Dallas Cowboys executive Stephen Jones always says player acquisition is a 24/7, 365 edict, but with the draft over, Dallas has the bones of its depth chart filled out. Now it’s about who can earn their spot in the rotation and who won’t make the roster. Dallas did a good job of raising the floor of the roster enough that every top draft pick and free-agent signing isn’t a walk-in starter.
Relying on rookies to be major contributors immediately isn’t a good strategy. They often need time to adjust to the game and build their physical and mental strength. Except for No. 11, Caleb Downs, the team will have everyone else battling for playing time. If they develop quickly, their snaps can increase. This leaves the team with legitimate battles for starting roles, which can motivate and bring out the best in everyone competing.
DE Jonathan Bullard vs DE LT Overton
The Cowboys didn’t really have a true 5T or 4i defensive end to begin the offseason. Some defensive tackles could play there, but Dallas needed 3-4 defensive end fits. The position isn’t flashy. The player isn’t getting pressures and putting up explosive plays behind the line, but instead sets the edge against the run, allowing linebackers to run free and make plays. They signed Jonathan Bullard to a one-year deal as insurance in case the draft didn’t fall their way.
Bullard is a 10-year vet who knows how to play the position and has the correct size at 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds. He hasn’t ever recorded more than 2 sacks in a season and averages only four tackles for loss in his career.
LT Overton needs to bulk up a little at only 274 pounds, but the No. 137 overall pick (fourth round) does an excellent job of getting leverage by keeping his 6-foot-3 frame low and anchoring so as not to be pushed around. Overton didn’t require a significant investment, which could allow the Cowboys to bring him along slowly, add bulk, and get him used to playing with power against the best competition every week. Overton will play, but the battle will be who starts and gets the most snaps per game as the season goes on.
CB Shavon Revel Jr. vs Cobie Durant
Shavon Revel Jr. was an injured prospect who fell in the draft, but could’ve been a top-20 pick had he been healthy. Cowboys fans have called this drafting process as the “blue star special.” It happened so often (mostly in the second round) that it became one of Dallas’ Draft Commandments.
Revel clearly wasn’t comfortable in his seven contests, as he attempted to manage a leg brace as a rookie. He didn’t have much positive tape in Year 1, but the team sees him as a defensive cornerstone going forward. If Revel Jr. is healthy and confident and develops into the corner most scouts believed he could, then he will be the starter opposite DaRon Bland.
Cobie Durant was a smart signing for the Cowboys as insurance in case Bland or Revel Jr. weren’t back to form. He started 34 games for the Los Angeles Rams over the last two seasons, including the playoffs, and has been a quality contributor. He stepped up his game in the postseason with three interceptions. Durant isn’t the type of corner Dallas typically targets at 5-for-11, and only 180 pounds, and he doesn’t have the high ceiling of Revel, but he is smart, tough, and raises the floor of the unit if he wins the starting job.
LB Jaishawn Barham vs Shemar James
The Cowboys will have DeMarvion Overshown healthy for training camp this year, and they traded with the San Francisco 49ers for Dee Winters to start next to him. That leaves Shemar James, a 2025 fifth-round pick, and third-round rookie Jaishawn Barham to battle for rotational snaps.
James led Dallas with 91 tackles in his rookie season, playing only 14 games with six starts. It’s an accumulation stat from a bad defense, but he still accomplished it. He has solid size and excellent athleticism, with some starting experience, but he might still not hold off the Cowboys’ versatile rookie.
Barham is unique because he moved from linebacker to edge rusher in his final season at Michigan, but was drafted to be an inside linebacker for the Cowboys. He was already mentioned as a comp for Zack Baun of Christian Parker’s prior team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Barham plays aggressively, using violence and being extremely physical as a run defender and blitzer. He will have a role in certain situations, but that’s different from being the third linebacker in rotation. How well his instincts and anticipation develop could determine his snap share by season’s end.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 3 major defensive snap battles on Cowboys’ summer horizon