Ranking Breakout Players: Evaluating Impact for the Cowboys

What most writers won’t tell you is that this part of the NFL offseason is the toughest part of the year for us. News is slow aside from clickbait and wild scenarios to pass the time.

When I get a sense of writer’s block, I like to take to social media and see what people are talking about. Twitter/X user Matt Holleran posed an interesting question that I’d like to expand on today.

Matt asks, “Which of the following four players having a breakout season do you think would be most impactful for the Cowboys and why?”

He then goes on to list the following four players:

DE Sam Williams

RB Malik Davis

WR Jalen Brooks

LB DeMarvion Overshown

I really like the question posed here by Matt. These are a mix of four players on opposite sides of the line of scrimmage, so to speak.

Williams and Davis are players who already have a couple of years under their belts but have not been able to fully capitalize on their potential. This may be the final opportunity for both of them to make an impact.

Brooks and Overshown are two young players who have yet to have the opportunity to make an impact and are chomping at the bit to get on the field and justify the Cowboys drafting them in the first place.

Thanks for the great question, Matt, and here are my rankings of how a breakout season from each would impact the Cowboys.

My rankings will be from worst to first.

4. RB Malik Davis

Malik Davis was signed as an undrafted free agent from the University of Florida following the 2022 NFL Draft. It’s no secret that the running back position seemed to diminish in talent and ability in 2023.

Davis did not get an opportunity over Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, or Deuce Vaughn so it would be hard to imagine a breakout season from him.

Usually, running backs are instant-impact players, not developmental players.

He could be the latter, but I wouldn’t place a bet on that scenario. Davis would have to earn snaps over Ezekiel Elliott, Dowdle, Vaughn, and likely even Hunter Luepke.

If he can beat out all of these players in camp then maybe a breakout season from him would be something special, but I just don’t see the impact.

The Cowboys have become a pass-heavy offense.

Dak Prescott, despite the opinions of some, is a top-5 quarterback in this league and the Cowboys have weapons around him designed for an aerial attack.

Cowboys running backs aren’t used often enough or in creative enough ways to make that much of an impact. Davis would have the lowest impact of the four.

3. WR Jalen Brooks

Much like Davis’ situation, Brooks finds himself needing to play well enough to fly up the depth chart to get on the field.

It seems far-fetched that he will be about to have such an immediate impact, however.

Brooks got some time on the field last season and made the most of his opportunities.

A 7th-round pick from South Carolina, he caught all six of his targets for 64 yards, four of them resulting in a 1st down.

He would have to leapfrog KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Tolbert just to become the fourth option behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Jake Ferguson.

The fourth wide receiver making an impact on the offense doesn’t move the needle that much for me.

2. DeMarvion Overshown

Overshown is one of the players chomping at the bit to get on the field after watching his rookie season from the sideline.

He suffered a torn ACL in a preseason game at Seattle that sidelined him for the entire season.

Reports and posts from his own social media show he has gotten bigger and stronger during his rehabilitation.

I’ll always wonder what a rookie Overshown could have done in Dan Quinn’s defense but I have faith that new DC Mike Zimmer can get similarly positive results.

Overshown has a range of talents at his disposal, from run-stopping to coverage on tight ends and running backs to blitzing the quarterback and getting home for sacks. Dallas lacked play-making ability in the second level of the defense in 2023.

A breakout season by Overshown would be a boon to the defense, but how impactful could it be if he will likely be splitting snaps at WLB (weakside linebacker) with Micah Parsons?

1. Sam Williams

Williams might be the most polarizing player in the Cowboys organization right now. The Cowboys took a chance on him in the 2nd round despite character concerns.

Like most of their recent risky draft picks, Williams hasn’t panned out like they planned. He makes splash plays but then counters each one of those with a bone-headed penalty.

His talent is undeniable, and there are some snaps where he makes the offensive tackle look like he needs to go back to college and learn how to block again.

He just hasn’t been consistent enough as of yet.

Dallas lost both Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. to the Washington Commanders in free agency. The top spot at right defensive end belongs to Williams by default if he just reaches out and grabs it.

Marshawn Kneeland is the Cowboys’ most recent 2nd round pick drafted to challenge for the right to start at that position but if Williams can consistently show the play that got him the opportunity in the first place, he would be the most impactful breakout player.

The Cowboys struggled to set the edge versus the run in 2023. If Williams can have a breakout season to mimic what DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence does to hold the other edge, Dallas will improve tremendously.