The Cowboys will wrap up Week 2 of the NFL preseason with a recreation towards the Rams on Sunday. Listed below are three gamers Dallas followers will need to control.
DT Mazi Smith
Smith joined the Cowboys because the twenty sixth total choose within the 2023 NFL Draft, however completed the yr because the league’s 113th-best inside defender, based on Professional Soccer Focus. He made simply three begins and performed 28 p.c of the workforce’s defensive snaps final season.
However head coach Mike McCarthy had nothing however reward for Smith following Monday’s observe, stating that Smith is “trending the place he must go” and “getting higher” with every passing observe, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
Weighing in at 323 kilos on the 2024 NFL Scouting Mix, Smith dropped over 30 kilos final yr, one thing new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has regarded to rectify. The second-year deal with weighed in at 328 kilos in Could, however nonetheless wants to enhance his conditioning after offseason shoulder surgical procedure.
Thankfully, Zimmer’s “learn and react” system appears to suit the large deal with nicely. What number of snaps he’ll get towards the Rams stays to be seen, however anticipate the workforce to be cautious along with his taking part in time.
LB DeMarvion Overshown
Overshown performed security at Texas, however the Cowboys drafted him as a linebacker in 2023. Sadly, he tore his ACL earlier than the beginning of the common season and spent 2024 on injured reserve.
Since then, he’s added 15 kilos of lean mass and has been displaying off his velocity in camp. Overshown had a fantastic preseason in 2023, however teammate Micah Parsons thinks his 2024 marketing campaign has been even higher.
“I feel he is extra assured and stronger than what he was earlier than he tore ACL,” Parsons stated in a latest information convention. “He is coming downhill, he is being aggressive, he understands his reads, you may simply see the arrogance in him rising. He is getting extra reps with those, they’re able to get him on the market.
Like Smith, Overshown in all probability received’t see many reps on Sunday, however he’s actually value watching when on the sector.
LB Marist Liufau
Proper now, Overshown is listed behind Liufau on the workforce’s unofficial depth chart. In line with workforce reporter Nick Harris, this yr’s third-round choose from Notre Dame typically finds himself in the course of high-pressure conditions at camp and has thrived with these alternatives.
At 6-foot-2 and 239 kilos, Liufau is a robust downhill linebacker with a penchant for delivering massive hits. He was the one rookie to get first-team reps throughout minicamp and he’s at present the one rookie listed as a starter. Barring a setback, Liufau is poised for a fantastic 2024 season.
