Dallas Cowboys Position Group Rankings: Linebackers

DeMarvion Overshown is the most exciting linebacker on the roster. The problem is he hasn’t been healthy enough. Overshown lost his rookie season to a preseason ACL tear and half of his sophomore campaign to the same injury. His speed and range elevate this groups ceiling, but counting on him for meaningful snaps early in the season is wishful thinking. Even if he’s back earlier than expected, getting back to his true form is probably a year away. He’ll be one of the most-watched rehab stories at camp, but until he’s cleared, he’s just potential on the shelf.

Marist Liafau showed promise as a rookie and came on strong to close the season. He even pushed out Damone Clark and took the majority of the snaps after Overshown went down. However, his playstyle can be overly aggressive, leading to missed tackles and blown assignments. He has the ability to be a solid starter, but like most of this unit, he struggled in the run game. He will need to shore that up if he wants a bigger role.

The aforementioned Clark hasn’t been terrible, but he hasn’t lived up to his potential coming out of LSU either. He recorded over 100 tackles in 2023, but clearly did not see eye-to-eye with Mike Zimmer last year and faded into the background, even after Overshown’s injury. The talent is there, but the question is, how many more chances will he get?

Too Many Questions, Not Enough Answers For The Dallas Cowboys Linebackers

Linebacker narrowly edges out running back for weakest position group on the Cowboys’ roster. There’s athleticism and potential, but far too many questions and not enough proven answers. Murray and Sanborn are stopgaps, and there’s a hard cap on what anyone can reasonably expect from them. Overshown could be special—and he’s already a fan favorite—but nobody knows when he’ll be back or how he’ll look when that happens. Clark and Liafau will battle for snaps, but neither has shown they can anchor a defense, especially against the run.

For now, Dallas needs this group to play above its resume, or pray the defensive line keeps everything clean up front. If not, the run defense will be bad again. And the Dallas Cowboys linebackers will stay a liability, just like last season.