While every position group on the 2025 Cowboys defense deserved criticism, none got it more than the linebackers. Unsurprisingly, it remains a major focus this offseason. With two of last year’s starters not expected to return, and limited options to replace them, we could see big moves happening both in free agency and with one of Dallas’ first-round draft picks.
Under Contract
DeMarvion Overshown – When he’s healthy, Overshown is one of the most exciting players on the roster. But after his missing his entire
rookie year, four games in 2024, and 11 last season, these early chapters feel like another tragic tale of a talented Cowboys LB who can’t stay on the field. Dallas desperately needs Overshown to finally avoid IR and become the weekly playmaker that he’s shown so much potential for, and he needs it just as badly in the final year of his contract.
Marist Liufau – There were high hopes for Liufau’s second-year development under Matt Eberflus, but it was another of last year’s many disappointments. Liufau is still has perceived upside and will hopefully achieve more with improved coaching and scheme around him. If he could make a third-year leap, it would greatly boost Dallas’ LB depth and perhaps even earn him significant playing time.
Shemar James – One of Dallas’ more successful rookies in 2025, James went from being a fifth-round pick that was expected to be little more than special teamer, to playing on nearly half of the total defensive snaps. By the end of the season, James was arguably more trusted than Liufau. We’ll see how the coaching changes affect his trajectory, but James will be a much bigger name this summer than we might’ve thought a year ago.
Justin Barron – Undrafted last year, Barron spent most of it on the practice squad but played in the final two games on special teams. He’s an interesting prospect, moving from WR to DB at Syracuse before settling into linebacker. He has plenty of athleticism and could be attractive on special teams. We’ll see if our new coaches can make him useful on defense too, perhaps in a backup nickel role.
Free Agents
Kenneth Murray Jr. – Was any single player more maligned than Murray last year? Instead of seeing why he was once a first-round pick, Cowboys fans quickly figured out why the Chargers didn’t give him a second contract and the Titans let him go for almost nothing in a trade. To be fair, Murray was not supposed to play the middle and got forced there by injuries and lack of development from younger players. But it put all of his weaknesses on display, and made his return in 2026 highly unlikely.
Jack Sanborn – Brought in from Chicago to help Eberflus install his defense, Sanborn never looked right as Dallas’ original MLB. His athleticism was lacking, which was always a concern, but his decision-making was woefully bad for the guy who was supposedly the most acclimated to the scheme. A groin injury landed Sanborn on IR in early November, but his play had already put him in the crosshairs. Now that Eberflus is gone, we expect Sanborn to follow him out the door.
What’s Needed?
Dallas’ first significant roster move of the offseason came at linebacker when they released veteran Logan Wilson, clearing $6.5 million from the 2026 salary cap. The Cowboys gave up a seventh-round pick to get a firsthand look at the veteran last October, and clearly didn’t like what they saw enough to keep it going. Even if Wilson had stuck around, Dallas was going to need to bolster the LB talent overall. At worst, this just means they need another body.
Even if the Cowboys trust Christian Parker and new LB coaches Chidera Uzo-Deribe and Scott Symons to do wonders, they have to give them more to work with. Between Overshown’s health and the youth and inexperience of Liufau and James, this is hardly a linebacker corps that you can put your trust in. Getting one guy who gives you 15-17 games of consistent, quality out of this group would be progress from last year. More than that has to be a lucky bonus, not your plan going forward.
Parker’s arrival has naturally made us look at upcoming free agents from the Eagles defense, and Nakobe Dean makes so much sense to be a top target. He’s been their middle LB for the last two years, which is what Dallas sorely needs after the Sanborn and Murray failures. He won’t be cheap, but Dallas should be able to afford at least one significant external signing. Adding Dean would the most immediate way to upgrade the position, and give Parker a valuable aid in the locker room, but that comes at a cost.
If Dean is outside of the Cowboys’ budget, there are several older free agents who could fill the role. That worked out well in 2024 when they signed Eric Kendricks, but part of his value was his connection to Mike Zimmer. There are veteran ILBs still getting it done late into their 30s like Bobby Wagner and Demario Davis, but their play could go off a cliff at any moment. Perhaps the balance between age and paying prime dollars for someone might be Denver’s Al Singleton, who’s 32 but is coming off a very strong year, making the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
For the draft, many expect Dallas to target an ILB with one of their two first-rounders. Sonny Styles and C.J. Allen are the consensus top-two prospects, and it’s generally assumed that at least one of them will be there at the 12th pick, if not both. In that scenario, Dallas might go for a higher-rated prospect at another position at #12 and then hope to snag one of the two linebackers at #20. Of course, signing Dean or another top free agent might take LB off the board for the first round. But given all of the concerns at the position, it wouldn’t be crazy for the Cowboys to attempt two major talent additions.
What would be your moves to improve the linebacker corps?
