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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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George Pickens is effectively on a prove-it year with the Dallas Cowboys.
Tyler Guyton, the Cowboys' first-round offensive tackle from 2024, is still working to justify that pick while protecting Dak Prescott's blindside. And Prescott himself carries the weight that comes with being the face of "America's Team."
But the player entering 2026 under maybe the most pressure of all is linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.
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Overshown's career has been defined more by injuries than what he's shown on the field. After getting selected 90th overall in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, a torn ACL in preseason wiped out his entire rookie season.
He came back in 2024 and was arguably Dallas' second-best defensive player behind Micah Parsons, racking up 90 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks, four pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception returned for a touchdown in 13 games. Then a brutal torn ACL, MCL, and PCL in Week 14 cut his breakout season short.
That injury bled into 2025, limiting him to six games and just 28 tackles. In three NFL seasons, he's missed 32 of a possible 51 games, and torn the ACL in each of his knees.
Now entering the final season of his rookie contract, Overshown needs 2026 to be the year where it all finally comes together.
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Dallas' defense — arguably the worst unit in the NFL last season, allowing a league-high 30.1 points per game — needs Overshown healthy more than almost anyone on the roster.
Offense has never been what holds this team back. Dallas nearly posted a winning record last year with a first-year head coach in Brian Schottenheimer and a defense that bled points all season. That's a testament to how strong the offense is with Prescott, Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, and Javonte Williams — a group that's all coming back in 2026.
If the defense is finally going to take a real step forward, Overshown looks like the biggest potential difference-maker. He's expected to move into the middle linebacker role and wear the green dot as the Cowboys' defensive play-caller in 2026, a sign of trust from the coaching staff that they believe he's capable of taking a big step this season.
He's already declared himself healthy for the first time in years, telling reporters in June, "the fact that I'm healthy going into the season, going into training camp, you can expect a lot from me." Now, it's time for him to prove he can stay on the field and live up to those expectations, anchoring a defense that desperately needs a turnaround in 2026.
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