Cowboys rookie continues to shine with his opportunity

The 2024 season has not gone the way the Dallas Cowboys had hoped, as they have more than half of their starting position players on IR and out for the season.

One of those players is DeMarvion Overshown, who was having a great year after missing his entire rookie season with a torn ACL in his left knee. Now his entire 2024 and 2025 seasons look to be over the injury to his right knee.

With that injury, a rookie linebacker for the Cowboys has been given the opportunity to shine, and that is Marist Liufau.

Among 23 qualified players, he ranked sixth in tackles, first in pressures and hurries and second in sacks, per Pro Football Focus.

Stephen Jones on his feelings for DeMarvion Overshown, who is facing surgery to repair his ACL, MCL, PCL. pic.twitter.com/a5XpwUQKYd

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) December 11, 2024

Starting To Shine

Liufau came in against the Bengals and made an immediate impact. He quickly put his ability on display to the tune of 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits (didn’t log any in the first 12 games) versus Cincinnati.

The rookie Marist Liufau comes up with a massive sack on 3rd down for the @DallasCowboys 😤

📺: #CINvsDAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus & ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/lO4m6aSCse

— NFL (@NFL) December 10, 2024

In the 30-14 win over the Panthers last weekend, he forced a fumble on the first defensive possession.

This is big for the Cowboys and the defense, with Overshown out for the entire 2025 season, this team was going to need to find a linebacker that could at least look like he knows what he is doing out there, and that is what he has done since stepping in.

He is a long ways away from being Overshown, and if they could use both of these guys next year, that would have been awesome. Still, for a guy they picked in the 3rd round from Notre Dame, he has shown promise thus far.

🥊 @marist_09 🥊

📺: #DALvsCAR on FOX
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LvklCbZgQM pic.twitter.com/6rYuZqkRQD

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 15, 2024

With Overshown out, Liufau and Eric Kendricks are the only two guys that can be trusted in the slightest at linebacker. Nick Vigil is hurt still, and Damone Clark is more a hybrid guy, who just can’t find any type of constancy.

2025 Outlook

Kendricks signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys for 3 million. I would expect him to be gone, but if he takes another cheap one-year deal, the Jones family will bring him back.

If they don’t, you are going to be without two of your three top linebackers as this team rolls in to 2025.

The Jones family said last week that due to the contracts of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and, soon to be Micah Parsons, they are going to be cheap again this offseason, and it sucks.

They are going to need rookies like this to hit if they want to win games, and that is the way Jerry wants it.

He wants to win his way and no other way, yet when you look around, every single year, teams who are on the fridge of being great, go make a move. They improve their team in the form of signing a player.

my words from april 2024 — is what say i.

from my full #Cowboys scouting report on Marist Liufau: https://t.co/77lZnLkg0K https://t.co/VQ9rF05ELO pic.twitter.com/a4d32bkMw9

— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) December 15, 2024

Dallas won’t do it, and they are going to need Liufau to continue his production while Overshown misses the entire 2025 season.

This defense will probably be run by Mike Zimmer next season, and let’s hope they can just stay healthy. Trevon Diggs is going to be out until probably July, this team is a walking doctor’s office at this point.

Let’s see how the next few weeks go, and what this team will do in the month of April in the draft. They will likely be picking around the 17th mark, which is not ideal for as much as they need.

A top 10 talent would have been nice, and with all the injuries this season would have been great to get that pick.

Mike McCarthy will likely get a pass for this season and return as the head coach, and we will see the same result with the starters next year. Nothing but disappointment.