Cowboys Rookie Called 'Dark Horse Candidate' to Crack Starting Lineup

Getty

Florida linebacker Shemar James (6).

You can make an argument headed into the 2025 regular season that the Dallas Cowboys have just 3 starters set in stone on defense; edge rusher Micah Parsons, cornerback Daron Bland and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa.

That means now is the time for someone to make a big impression on the coaching staff and grab a starting spot out of nowhere — someone like rookie inside linebacker Shemar James.

The Cowboys have one of the weakest groups of inside linebackers in the NFL right now. Playing time there is up for grabs. James could be a dark horse candidate to start if he can get off to a hot start at training camp.

James, 6-foot-1 and 222 pounds, was a fifth round pick (No. 152 overall) out of Florida in the 2025 NFL draft.

He’s already a unique player even in terms of NFL history. Few players get drafted when they’re 20 years old, like James, and he would be one of the youngest players in the NFL if he can make the 53-man roster this fall.

James Only Played 3 Seasons of College Football

James only played 3 seasons of college football. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2022 and started the first 8 games in 2023 before he needed surgery to repair a dislocated kneecap. In his one full season as a full time starter in 2024, he had 64 tackles, 4 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 3 pass deflections, one forced fumble and one interception.

In an interesting study of the razor thin margins draft picks are judged on, James ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds at the NFL scouting combine. For his height and weight, that’s a tad behind what would be considered elite — were James to have run it in 4.59 seconds it would have likely propelled him into the third or fourth round.

NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein had James projected as a sixth or seventh round pick in his pre-draft evaluation.

“James flashes speed but has never really developed the recognition and response talent to chalk up playmaking production,” Zierlein wrote “He has some twitch in his movement and does a nice job of working past blocks, but he might not be able to anticipate with enough consistency to play ahead of NFL blocking schemes. James is athletic in space and can play special teams, but he might never be more than an average backup.”

Cowboys Endured Devastating Setback at LB in 2024

One of the few highlights for the Cowboy last season was the play of second year inside linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who seemed like a breakout star after he missed all of his rookie season in 2023 with a torn ACL.

In Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Overshown suffered a catastrophic knee injury as he tore the ACL, PCL and MCL in his right knee late in the game. Overshown was second on the team in tackles at the time of his injury.

There’s still an outside chance the Cowboys won’t see Overshown on the field in 2025, although he recently said his goal is to return in Week 13, for the Thanksgiving Day Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame