Cowboys hot topic: DeMarvion Overshown is a star in the making

When the Dallas Cowboys drafted DeMarvion Overshown in the third round in 2023, the thought was that he would be an immediate addition to a linebacker room that desperately needed his services. The flashes were there in the preseason, but Overshown suffered a torn ACL and went to the shelf. Of course, the Cowboys were cautious with his recovery. Now that the bandaid has been taken off, we’ve gotten a weekly dose of what Overshown can do on the football field, and it’s extremely pleasing to the eye.

The former Texas Longhorn didn’t waste time making an impact. In the Cowboys season opener against the Cleveland Browns, Overshown only played 44% of the snaps, but he tallied 11 tackles and a sack. All Overshown has done since then is continue to elevate his game week by week to the point that he is currently second on the Cowboys with 84 tackles and in sacks with five. Even when he doesn’t get to the quarterback, Overshown is making life difficult for them with 17 pressures and 10 hurries in his 67 pass-rush snaps so far this season.

What makes Overshown so unique, much like All-Pro Micah Parsons, is his versatility. In addition to his 584 snaps in the box, he also has 84 on the defensive line and six in the slot. The latter isn’t surprising because he once played the safety position, so he has some coverage skills as well. Overshown got his first career interception on Thanksgiving against the New York Giants by tipping the ball to himself and tracking it down. More importantly, he took it all the way for a touchdown.

It was a special moment for Overshown, as he explained after the Cowboys win.

I was just playing football and it’s like, man, I knew a play was coming and I’ve been told all week that play is coming. I didn’t know when it was coming, but it was coming, and I was just playing football. I [saw] the ball, tipped it, and I was just praying the whole time that it stayed up. I was like, ‘Man, please let my speed, for once, be fast enough to get to this ball.

Everywhere else is cool, but let me get to this ball. So the emotions? I’m just overjoyed right now. It’s a good win and I’m proud of our team.

Coming back from a major injury is never easy, especially an ACL. There’s no guarantee that the player will ever be the same. Just ask former Cowboy and now retired wide receiver Michael Gallup, who suffered the same injury at the end of the 2021 season, and he was never close to the same player. For Overshown, not only has he clearly recovered, he’s playing elite level football, and mind you, his career in the NFL at the moment would be the equivalent of a redshirt freshman in college.

When watching Overshown play, it’s like watching a heat-seeking missile. He literally hits another gear as soon as the ball is snapped, and he’s decisive when reading his keys. Overshown doesn’t look like a guy that’s playing in his first full season on the field. He looks like a seasoned veteran. While he was rehabbing last year, Overshown was fantasizing about showing his ability on the pro level.

I’m very thankful. Just before the game I was telling myself around this time last year, I was just waiting to show people my testimony of when I get back on the field. I’m going to show what God has truly put in me — to inspire and play like I do.

Overshown is only 12 games into his career, and he’s already performing at a high level. Needless to say, we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.