Dallas Cowboys worst fears are realized regarding rookie standouts from Texas and TCU
The Dallas Cowboys braced for the worst and hoped for the best regarding knee injuries suffered Saturday by promising rookie linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and tight end John Stephens.
But their worst fears were realized when magnetic resonance imaging tests revealed that both players suffered torn anterior cruciate ligaments in Saturday’s 22-14 preseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks and will be sidelined for the season, per sources.
The injury to Overshown is huge setback for the third-round pick from Texas and the Cowboys.
Overshown has impressed the Cowboys since the spring and was vying for playing time as the fourth linebacker and a role in place of safety Jayron Kearse in the team’s big nickel defense.
He was also expected to make a huge impact on special teams.
“Absolutely. He was climbing. He was climbing the charts,” McCarthy said. “I mean, he showed up right away in the off season program, just his ability to fly around. Really has excellent command for a young player, young linebacker.
“He’s had an incredible camp. We talked about him seems like almost ever other day.”
Stephens came to the Cowboys as an undrafted rookie from the University of Louisiana, where he transferred after spending his first two seasons at TCU.
He was making the transition to tight end from receiver and had caught the attention of the coaches, so much so that he was in the running to make the roster as the team’s fourth tight end.
While the Cowboys have capable group of tight ends with Luke Schoonmaker, Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot and Sean McKeon, the loss of Overshown is a blow to an already thin linebacker corps.
Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch, Damone Cark and Devin Harper are set at linebacker. The Cowboys need Jabril Cox and Malik Jefferson to step up in place of Overshown.
This story was originally published August 20, 2023 at 4:29 PM.
