How these 3 red-shirt BFF’s could add some explosiveness to the Cowboys

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys are getting a few reinforcements back for 2024.

Five days.

In less than a week, the Dallas Cowboys had lost three rookies for the year with season-ending knee injuries. That was the scene a year ago when DeMarvion Overhown, John Stephens Jr., and David Durden all suffered a torn ACL in their left knee. Overshown was the first to fall, hurting his knee early in the first quarter of the Cowboys' second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. In the third quarter, Stephens Jr. went down when he got tangled up with a defender while running a route. Four days later inside the Cowboys practice facility, Durden suffered a knee injury while running a one-on-one drill against Trevon Diggs. Just like that, three rookies were lost.

The story gets better from there and Dallas Morning News writer Michael Gehlken does a great job talking about how these three went from strangers to brothers as they went through the rehab process together and built a strong friendship. Not having to go through such a traumatic ordeal alone and constantly having the camaraderie of new friends was invaluable for these young players. Their bond grew so strong that Overshown and Stephens Jr. will be Durden’s groomsmen next week when the Cowboys receiver ties the knot.

As these three make their way back, they all bring an interesting element to their respective position groups. Overshown was a third-round investment so it’s pretty clear what the coaching staff already thinks about him. Before his injury, he flashed those skills that explained why this team called his name during the draft.

The Texas linebacker is an athletic specimen. There are other aspects to his game that need to be improved, but from a purely athletic perspective, the Cowboys got themselves a good one. Overshown plays with high energy and explodes to the ball. Once locked in on where the play is going, he fires away. He has remarkable range and brings a lot of physicality when taking down the ball carrier. As the projected weakside linebacker in Mike Zimmer’s three-linebacker system, Overshown has all the athletic traits to be an impact player for this defense.

And speaking of athleticism, that’s exactly what they get with tight end John Stephens Jr. To be fair, this is cheating a little because he’s a converted wide receiver, so he has a distinct advantage there. Because of that, he’s very savvy at getting open. He shows good explosiveness and gets downfield in a hurry, but he’s also a sneaky sneakerton when finding creases in the defense. He shows good awareness of the play and will keep moving as the play is being extended, making him tougher to guard.

Of course, while being a former WR offers great receiving advantages, it also comes with some blemishes. He’s a little on the light side for a tight end and will need to improve his blocking ability to be a dual threat in this offense. From a receiver’s perspective, he’s not a great route-runner and doesn’t have stellar hands, but for a tight end, his receiving skills are good. This undrafted free agent was turning heads last year and played so well that he was on course to make the 53-man roster before getting hurt.

John Stephens Jr. is one of my favorite UDFA sleepers to sneak on the 53-man roster. The receiving upside is fun, but his blocking is coming along just fine. pic.twitter.com/GxIno2OD3P

— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) August 18, 2023

As for the groom, Durden was making some noise last year as well. His chance of making the roster was more difficult due to a crowded WR group, but it didn’t stop him from turning heads in camp. He was making impressive catch after impressive catch as this UDFA slowly started to generate more buzz.

Durden is very explosive with great acceleration and pacing. While his route-running fundamentals need work, his overall speed and athletic ability make him a playmaker. He’s a great ball tracker with great vision. With experience as a punt returner and gunner, he also adds special teams value.

How well these three do in their recovery process remains to be seen. And nobody is elevating their expectations in a year where they are coming off ACL injuries. It’s still worth keeping these three in the back of our minds because at full strength they offer some very intriguing athletic upside to be one of those unsung heroes that show up now and again for the Cowboys.