Top-100 pick faces last-ditch position switch to save Cowboys career
Liufau is entering a critical third year in the NFL. If he wants to stick with the Cowboys, he'll have to overcome an uncomfortable situation.
The Dallas Cowboys were head over heels when they drafted Marist Liufau at pick No. 87 in 2024 . The Notre Dame inside linebacker was a demon on the field, starting 28 games for the Irish.
What he lacked in his 6-foot-2, 234-pound frame, he made up for in explosiveness and tenacity. Liufau was a team leader both on and off the field in college and the Cowboys hoped he’d bring that knowledge and leadership to Dallas as he developed in the pros. Unfortunately, Liufau has struggled transitioning in the NFL and now faces a very uncertain and uncomfortable reality in 2026.
Year 3 is a critical year for players in the NFL. If they don’t figure things out by then, they may never figure things out. In Dallas, he’ll be tasked with figuring things out at another position entirely, with the Cowboys shifting their young linebacker from off-ball to on-ball as an outside linebacker in Christian Parker’s new 3-4 scheme.
Marist Liufau to an EDGE role just makes sense for the Cowboys. He has rare explosiveness and effort, so while undersized, he should be able to thrive in an OLB rotation pic. twitter.