The Dallas Cowboys defense is facing a revamp, especially at linebacker. Of course, this is intentional. Increasing the number of players practicing for a position tends to lead to everyone upping their game. With the regular season rapidly approaching, who are the players worth paying attention to at linebacker?
Depth at Linebacker: A Sweeping Improvement for the Cowboys Defense
Returning Cowboys Linebackers
There are two guys set to return that everyone will recognize–Damone Clark and Micah Parsons.
Both of these guys are young. This will be Clark’s third year with the Cowboys and the fourth year for Parsons. Each of them bring different talents to the table for this defense to use.
Clark brings amazingly consistent talent. Over the last season, he had 70 solo tackles and 7.5 stuffs. He also played in every game this past year, showing he gained the trust of the previous defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn. The current linebacker coach, Scott McCurley, mentioned Clark in high regard in a recent interview. He believes Clark “is showing up in the run game a little bit more . . . using his pads, and it’s just, his trajectory is going here [upward] now”. This will be pivotal to the Cowboys’ strategy this year, as stopping the run game was a weakness last year.
Parsons is a power player that the new defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer, is very excited to use this season. Zimmer mentioned in a press conference that he believes Parsons could play any position on defense. Clearly, he values Parsons talent and hopes to have him all over the field in multiple coverages. In the 2023 season, Parsons was known more as an EDGE rusher, creating big plays by sacking the quarterback. But now, he could be called to more dynamic playmaking all over the field, from sacks to stuffs.
But that’s not all. Another player coming off of injury could be making noise for this Cowboys defense.
A Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Coming Off Injury
DeMarvion Overshown sat out last season due to a torn ACL injury. Being injured during your rookie season is devastating and difficult. However, Overshown is back on the field and ready to show the talent he possessed at the University of Texas.
In his final year at Texas, Overshown made nearly 50 tackles, had four sacks, and deflected five passes. He is quick, agile, and could be a deadly force when combined with the already stacked linebackers in this group.
Newest Additions at Linebacker for Cowboys Defense
A few other players that are being welcomed to the squad are Buddy Johnson, Willie Harvey Jr., Marist Liufau, and Eric Kendricks.
Buddy Johnson began his career in 2021 for the Pittsburgh Steelers before being picked up by the Cowboys in 2023. He wasn’t notable there and hasn’t done much to make a big splash in Dallas. He’s stepped up by showing some consistency during training camp and was noted by McCurley as a player who acts on instinct. Hopefully, that instinct will lead to some better results on the field.
Willie Harvey Jr. is an even more recent trade. This is his first season on the Cowboys roster and it’ll be interesting to see what he’s capable of. He spent two years playing for the Cleveland Browns. After performing minimally for the Browns, it’ll be good to see whether Harvey Jr. can turn the narrative around.
Third-round pick Marist Liufau is a rookie this season out of Notre Dame. During training camp, McCurley applauded Liufau with high praise:
“Yeah I think, Marist, it’s going to be exciting to see him grow. The way he competes, the way he gets after the ball. You know, the 1 on 1 stuff he brings, to getting off blocks, defeating blocks, a little bit of the pass rush stuff. I’m excited to see where that comes along.”
If he can stay consistent, he might even get a few minutes of time in the regular season.
Last but not least, by any stretch, is Eric Kendricks. The 10-year veteran has never had a poor season. In 2023, he managed nearly 80 solo tackles, almost four sacks, nine stuffs, and six pass deflections. He’s an all-around beast to add to the team. His play and leadership will be ample in getting this Cowboys defense into shape before the season starts.
Raw Talent Must Be Harnessed
We’ve all seen it happen before–a really talented looking bunch of players fumbles on closing out and having an incredible year. This group of Dallas Cowboys linebackers is not that. At least, it won’t be if it’s continued to be led by Mike Zimmer.
Zimmer has already made some huge changes on the defense that have resulted in some dynamic plays in practice. The teams first real test will be against the Los Angeles Rams on August 11th. This game will determine who stays on the roster and who sees their football dreams come to a close.
Main Image: Jason Parkhurst – USA Today Sports
