Two Cowboys defenders with the most to prove in 2026

There’s no sugarcoating it. The Dallas Cowboys’ 2025 defense was one of the worst defensive units the NFL has ever seen. The atrocious Dallas defense gave up 511 points, the most in the league, and let opposing offenses record 340 or more yards of total offense in 11 of their 17 games.

It’s no secret the Cowboys will need to make significant upgrades on the defensive side of the ball this spring if they want to be a competitive team in the fall. While the Cowboys do have the resources to upgrade by acquiring players from outside the organization, they’ll also need many players currently on their roster to step up and play better than they did last year.

With that thought in mind, today we take a look at the two defenders on Dallas’ roster with the most to prove in 2026. 

1) CB Shavon Revel 

When the Cowboys selected cornerback Shavon Revel with the 76th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, consensus around the league was that Dallas may have gotten the steal of the entire draft. Revel, who was coming off an ACL tear in September of 2024, was seen as a consensus first-round talent if he could get back healthy. 

The Cowboys knew Revel wouldn’t be ready to go right out the gate. With his long-term future in mind, Dallas slow-played the 23-year-old cornerback’s return from injury, keeping him off the field all the way until mid-November. Revel made his NFL debut in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders after missing the first nine regular-season games.

While there was plenty of optimism about what Revel could bring to an awful Dallas defense, that quickly went out the door when the young cornerback struggled mightily. There wasn’t much good to come out of the seven games the 23-year-old played in last season. 

Revel gave up 21 catches for 295 yards in those seven matchups, consistently struggling to slow down receivers. On the year Revel posted a 34.6 coverage grade, via Pro Football Focus, the worst of any cornerback in the league (min 200 coverage snaps). The third-round pick also had a 119.7 Pass Rating Against, and teams made it a point to target the young corner in Dallas’ final four regular-season games.

All in all, it was a poor rookie year for Revel, but the Cowboys still have high hopes for the young cornerback. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker has spoken highly of Revel multiple times, including praising his work ethic when speaking at the NFL combine.

“He has a hell of a story,” Parker said. “Football means a lot to him, and he wants to work hard at it, so I think that’s where it starts. He has that built in his mind. Physically, his traits, the height, the speed, the power, he has all of that. So now it’s about just working form the neck up in terms of how the position needs to be played.”

It’s clear that the Cowboys and Parker are not giving up on the young cornerback. A move to Parker’s defensive scheme will likely benefit the 23-year-old, as his defensive strategy is more tailored to Revel’s strengths as a cornerback.

Even though Revel is still extremely young, he faces as much pressure as any player on Dallas’ defense to perform well next season. If he plays as poorly as he did last year, it’s hard to see any way the Cowboys can field a competent defense. 

2) LB DeMarvion Overshown

Just like Revel, third-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown entered the 2025 season with plenty of uncertainty surrounding his availability. The ultra-talented linebacker suffered another major injury in 2024, tearing the ACL, MCL, and PCL in his right knee in Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals. When Overshown suffered the injury, there were real questions if he would be able to play a single snap during the 2025 campaign.

To the surprise of many, Overshown got back to playing speed quicker than anyone could have imagined, returning to the field at the same time as Shavon Revel, Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders. In his limited playing time as a Cowboy, Overshown had shown an ability to be a true X-Factor on Dallas’ defense. The 25-year-old linebacker is as physically gifted as any defender on Dallas’ roster, and if healthy, is a true difference-maker for the Cowboys’ defensive unit.

Overshown played well in his return to the field, recording 22 tackles, 12 stops, and a 67.4 defensive grade in six games. A concussion forced Overshown to miss Dallas’ final two regular-season matchups, but all in all, his ability to perform well and avoid any significant injuries was seen as a positive step in the linebacker’s development.

Now, getting his first fully healthy offseason in quite some time, Dallas will need Overshown to step his game up even more in 2026. It’s almost a guarantee the Cowboys will acquire a starting-caliber linebacker to play alongside the 25-year-old next season, but Overshown will have as important a role as nearly any other defender in Christian Parker’s defense.

The former Longhorn faces a make-or-break year as he enters his fourth season in the league. If he can stay healthy and continue his upward trajectory, Overshown has a chance to be the face of Dallas’ new-look defense for years to come. If things go the other way and he cannot stay on the field, there is a good shot this could be his final season as a Cowboy.