Dallas Cowboys Select Marist Liufau in Third Round of 2024 NFL Draft

Dustin Mosher | Apr 27, 2024

Apr 23, 2022; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Marist Liufau (8) / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys addressed their linebacker needs on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Notre Dame's Marist Liufau with the 87th overall pick. Liufau is a rangy linebacker with impressive coverage skills, who adds depth and competition to a position group that had its fair share of struggles this past season.

Liufau is 6'2" and 235 lbs, with 34-inch arms, and has the prototypical frame for a modern NFL linebacker. He combines this size with above-average speed, recording a 4.62 40-yard dash at the combine. While coverage is Liufau's strong suit, he isn't a one-trick pony, either. He improved significantly as a pass rusher during his senior season at Notre Dame, racking up 25 total pressures and 3 sacks this year.

#NotreDame LB Marist Liufau thread:

Liufau is one of the players that I am most excited to watch at the Senior Bowl. He is 6'2'', 235lbs and runs a 4.60 40 yard dash. pic.twitter.com/C2ROox6Orh

— Dustin Mosher (@Dustin_Mosher) January 25, 2024

He is an explosive player with good instincts, but he can be overly aggressive at times. Due to his eagerness to fly in and make a play, he occasionally takes poor angles, resulting in missed tackles. If he can become a slightly more disciplined player, Dallas might have found one of the better linebackers in football at the end of the third round.

The Cowboys already have Eric Kendricks, Damone Clark, and Demarvion Overshown who will all be competing to be starters, but Liufau could challenge for snaps on passing downs with his coverage skills, or develop into a reliable backup at either inside linebacker spot.