Jerry Jones admitted the Cowboys could not afford to keep defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa this offseason. The Dallas GM explained the financial constraints behind the March trade to the 49ers. The team is now believes on fourth-round pick LT Overton to fill the void on the defensive line.

During the Day 3 post-draft conference, Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com asked Jerry Jones why the Cowboys drafted LT Overton in the fourth round and how he could help fill the void left by Osa Odighizuwa.

"We would love to have Osa, but we couldn't afford Osa," the Cowboys GM said. “So we got a guy that does a lot of the things he does – a little bit different – but does a lot of things he does for one we could afford, and that gave us what we had wished we could have kept by keeping him and others."

The Cowboys signed Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year, $80M deal, with $52M guaranteed overall. On trading him to the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys were able to absorb $16M in dead money, freeing up $4.75M in cap space, according to ESPN.

Throughout the five seasons and 84 games played with the Cowboys, Odighizuwa recorded 215 tackles and 17 sacks. Though trading him left free cap space for the Cowboys, he was one of the strongest pieces in the defensive front of the team.

The Cowboys traded Osa Odighizuwa in March, in exchange for the No. 92 overall pick, to the San Francisco 49ers. The team used the pick for Jaishawn Barham during the 2026 NFL Draft. But for them, overall 137th pick, LT Overton was the replacement.

Jones believes new defensive tackle LT Overton is a viable replacement.

How Does LT Overton Fit The Cowboys' Defense?

The Cowboys chose the defensive end LT Overton from the Alabama Crimson Tide as their No.137 overall pick in the fourth round.

He posted 4.87 seconds in a 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He played for a total of 13 games, recording 42 tackles (26 solo), 4 sacks, and 1 pass defended in 2025.

NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein, in his pre-draft report, noted that he has impressive power and ‘consistently rugged behavior’. 

“He has long arms and plays with the anchor and leverage that helps him secure his gap. However, he rarely gains early positional advantages and isn't going to be a gap-shooter", Zierlein noted.

And that projection fits well with the 3-4 defense coordinator Christian Parker’s scheme. Overton joins a defense room with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and outside linebacker Rashan Gary, adding more depth to the defense room.

His potential as an inside tackle makes him a versatile rotational piece for the defensive front.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Rudra Dubey