A trifecta of knee injuries held DeMarvion Overshown out of the Dallas Cowboys' first 10 games to begin the 2025 NFL season. The former 2023 third-rounder eventually made his season debut against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11, and while it's great to have the star linebacker back in action, it's safe to say that he still hasn't returned to his old form yet.
Although he has a solid 19 total tackles since making his 2025 debut, Overshown's impact as a pass rusher has been almost non-existent. Only five of the 25-year-old's 161 defensive snaps so far have come as a pass rusher, according to Pro Football Focus, culminating in zero pressures so far. With his top priority being to be a quarterback's worst enemy, the fact that Overshown is pressure-less is a concern among Cowboys fans.
Overshown hasn't been the difference-maker fans hoped to see in the second half of the year, but it's worth noting that his lackluster production isn't his fault. As with most of the Cowboys' shortcomings on defense this season, a lot of the blame here can be placed at defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' feet.
Matt Eberflus, Cowboys Are to Blame for DeMarvion Overshown's Quiet Play
Eberflus-led defenses aren't known for their blitzing, which is where Overshown got a lot of his work last year. Pro Football Reference has the ex-Texas Longhorn at 51 blitzes in 13 appearances last season (3.9 per game) compared to only two in four outings (0.5 per game) since returning in Week 11.
Even though Eberflus doesn't prioritize blitzing, that doesn't excuse him for how Overshown is being used. A coach, no matter their role, should be doing whatever it takes to maximize their players' strengths, putting them in a position to succeed. Overshown amassed 20 pressures (13 hurries, five sacks, two QB hits) on 74 pass rushing downs last season, and it's clear that he had that success because he was blitzing more often than not whenever he touched the field.
Former Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer wasn't perfect, but it's clear that he had a better understanding of where and when to use Overshown. That hasn't been the case under Eberflus' watch, further highlighted by how the third-year pro is playing a smaller percentage of pass-rushing snaps compared to last year:
Season | Total Defensive Snaps | Pass Rushing Snaps | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 161 | 5 | 3.1% |
2024 | 708 | 74 | 10.5% |
If Eberflus wants to get Overshown back on track (and even save his job as Dallas' DC), it's time to make a change moving forward. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound disruptor is too good to be as quiet as he's been. Even if he still needs a game or two to get his feet back under him after missing most of the season, throwing him into a role that he's comfortable in might be the only way to get him to return to form.
Continuing with the status quo wouldn't only be a disservice to Overshown's talents but also to the Cowboys' defense as a whole. The entire unit's ceiling is much higher when Overshown is in a position to attack the quarterback and make plays, and his absence was something that was noticeably felt amid Dallas' bumpy start to the year. Why risk those issues continuing when the solution is staring Eberflus & Co. in the face?
It'll be interesting to see if Thursday's loss to the Detroit Lions was the wake-up call that the Cowboys needed to make an Overshown change. Dallas mustered 17 pressures on the night but only sacked Detroit QB Jared Goff once, and similar performances down the stretch could be the difference between America's Team making and missing the playoffs.
With that in mind, Eberflus and the Cowboys must stop misusing Overshown immediately and start putting him in a role where he's proven before that he can thrive.