Can Dallas count on these 2 linebackers in 2025?

For the last two seasons, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown has seen his season cut short to a knee injury.

In 2023, the third-round pick of that year’s draft never made it out of preseason. He blew out his knee making a tackle in a preseason game in Seattle and was out for the year.

In 2024, Overshown came back with a vengeance. He started in 12 of the 13 games he played in and was making his presence known.

The Texas alum had 90 tackles and five sacks in those 13 games. He added four passes defended, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble too.

Overshown also returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown against the Giants.

But the following week against the Bengals, early in the fourth quarter, Overshown tore the ACL, MCL, and PCL in his right knee. He would not play for the rest of the year.

Having two significant injuries to the same knee in consecutive seasons is of concern.

When he’s been on the field, he has been a solid player. Keeping him on the field and healthy is the concern for the Cowboys.

Dallas’ third-round pick of 2024 out of Notre Dame, Marist Liufau, started the last four games after Overshown went down.

He had nine overall starts and played in all 17 games in his rookie run.

Liufau finished with 50 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Nearly half of his tackles, 24 in all, came over the final four-game stretch.

When needed, Liufau managed to step up and fill the void in Overshown’s absence.

Roster Review 2025: DeMarvion Overshown/Marist Liufau. This is Part 27 of a series. Click here for a list of all related articles.

Outlook For 2025

Right now, there really isn’t any way to look ahead to the upcoming season and confidently make a prediction.

We won’t know how far along Overshown is on the road to recovery until later this summer. One bright spot has been a recent report that Overshown has been seen walking without crutches.

Given the amount of damage done to his knee just three months ago, that alone seems miraculous.

Can he come all the way back and start, even as early as the season opener, less than six months away?

He could. But there is no guarantee that he will.

The Cowboys are coming into the 2025 season with a need at linebacker.

They will be under pressure to rush Overshown back, even if Liufau can continue to progress in his second season.

Even if Overshown is sidelined for part, or even all, of the season, Liufau seems primed for a strong campaign.

Depending on how the Cowboys approach next month’s draft and free agency, he might need to have one. AT this moment in time, the Cowboys need a lot of help at linebacker.

Long-Term Outlook

Overshown, when he’s been on the field, he has been a force. The Cowboys’ recent third-round successes in the draft includes Overshown in their numbers.

If he can come back, and stay healthy, he should have a long, productive career.

Hopefully in Dallas and in its entirety.

To that end, the Cowboys shouldn’t rush him back too soon. Even if that means keeping Overshown sidelined for the entire 2025 season.

If Overshown pushes it and blows out a knee for the third straight year because he came back too early, it would all but end his career.

Liufau should be a nice long-term solution at linebacker. Especially if Overshown returns and the Cowboys retain Micah Parsons.

If the Cowboys can get a solid, young middle linebacker in place, like Leighton Vander Esch or Sean Lee, Dallas would have one of the better linebacker corps in the NFL.