Jim Leonhard Could Be the Cowboys’ Best 2026 Hire

Jim Leonhard’s NFL-modeled 3-4 philosophy could give the Cowboys a needed defensive shift by maximizing DeMarvion Overshown’s range, disguising pressure, and redefining the front.

Jim Leonhard Could Be the Cowboys’ Best Defensive Reset

When I look at the direction of the Dallas Cowboys defense, the conversation keeps circling back to one truth: the next coordinator must bring clarity, flexibility, and real instruction.

If the Dallas Cowboys front office moves on from Matt Eberflus, Jim Leonhard is one defensive mind I would put in the mix without thinking twice about it.

A Philosophy That Starts With the Players

Leonhard’s approach centers on earned trust.

His belief is simple, coaching has to begin with individuals, not the system. That matters to me because the Cowboys’ defense needs more than a playbook.

It needs a voice that can connect with them without losing authority. Some of the best coaches I have seen are the ones who are honest about growth being messy, uncomfortable, and imperfect.

Leonhard doesn’t run from that truth, and I appreciate it.

He has talked about the difference between coaching in the NFL and college.

In the NFL, you work with players who already understand the foundation. That means you get to build on experience, spend more time preparing for opponents, and invest more energy into communication and development.

All of this stands out to me, because Dallas has defenders who don’t need to be taught from scratch, they need to be elevated from where they are now.

The 3-4 Front and Why It Fits Dallas’ Best LB

Leonhard built his defenses around NFL 3–4 principles when he was at Wisconsin.

I have seen his fronts ask interior defenders to control gaps, constrict the run, and collapse lanes, while linebackers become playmakers instead of watchers.

For the Cowboys, that brings me to DeMarvion Overshown.

Overshown isn’t a traditional linebacker. He plays like a defensive back, hits like a downhill linebacker, and has instincts that allow him to handle multiple responsibilities in the same snap.

Leonhard’s scheme thrives when linebackers can carry routes, respond to motion, blitz from multiple angles, and communicate swaps instantly.

To me, that fits Overshown, and he becomes the centerpiece in a defense like this, because the second level works best when the offense can’t predict who is coming and who is dropping.

Osa Odighizuwa: A New Position, A Bigger Impact

Osa gives Dallas something you don’t find on every roster: strength, lateral movement, motor, and violence at the point of attack.

In a 3-4 defense, Osa could align as a 4i or 5-tech defensive end, where the role is to:

Own the edge against the run

Control gaps instead of abandoning them

Crash inside on stunts that look like overloads

Create interior push from an outside alignment

This is the most interesting part for me. Leonhard’s fronts often show pressure that isn’t really pressure, then attack from angles offenses didn’t expect after the ball moves.

Osa can stunt inside, threaten the pocket, and force protection to dhow itself, allowing linebackers like Overshown to attack clean without exposing coverage numbers.

I think that is the type of front Dallas has been missing, one built to confuse without losing structure behind it.

A Young Ware-Style Projection: Donovan Ezeiruaku

One of the cleanest projections I can make for Donovan Ezeiruaku in a 3-4 defense is that he could function as a stand-up linebacker or defensive end, much like DeMarcus Ware once did in Dallas.

Ezeiruaku’s athleticism allows him to:

Threaten tackles from wide alignments

Blitz through B-gaps on disguise looks

Drop into zone windows post-snap

Drop into zone windows post-snap

Loop inside while LBs blitz outside

Create pressure without sacrificing coverage

Ware made his career winning with burst, length, and alignment disguises.

Ezeiruaku could project into that same role: a defender who forces offenses to account for him without knowing exactly where he will attack from.

Leonhard’s has coached DBs and LBs who must handle multiple roles without being protected from motion.

That philosophy would fit a young defender like Ezeiruaku, who could thrive without being boxed into a single label.

Leonhard Would Be My Favorite DC Pick

I don’t look at Leonhard as a great pick for defensive coordinator because of his NFL coordinator experience.

I look at him because of what his defense could become in Dallas, a unit built on multiplicity, communication, and earned trust, centered around defenders who can attack without losing structure.

If the Cowboys want a reset that brings clarity, creativity, and real instruction, Leonhard deserves to be in the conversation.