It was the lowest of bars to clear, but the Dallas Cowboys significantly improved their defense this offseason. Hiring Christian Parker should make the biggest difference, but the unit’s ceiling still hinges on players living up to their pedigree.
Speaking of, is there a bigger wild card on the roster than DeMarvion Overshown? When healthy, Overshown has teased an All-Pro ceiling, but two major knee injuries have derailed a chunk of his rookie contract.
If there was ever a player who deserved a break from the football gods, it's Overshown. So far, so good, in that regard, as the young linebacker told reporters at the Cowboys' annual Reliant Home Run Derby that he has a clean bill of health (h/t Jon Machota, The Athletic).
"Biggest blessing I can ask for. I feel like everybody knows when I'm healthy, I'm one of the best linebackers in the league. That's not to toot my own horn, but the film and the stats speak for itself when I'm on the field. Being healthy is the number one way to stay on the field and be able to do what I do.
The fact I get to go through this full offseason as a healthy man and coming into training camp healthy, I feel like people ain't seen my best yet. So I know it's gonna be one of my best years."
Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown will finally have a healthy offseason
You can’t help but smile for Overshown. “Adversity” doesn’t begin to cover what he’s dealt with early in his career.
A third-round pick in 2023, Overshown's rookie year ended before it even started after he suffered a torn ACL in the preseason. He returned the following season and was on an All-Pro trajectory, recording 90 tackles, five sacks, a pick-six, and a forced fumble in 13 games.
In Week 13, Overshown tore his ACL, MCL and PCL when his knee was caved in by a Bengals offensive lineman. With the Cowboys exercising caution, his rehab carried into the 2025 season, as he opened on the PUP list and didn’t debut until Week 11.
Overshown played six of the final eight games, posting 28 tackles, a 63.4 run-defense grade, and a 77.7 pass-rush grade, per Pro Football Focus. The splash plays weren’t quite there, but this was always about getting to the finish line healthy, and he did exactly that.
Now that Overshown is a year and a half removed from surgery, the hope is we’ll see more of the player who took the league by storm two years ago. Not only is he healthy, but he has a new-and-improved coaching staff, headlined by Christian Parker, and better talent around him.
Everything is lined up for his best season yet.
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