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'Don't Sleep': How Soon Can Cowboys Rookie LB DeMarvion Overshown Fit in Defense?

Early playing time could be on the horizon for Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.

Harrison Reno

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The Dallas Cowboys went off the beaten path, so to speak, on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, selecting tight end Luke Schoonmaker in the second round and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown in the third round. Both players were not projected to go as high as they did. But the Cowboys nevertheless pulled the trigger. 

Schoonmaker comes to Dallas after Dalton Schultz departed via free agency for the Houston Texans. ... And will likely feature early as a blocker. At the same time, Overshown's role in the Cowboys' defense is unknown. The former safety turned linebacker did it all at Texas. Overshown played in the secondary, then at the second level as an inside 'backer, and even lined up off the edge as a pass-rusher. 

Yet, at 6-foot-3, 229 pounds, he likely won't play off the edge, and it doesn't seem the Cowboys will move him to safety. So linebacker it is for the ex-Longhorn, but when you talk to most people, they'd say he is a depth piece in year one. That narrative contradicts what ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently wrote about Overshown.

"Don't sleep on Overshown's ability to play early," Fowler wrote. "He's a well-known hitter, but Dallas thinks he can develop into an all-down linebacker because of his speed."

Hard-hitting and ranginess do highlight the tape of Overshown to Fowler's credit. But being a hard hitter and running sideline to sideline isn't all it takes to be an NFL linebacker. You must also be able to cover in space and take on offensive linemen to stop the run. 

Overshown shows an upside in the coverage department, as he does have the speed and the fluid hips that allowed him to play safety. But scouts say he sometimes struggles to free himself from the grasp of blockers. When he goes untouched or gets his hands on you first, though, Overshown is like a heat-seeking missile to the football, something the Cowboys like. 

This means the Cowboys will have some developing to do. Working on the finesse side of his game could help when it comes to engaging blockers. But if, as ESPN suggests, Dallas uses Overshown early, it will likely come on non-running downs where the Cowboys can use his speed in space. 

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Harrison Reno
HARRISON RENO

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