Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown are progressing well from ACL tears

Before the Dallas Cowboys could get their 2023 campaign underway, they were hit with a major blow on the injury front. Rookie linebacker DeMarvion Overshown suffered a torn ACL in a preseason game for Dallas. Then, almost as soon as the season started, the Cowboys got dealt with another huge blow. All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs tore his ACL as well in Week 3.

Head coach Mike McCarthy hit the podium for questions on Wednesday during OTAs. When asked about the progress of Diggs and Overshown, he let it be known that all is well with both players.

“They look great,” McCarthy said via the team’s website. “It’s really staying on time with the process. Trevon, he’s out there, he’s hitting [rehab] four days a week…I know Al [Harris] is spending time with him when he’s here. [Overshown] actually looks really good. It’s respecting the timeline. If I was a doctor, which I’m not, I would say he’s a little ahead of schedule.”

Overshown hit the ground running during training camp last summer, and it continued into the preseason. The sideline-to-sideline ability and quick play recognition due to fantastic instincts were all there for the former safety-turned-linebacker. As he continues to recover, Overshown will have the luxury of getting guidance from veterans Eric Kendricks and Damien Wilson in Year 2, which will serve him well going forward.

It was a huge setback for Overshown when he went down, and with him on the field, the Cowboys’ defense would have been a lot stronger in 2023. If anyone is thinking that Overshown is using his injury as a reason to lower the expectations for him going forward, think again.

“More hungry,” Overshown said in March. “All of the excitement that was built up in year one is still in there. It’s ready to be unleashed on people. The glimpse that y’all got last year, you should expect 10 times more than that. This ACL injury will not be an excuse for anything going into the season at all. I’m gonna be ready to play and [fans] should expect that.”

Diggs had some struggles as a rookie in 2020. However, the former wide-receiver-turned-cornerback snagged three interceptions in the final five games, and then he went into another orbit. Diggs racked up an amazing 11 interceptions in 2021, which are the most in the NFL since 1981. His 18 interceptions since entering the league are the second-most behind free agent All-Pro safety Justin Simmons, but he’s done so in 13 fewer games.

Diggs has proven to be the best ball-hawking cornerback in the NFL over the last several seasons. However, this is a major injury to recover from, and it usually takes around a year for an ACL tear to heal properly. Luckily for the Cowboys, they have DaRon Bland on the roster who took over outside cornerback duties for Diggs and led the league in interceptions with nine last season.

Once Diggs gets back to form, the Cowboys will have the two most opportunistic cornerbacks in the game. According to Bland, it won’t take long for Diggs to get back to his old self.

“I mean, a lot of people are not expecting what Tre is gonna come back with. I know what Tre is gonna come back with. It’s going to be something dangerous. Can’t wait,” said Bland earlier this month.

Overshown and Diggs could be candidates to start the season on the PUP list, which would cause them to miss the first four games. However, Diggs is expected to be ready for training camp, and seeing as Overshown’s injury happened a month earlier, that bodes well for him also.