Cowboys draft 2023: DeMarvion Overshown gives the team some much needed depth at linebacker

The Cowboys were in sneaky need of help in the middle of their defense.

We spent a lot of time before the 2023 NFL Draft talking about how the Dallas Cowboys did not have any real needs. This was generally true, but obviously not in a literal sense.

Through the first three rounds we have seen the Cowboys address defensive tackle, tight end, and linebacker. Those first two appeared a bit more obvious than others to the naked eye, but linebacker was sort of a need that was kind of hiding in plain sight.

Obviously the Cowboys returned Leighton Vander Esch this offseason which was a big deal given his role within the defense as a whole; however, the Cowboys not only do not have a ton behind him, but they also lost Luke Gifford to the Tennessee Titans in free agency. Gifford may not have contributed a ton on the defensive side of the ball but he was a core special teams player. So in addition to finding a place to put those snaps, the Cowboys also had to find a linebacker to give them solid depth behind LVE and Damone Clark since things have not totally worked with Jabril Cox.

Enter DeMarvion Overshown.

DeMarvion Overshown gives the Cowboys some much needed depth at linebacker

If we take a look at the current lay of the depth chart, thanks to our friends at OurLads, there was not a lot to offer at the reserve linebacker spot.

We have already touched on Gifford but it should also be noted that the Cowboys did not bring back Anthony Barr this offseason, a decision that seems to be theirs. Of the non-Micah Parsons linebackers, only Leighton Vander Esch played more snaps than Barr this past season (609).

It is true that the Cowboys have some projects that they are working on in Devin Harper and/or Jabril Cox, but we have seen what happens when they try to count on down-the-roster players to take the next step. Sometimes it works out wonderfully and everybody wins, but if you do not prepare and things go south then you are up a creek so to speak.

In DeMarvion Overshown, the Cowboys are getting a tremendous athlete with safety experience. He gives them flexibility given how flexible they themselves are with their own rules about the linebacker position in how they float Parsons up and Jayron Kearse down.

There are certainly still needs left to tend to like running back, guard and wide receiver, but linebacker was not absent from the list in and of itself.

Each of the team’s first three picks seem to be incredible athletes with high floors, players who should take very well to coaching and to what the Cowboys do. This one is a very big win.