Latest news with #Overshown
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
After 2 ACL tears, can Cowboys UDFA find way to make roster in 2025?
The Cowboys have not one, but two young players with ridiculously unfortunate injury luck. DeMarvion Overshown was a widely heralded draft pick in 2023, taken in the third round out of Texas. He initially laid claim to draft-day steal in training camp, but an ACL injury washed his rookie season away, and a second more serious tear ended his torrid debut in 2024. But he isn't the only one from that class who has suffered mightily as well. TE John Stephens Jr, son of former NFL running back John Stephens and half-brother to 2017 US Open champion Sloan, was a UDFA signing from that 2023 draft class. Faced with much longer odds of making that club, Stephens was converted from wide receiver into an impressive pass-catching tight end. However in the same preseason game Overshown blew out his ACL, Stephens did the same. Stephens fought back to make the team in 2024, but without having a chance to see the field, was once again lost for the year when he tore his ACL a second time in October. Stephens doesn't have the same plot armor as Overshown in 2025, but he is back at camp, fully participating less than a year after the second tear. Rundown Position: Tight end Age: 26 (Week 1 age) Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 221 pounds Hometown: Logansports, LA High School: Logansport College: TC, Louisiana (Highlights) Draft: 2023 Undrafted Free Agent Acquired: 2023 UDFA Contract: Three-year contract (2023), $2.7 million 2025 Base Salary: $960,000, no guarantees Career Earnings: $1 million (per Over The Cap) Profile Stephens has been a good story, but as he comes from the previous regime and has yet to step foot on the field in a regular season game, he has a lot of work to do this offseason. As a former wideout, he's much lighter than the rest of the tight end group. the team signed two UDFA tight ends this last draft season, Rivaldo Fairweather and Tyler Neville. He will also be competing with Princeton Fant, a fellow 2023 UDFA. All of these players are behind Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Luke Schoonmaker, who are the top three tight ends as training camp commenced. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Is Cowboys' youthful 5th-round pick capable of immediate impact, or hopeful investment?
What inspired the Cowboys to trade up for Shemar James in the 2025 NFL draft? The team had used both draft and financial capital to bring in Kenneth Murray (via trade) and Jack Sanborn, and had spent two third-round picks in two years on DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau. While Overshown is expected to miss at least two months of the season after an ACL injury, the team wasn't in a dire situation at the position; they've entered seasons with more disarray before. But the new regime in town after changing out the majority of the coaching staff, wanted to bring in a prospect that met their protoype, and moved up in the fifth round to select James out of Florida. Dallas had already selected RB Jaydon Blue early in the round, but then bundled the No. 174 and No. 211 pick together, swapping spots with the Arizona Cardinals. Rundown Position: Linebacker Age: 21 Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 222 pounds Hometown: Mobile, AL High School: Faith Academy College: Florida (Highlights) Draft: 2025 Fifth Round (No. 152 overall) Acquired: 2025 draft Contract: Four-year contract (2025), $4.6 million 2025 Base Salary: $840,000 Profile James' draft pedigree will put him on the 53-man roster, but his place in the pecking order will be determined by what happens in the remaining weeks of training camp. He'll be fighting for snaps with Damone Clark, who is now on his third defensive coordinator in three years in Matt Eberflus. Also looking to secure a role is UDFA rookie Justin Barron, a safety convert similar to Overshown. Buddy Johnson and Darius Harris are also on the 90-man roster hoping to earn a place in the regular season picture. James' physical profile is similar, a speedy, smooth athlete who looks to avoid second-level blockers instead of taking them on. He's ridiculously young, indicating an untapped ceiling the Cowboys hope to develop. The NFL is now a three-year window league, so the hope is that after the short-term rentals of Murray and Sanborn, James emerges to form a triumvirate with Liufau and Overshown. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
'About 70%': Injured Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown turns heads with camp highlight
Matt Eberflus' defense continues to take the ball away — Malik Hooker grabbing the defense's third interception of the day (mix of QBs).Dak Prescott repaid this one with a touchdown throw to George battle is on. #Cowboys #TrainingCamp Training camp highlights, while fun to watch in the downtime of summer's dog days, typically don't offer too much in the way of deep insight. On any given play, a team may be trying out a new personnel package, working on one specific assignment, or implementing some tiny wrinkle that may never see the light of day come September. Then of course, there's the obvious: no tackling. No hitting. Heck, guys aren't even wearing pants. This isn't real football yet, because no one is putting in 100% maximum effort. But one moment from the Cowboys' work session on Thursday nevertheless turned heads for what one player showed while not even taking part in the action. The play was a goal-to-go situation from about the 6-yard-line. After eluding a nice pass rush from rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku (who has had a brilliant camp thus far, by all accounts, and left Tyler Guyton stabbing at air), quarterback Dak Prescott rolls to his right and fires toward the back of the end zone, where wide receiver George Pickens was waiting. Pickens went up for the catch, but so did safety Malik Hooker, a few steps in front of him. Hooker reeled in the interception one-handed and took off in the other direction. It was an impressive pick from a defense that is making a habit of it this year in Oxnard, and a play worthy of attention all by itself. But then DeMarvion Overshown takes over the clip. From his starting position- out of bounds and behind Pickens- the non-helmeted linebacker- who is supposed to be just observing as he rehabs a brutal knee injury- streaks into view, blows past literally everyone else on the field, and escorts Hooker to the opposite end zone in a celebration that completely upstaged his teammate's dynamite grab. What should be even more exciting for Cowboys fans: after his eye-popping sprint went viral on social media, Overshown came out and admitted that he's still holding back as he continues his comeback bid. "That was about 70%," Overshown said on X. The ex-Longhorns star is already a fan favorite, despite having appeared in just 13 games going into his third season. After missing his entire rookie year with an ACL tear, Overshown suffered a triple tear of the ACL, MCL, and PCL in Week 14. Despite that significant setback, the 24-year-old has set his sights on returning to play this year, setting for himself a target date of Thanksgiving. He's in fact so motivated by his progress that he's even talked openly of claiming the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year honors. And while he's still just working with the rehab group at camp, he is, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, staying mentally engaged by affixing himself to the hip of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, learning the system and talking through calls in preparation to wear the green dot once he does return. "I think that's the next step," Schottenheimer explained to reporters this week. But prepping to eventually handle signal-calling duties for the defense didn't stop Overshown on Thursday from sprinting to celebrate with them- albeit prematurely- after his teammate's acrobatic pick. It's only July, but that two-for-one highlight should be reason enough for Cowboys fans to feel good about where the defense- and Overshown- are. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
NBC Sports
20-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
DeMarvion Overshown provides positive medical update
Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown tore the ACL, MCL and PCL in his right knee in Week 14, which put his entire 2025 season in jeopardy. Overshown always has had a positive outlook, and it appears the medical staff has given him a positive update. 'Good news from the Doc! We getting active THIS szn,' Overshown wrote on Instagram. It remains to be seen when that will be. Overshown will start training camp on active/physically unable to perform and likely will move to reserve/PUP before the season as he continues his rehab into the season. He tore the ACL in his left knee in the preseason before his rookie season in 2023, missing the season. In 13 games last season, Overshown totaled 90 tackles, an interception, five sacks, four passes defensed and a forced fumble.
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL execs love elite 3rd-year Cowboy with just 13 games played, makes ESPN Top 10
The Dallas Cowboys' class of 2023 is not a lost cause; not totally. The best draft pick just hasn't been able to find a way to stay on the field. When the club selected Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, it had high hopes and a ton of question marks. Overshown had converted from safety to linebacker at Austin, translating his solid positional speed into elite. The requisite questions about being able to disengage blockers, read plays and handle the wear and tear followed, as they should for a secondary player moving to the front seven. And it's the last concern that has reared its head the most, keeping him from reaching his heights, heights that apparently the entire league is well aware of. Despite losing his rookie season to an ACL, and the last third of his second to another, Overshown appears in the top 10 of the ESPN-led poll of NFL executives for linebackers in 2025. Overshown, despite likely being out until Halloween and implied concerns about just how much he'll be back to normal this coming season, was ranked No. 8 overall. Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: UnrankedAge: 24 | Last year's ranking: not eligible (rookie) Overshown needed only 12 NFL games to convince a healthy number of voters that he's a high-impact linebacker. "He's absolutely amazing," a personnel exec with an NFL team said. "Ridiculous." "One of the most athletic linebackers I've ever seen," a veteran NFL defensive coach said. "He's the fastest guy out there. Can completely take over a game and was really starting to get it." Added an NFC offensive coach: "He's the second guy you worry about in Dallas, after Micah [Parsons]. Big run-and-hit ability, third-down speed to cover." All that praise comes with a caveat: significant injury concerns. Overshown sat out his rookie season in 2023 because of an ACL tear in his left knee, then sustained a severe injury to his right knee in December 2024, tearing three ligaments (ACL, MCL, PCL). He plans to return at some point in the 2025 season, and that's also Dallas' hope. Multiple voters have serious concerns about whether Overshown can maintain a consistent NFL career because of the damage already done. But his body of work in less than a full NFL season was strong: 90 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 pass deflections, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery. He led the top 10 in average distance run on tackles (18.9 yards). "He can be a stud but has to really improve in zone coverage and when he has to disengage from a block," a veteran NFL defensive coach said. "He can play man-to-man on any RB or TE in the league but zone awareness lacks. He does a great job using his athleticism to slip under blocks but if they get hands on him, it's a problem." The Cowboys have waited a long time for an impact linebacker like Overshown, but fans know they've tried. They spent their 2017 second-round pick on Jaylon Smith, and their 2018 first rounder on Leighton Vander Esch. Both came with injury concerns that bore out in their shortened pro careers. Overshown didn't have those concerns, was drafted in the perfect place to land a linebacker and still the injuries have become an issue. Returning a year after an ACL to play at the level he did offers some hope he can do it again, once he's able to return to the field. The league is certainly aware how much his presence can help the Dallas defense, and that's before the thoughts of new defensive coordinator, noted linebacker-whisperer Matt Eberflus, gets his hands on him.
