Cowboys Defender Named Early Breakout Candidate for 2026 Season

The Dallas Cowboys defense was a mess in 2025, which led to some big changes this offseason. The Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after one season, and replaced him with Christian Parker.

They also added several new assistants, which will help Parker as he installs a new scheme. As helpful as that will be, Dallas needs more from their players.

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While adding more talent will help, they won't be able to replace all 11 starters. That's why they need their returning defenders to step up their game. According to PFF's Dalton Wasserman, the top candidate to do this in 2026 is DeMarvion Overshown, who Wasserman named as their top breakout candidate in 2026.

"Overshown returned from a devastating knee injury that ended his 2024 season to produce a respectable 67.4 PFF overall grade across 218 snaps in 2025," Wasserman wrote.

"Dallas has now seen nearly 1,000 snaps of solid play from Overshown across his first two seasons. Dallas needs all the defensive help it can get, and the team should be able to rely on a healthy Overshown to improve the unit in 2026."

DeMarvion Overshown has to stay on the field in 2026

Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown looks on before the game between the Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Talent has never been the concern with Overshown. During the 2024 campaign, he showed how dominant he can be when he recorded 90 tackles, five sacks, and one interception. The problem, however, has been durability.

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Overshown tore his ACL in 2023, costing him his entire rookie season. He returned in 2024, but his breakout campaign ended when he tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL. That kept him sidelined until late in the 2025 season.

He played in just six games that year, ending the season on the bench after dealing with a concussion. If Overshown is going to reach his potential, he has to find a way to stay on the field in 2026.

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