting together a healthy, steady season.
If he does, the ripple effect could be huge for a defense that badly needs it. The Cowboys are not trying to build a dominant unit overnight, but solving the linebacker problem would give them a real chance to become a solid one. And if Overshown looks like the player Dallas thinks he can be, the Cowboys may have a defense that can matter when January arrives.
In Other News...
Cowboys Quietly Found The Veteran Caleb Downs Needed Most
For a rookie safety trying to get his footing in the NFL, the Cowboys have found a useful voice in the meeting room and on the practice field. Caleb Downs has been leaning on veteran help as he adjusts to the speed of the league and to Christian Parkers defensive scheme, and the extra work after practice has given him a chance to slow things down and sort out the details that can get lost in a hurry once the pads come on.
The value goes beyond simple repetition. The veteran guiding Downs already understands Parkers system and brings the kind of versatility Dallas wants in the secondary, which makes the teaching more practical than theoretical. For a defense still trying to define its leadership, that kind of steady presence matters, even if the bigger test for Downs is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jones Faces Another Massive Cowboys Decision On Quinnen Williams
Quinnen Williams is only getting started in his first full season with the Cowboys, but his place in Dallas already looks like one of the more important long-term questions on the roster. The defensive tackle arrived with the kind of impact pedigree that makes front offices think ahead, and the Cowboys have never been shy about extending key players early when it helps them manage cap flexibility and avoid a pricier problem later.
Jerry Jones may be looking at that same playbook again, because Williams value at his position keeps climbing and the market for interior defenders is only getting tougher to navigate. Dallas can wait and see how the season unfolds, but there is a real incentive to get ahead of the next wave of defensive tackle deals before Williams price tag rises even more. [Read more 🡒]
Traeshon Holden Is Forcing His Way Into A Cowboys Camp Battle
Traeshon Holden entered last years Cowboys camp as a name to watch, and he has kept himself in the conversation heading into this summer. The second-year receiver reportedly sat higher on the depth chart during minicamp than many around the team expected, a sign that his strong moments from a year ago have carried over enough to matter in a crowded receiver room.
Holden still has work to do before he can turn that momentum into a roster spot. Dallas wants more from him as a blocker and on special teams, the same areas that kept him from carving out a clearer role last season, but the path looks more open now with some moving parts in the receiver group. If he keeps building on what he showed in camp, he could make the final decision a lot harder than it looked a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]