Cowboys' Linebacker Crisis Threatens Playoff Hopes

On March 26, the Dallas Cowboys wrapped up last season with a 7-win 9-loss 1-tie record

missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Their offense ranked second in the league, but the defense tanked hard,

giving up a league worst 511 points or 30.1 per game on average.

Free agency didn't fix the biggest hole at linebacker.

The team chased deals with players like Key Walker and the Coby Dean,

but both signed elsewhere, leaving Dallas with just three off-ball linebackers on.

The roster, Demarbian overshown, Shamar James, and Justin Barron.

Overshown showed promise before a major knee injury in 2024,

with 56 solo tackles, 5 sacks, and a couple of forced turnovers, and 13 games.

Since returning late in 2025, he's only notched 15 solo tackles over six games,

still working back to form.

Meanwhile, with Mars Lepho shifting to an on-ball row,

the linebacker group lacks the depth for a playoff push.

Analysts point out this talent gap could doom their defense without quick fixes.

Dallas holds strong draft ammo, including first round picks and number 12 and number 20,

plus eight total selections in a deep class.

They'll need a trade or a home run early pick to shore things up before their contention

window slams shut.