Cowboys LB coach ‘feels really good’ after NFL draft, new additions

FRISCO, Texas — Smiles are being worn by everyone inside the Dallas Cowboys’ organization after what’s being roundly viewed as one of the most impressive NFL draft hauls in some time, headlined by the 11th-overall selection of superstar safety Caleb Downs ahead of grabbing UCF quarterback harasser Malachi Lawrence to round out the first round.

Not to be forgotten, however, is the work that was done on Day 2, when the Cowboys traded a fifth-round pick to add veteran linebacker Dee Winters to the roster, then using their lone third-round pick on Jaishawn Barham, a versatile Michigan linebacker who will play both inside and outside in Dallas.

The position coach directly responsible for acclimating them to the NFL level and for potentially turning them into impact players is former SMU defensive coordinator Scott Symons, and Symons can barely contain his enthusiasm about his new-look linebackers’ corps.

“The three guys I’ve been able to interact with the past couple of months — Justin [Barron], Shemar [James] and [DeMarvion Overshown] — I’m really excited about the guys that we currently have and the guys that we’ve added to this room, from a culture standpoint, from a leadership standpoint, I think we have a really good foundation to build on in there,” Symons said after the Day 2 moves in Dallas.

He then went on to gush over Winters, whom he knows well from their SMU vs. TCU days.

“[Winters] was very disruptive, an extremely athletic linebacker and the clear leader of the [TCU] defense,” Symons said. “This is a process that’s been going on for some time to try and make this happen. I’ve been a huge advocate for it. When you look at his [2025] production — his ability to run, his ability to cover, the multiplicity that he brings to the table and what it does to that room is really exciting for us. It feels really good.”

The trade was fortuitous for Winters, who is in the process of building a house in Arlington and, just like that, gets a call that he’ll be returning home for good to play football for the Cowboys.

The front office made it clear the decision for Winters began during talks that eventually sent Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers, and given the fact future Hall of Fame linebacker Fred Warner rubber stamped the move by taking to social media to post that “Dallas got them a real one, for real” attached to a crying face emoji, there’s something to be said for his potential.

He and Barham already fit the mold of what Symons demands from his linebackers, as do the incumbents in the room, something else the Cowboys’ LBs coach pointed out.

“In this position, it’s important to look at the overall alpha mentality,” he said of his group. “All guys don’t have to be the same. You can have two different linebackers on the field, but you’ve gotta have guys that have strong leadership qualities.”