The Dallas Cowboys are already down a linebacker as they look ahead to Week 1 against the New York Giants. The Cowboys lost DeMarvion Overshown for the year to a torn ACL and currently have four linebackers listed on the active roster as they look to stop Giants running back Saquon Barkley, an obvious key to the "Sunday Night Football'' opener.
But inside The Star? The guys on the Dallas offense have faith in the defense they've worked against all summer.
"We have a great room," said tight end Peyton Hendershot. " Damone Clark is going to be a really good linebacker in this league. He's a young guy, but he trains like a pro, for real. He does all the right things. He stays after, comes before, always trying to figure out new techniques, new things to help him out in the pass coverage and all that. Devin Harper, another young guy. He's going to be really good for us on special teams."
Both Clark and Harper are entering their second season in the NFL. Clark recorded 47 tackles, one for loss and forced a pair of fumbles, while Harper played in three games before getting placed on injured reserve last year.
And then there are the two names that the Giants have already come to know ...
The elder statesman in the room is Leighton Vander Esch, who is entering his sixth season in Dallas. Vander Esch burst onto the scene his rookie season with 140 tackles en route to his Pro Bowl selection.
After his rookie year, though, the 2018 first-round pick's only full season was in 2021. In his career, Vander Esch has recorded 439 tackles, 12 for loss and 3.5 sacks as he's battled through injury issues.
"Leighton, you already know he's as vetted as they come," Hendershot said. "He knows what we're running before we even run it."
Micah Parsons is listed as a linebacker and is certainly athletic enough to drop into coverage and play the run like a linebacker. He mainly lined up to rush the passer in training camp, but not knowing exactly where he's attacking from is central to coordinator Dan Quinn's plan vs. New York.
“He really is LT-like, to be honest,” Barkley once said of his Penn State buddy Micah, making the Lawrence Taylor comp. “It is what it is: He’s insane.''
Barkley is coming off a career-best 1,312-yard season in 2022 in which he found the end zone 10 times. In eight games against the Cowboys, Barkley has 464 rushing yards and three touchdowns and catching 40 passes for 281 yards.
Dallas will need all hands on deck at the second level Sept. 10 as it looks to improve its No. 22 rush defense from 2022. ... with the spotlight surely on Vander Esch and Parsons and friends to win for a fifth-straight time vs. Barkley's Giants.
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