Cowboys OTAs Trust: Clark vs. Cox vs. Overshown Next to Vander Esch?

The Dallas Cowboys have their anchor linebacker Leighton Vander Esch but will be looking for a partner or two starting with OTAs.

In a sense, another contract year for Leighton Vander Esch couldn't have come at a better time for him and the Dallas Cowboys. While he did miss snaps due to a concerning neck injury last season, it was that inactivity on the sideline when maybe the Cowboys realized his true impact. 

A statistic back in December, shortly following Vander Esch's injury, revealed a troubling downturn in the defensive success rate for the Cowboys without their inside 'backer on the field. 

With LVE, the Cowboys' defense had a 65-percent success rate against the run compared to a 47.3 percent without him last season. ... And for a Cowboys defense that has struggled to stop the run in years past, bringing back the ex-Boise State first-round draft pick was a no-brainer, especially when he took a (again) team-friendly two-year $8 million deal. 

The Cowboys have their anchor in LVE, but they don't know who will play alongside him. Last season saw Dallas employ Anthony Barr and then-rookie Damone Clark. However, Barr was not brought back, and the Cowboys instead used their third-round pick to draft Texas's DeMarvion Overshown in hopes of developing him into the replacement.

Although the chances of Overshown being the starter in Week 1 alongside Vander Esch vary depending on who you ask, some believe the ex-Longhorn will help Dallas immediately. In contrast, others think he'll need more refinement before seeing the field.

Our Mike Fisher suggests that 1) We need to count "pass-rushing linebacker'' Micah Parsons somewhere in this group and that 2) Clark is far ahead of the other two youngsters as Dallas works through OTAs this week at The Star.

Going off the assumption that Overshown isn't ready to play a featured role in the Cowboys' defense just yet, that leaves it to Clark and Jabril Cox. Cox, the former 2021 fourth-round draft, has rarely been seen since arriving at The Star. An ACL injury sidelined him after eight games his rookie year, but even after he returned midway through last season, he primarily served on special teams. 

This makes Clark feel like the obvious choice after he overcame spinal fusion surgery last season and was immediately thrown into a starting role following an injury to Barr. Additionally, Clark showed promise, registering 47 tackles, one for a loss, and two forced fumbles in 10 games. 

Dallas has one answer in Vander Esch. Now, along with Micah's involvement, comes the search among the youngsters for another answer.

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