Blogging The Boys
Marist Liufau is entering his third Dallas Cowboys training camp in a much different place than a year ago, and not for the better. With a new position and reversed career momentum, Liufau is under intense pressure to prove he still has a place in Dallas’ new-look defense.
Years in NFL: 2
Acquired by: 2024 3rd-round pick
When the Cowboys took Liufau with the 87th pick in 2024, it was labeled a “reach” by many. But his rookie season quieted a lot of the criticism as Liufau showcased his energy, athleticism, and a play-making spark in a semi-starting role. Going into Year 2, he felt like an ascending talent with long-term starting potential. He still had plenty of warts, which was no surprise given his inexperience and some of the knocks on him coming out of Notre Dame. But the raw material for a solid contributor seemed to be there.
Unfortunately, Liufau was one of many casualties of last year’s defensive regime. Even veterans struggled to look like they remembered how to play football for Matt Eberflus, and Liufau suffered along with them. His stock crashed and he fell to more of a special teams role, losing his spot to Eberflus’ handpicked guys like Jack Sanborn and Kenneth Murray. At the end of 2025, even when the team had nothing to play for, Liufau only got five total defensive snaps in the last two games.
With Eberflus’ dismissal and Christian Parker’s arrival, and with him a move to a 3-4 scheme, it was announced back in February that Liufau would move to outside linebacker. After playing MIKE and other off-ball spots for his entire career so far, including college, it puts a tremendous challenge in front of Liufau to remain relevant, and show value, while learning an entirely new position.
Years Left: 2
2026 Cap Hit: $1.55 million
The Cowboys would love to find continued use out of Liufau because he remains cheap labor for two more years on the remainder of his rookie deal. There’s only about $480k in dead money left on the deal, so not a huge loss if this OLB transition doesn’t work out. The real loss is a wasted third-round pick.
Role: Backup OLB
Roster Chance: 20%
Even if this experiment goes wonderfully, Liufau would still have a hard time making the roster. The Cowboys are suddenly flush with pass rushers: Rashan Gary, Malachi Lawrence, Donovan Ezeieruaku, and James Houston comprise a solid foursome to lead the pack. For the last one or two spots, presumably, you have experienced edge players like Sam Williams, Tyrus Wheat, Isaiah Land, and newly-signed Charles Snowdown vying for jobs. Throw in the positional versatility of rookies Jaishawn Barham and L.T. Overton, and that feels like way too many guys for Liufau to get through.
And again, that’s if the transition goes well. Liufau is going to have to make significant changes to his body and his playing style. While being an...
