Inside The Star
Jim Leonhard’s NFL-modeled 3-4 philosophy could give the Cowboys a needed defensive shift by maximizing DeMarvion Overshown’s range, disguising pressure, and redefining the front.
When I look at the direction of the Dallas Cowboys defense, the conversation keeps circling back to one truth: the next coordinator must bring clarity, flexibility, and real instruction.
If the Dallas Cowboys front office moves on from Matt Eberflus, Jim Leonhard is one defensive mind I would put in the mix without thinking twice about it.
Leonhard’s approach centers on earned trust.
His belief is simple, coaching has to begin with individuals, not the system. That matters to me because the Cowboys’ defense needs more than a playbook.
It needs a voice that can connect with them without losing authority. Some of the best coaches I have seen are the ones who are honest about growth being messy, uncomfortable, and imperfect.
Leonhard doesn’t run from that truth, and I appreciate it.
He has talked about the difference between coaching in the NFL and college.
In the NFL, you work with players who already understand the foundation. That means you get to build on experience, spend more time preparing for opponents, and invest more energy into communication and development.
All of this stands out to me, because Dallas has defenders who don’t need to be taught from scratch, they need to be elevated from where they are now.
Leonhard built his defenses around NFL 3–4 principles when he was at Wisconsin.
I have seen his fronts ask interior defenders to control gaps, constrict the run, and collapse lanes, while linebackers become playmakers instead of watchers.
For the Cowboys, that brings me to DeMarvion Overshown.
Overshown isn’t a traditional linebacker. He plays like a defensive back, hits like a downhill linebacker, and has instincts that allow him to handle multiple responsibilities in the same snap.
Leonhard’s scheme thrives when linebackers can carry routes, respond to motion, blitz from multiple angles, and communicate swaps instantly.
To me, that fits Overshown, and he becomes the centerpiece in a defense like this, because the second level works best when the offense can’t predict who is coming and who is dropping.
Osa gives Dallas something you don’t find on every roster: strength, lateral movement, motor, and violence at the point of attack.
In a 3-4 defense, Osa could align as a 4i or 5-tech defensive end, where the role is to:
This is the most interesting part for me. Leonhard’s fronts often show pressure that isn’t really pressure, then attack from angles offenses didn’t expect after the ball...
