The Dallas Cowboys have experienced significant volatility at linebacker in recent years. In fact, in four straight seasons, the linebacker leading them in tackles has been four different players – Leighton Vander Esch (2022), Damone Clark (2023), Eric Kendricks (2024), and Shemar James (2025), with a new player likely to hold that honor once again.
This linebacker shake-up is due to a multitude of reasons. Injuries have played a role. The team has attempted to bring in veterans to handle the lead-dog
role like they have over the last two seasons with Kendricks and Kenneth Murray. They’ve also relied on homegrown late-round draft picks like Clark and James. They’ve even tried to convert safeties into linebackers as they’ve done with Keanu Neal and Markquese Bell. Whatever they try, at best, it results in a short-term stopgap and offers little towards a long-term solution.
Things will be even more different this season as the arrival of Christian Parker will spark yet another change. The team will employ a tactical reset that will alter how the linebackers are used. The switch from a 4-3 system, where the defense will roll out three off-ball linebackers, now changes to a 3-4 personnel that features four linebackers, with two of them being outside linebackers/edge rushers, while only trotting out two true off-ball linebackers.
Not only will the quantity of off-ball linebackers drop, but the type of players will also change. Parker will demand specific traits from his linebackers. His players need to be quick on their feet, recognizing play development and reacting accordingly. They’ll need to be capable in coverage, fluid enough to change direction to hang with pass-catchers over the middle. Both their run-stopping/pass-defending traits will rely on great speed to get where they need to be in a hurry.
For this reason, we are already seeing some changes with their personnel. The team traded for Dee Winters to give them a speedy straight-line missile with good coverage ability. They also drafted Jaishawn Barham in the third round, who is a Wreck-It Ralph-type player who brings a lot of violence, whether it’s as a pass rusher or chasing down ball carriers. Barham brings an elite pass-rush win rate during his time at Michigan, making him an excellent weapon to deploy in Parker’s aggressive blitz packages.
And don’t forget that the Cowboys are also expected to have a healthy DeMarvion Overshown back, who also brings in more speed to the group. The assortment of specialized firecrackers means this new defense will have plenty of options to play around with as the team’s new coach looks to optimize his linebacking unit.
This doesn’t leave much room for last year’s leading tackler, James. Last year’s fifth-round pick started out on the shelf as he was inactive for the first three games. Once he finally got his chance, he strung together three nice games where he totalled 35 tackles, but then slowed down as the season progressed. His struggles in coverage and the return of Overshown reduced his playing time later in the season. Now, with more linebacker resources to compete with, it’s unclear what type of role this second-year linebacker will have.
The new season brings with it a lot of mystery. The new guys will look to help achieve Parker’s mission, once again opening the door for a new leading-tackling linebacker. If this aggressive transition to the 3-4 clicks, the Cowboys might finally have the defensive identity they have desired for years. Even the best laid plans don’t always work out, so who knows which player will step into the largest role on the defense? Hopefully, under a new coaching staff, this revolving door may start to slow down, and the team finally finds some long-term answers.
