Dallas Cowboys OTAs Preview: There’s a forgotten player who could very well ruin all predictions ahead of the 2026 NFL season
The Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker situation is still a big mystery. And while we have discussed many candidates, there’s one second-year player we seem to be overlooking. We shouldn’t.
Linebacker remains the biggest mystery on the Dallas Cowboys roster going into OTAs next week. And for good reason.
Though the Cowboys added veteran Dee Winters via trade and Jaishawn Barham in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they lack a clear-cut candidate to man the middle linebacker spot. Adding to the intrigue is a Cowboys player most fans and media members seem to have forgotten about.
The forgotten man in Cowboys LB discussion
First, let’s run through the usual suspects who have been discussed as middle linebacker candidates. Jaishawn Barham is a rookie that hasn’t played off-ball linebacker full time since 2024. Winters was a weak-side linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers and in college. The same goes for DeMarvion Overshown, who is better of playing freely than manning the defense.
While I expect defensive coordinator Christian Parker to look at Winters and Barham potentially taking on the MIKE responsibilities, I believe we’re overlooking second-year linebacker Shemar James’ chances.
Is he the favorite for the job? No.
But James did get some experience under his belt in 2025, logging 544 snaps. He even led the Cowboys in tackles for the season with 91.
While his play from middle linebacker was subpar, we must be fair. His development was always supposed to take time. The Cowboys picked James in the fifth round because of his athletic upside, not because he was NFL-ready.
Those expectations were pretty much fulfilled. We did see some flashes of that upside. He moves fast and hits hard. But James’ struggles came because the game was moving a little too fast for him. He often misread plays or didn’t get to his mark in time. That usually gets better in Year 2 for players.
In other words, James could very well take a second-year jump that gets him in the conversation.
OTAs won’t win James the gig but…
Now, let’s be clear here. James isn’t going to win the job or anything in OTAs. But what I’m truly intrigued in learning is if a new defensive coaching staff is willing to give him a chance. James was picked under the Matt Eberflus regime, but what does Parker think of him?
We’ll find out more on that based on how many snaps he gets with the first-team defense, if any. For now, writing him off is a mistake.