Alabama Star Defender Lands With Marquee NFL Franchise

There were some who felt that Alabama Crimson Tide pass rusher LT Overton could have been a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft, but the star defender did not hear his name called on Friday night.

Instead, Overton fell to the Dallas Cowboys with the 137th overall pick of the NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon, representing a major steal for the Cowboys.

Overton registered 42 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks this past season, comprising his best campaign on the collegiate level.

The Milton, Ga. native is a bit of tweener, which is probably why he fell so far in the draft. He stands 6-foot-3, 274 pounds, so he is a bit too large to be an edge, and he has somewhat decent size for the defensive end position.

Still, it's hard to ignore the talent.

Overton began his collegiate career at Texas A&M and spent two seasons with the Aggies, but transferred to Alabama in 2024. He logged 42 tackles, three tackles for loss and a couple of sacks during his debut campaign in Tuscaloosa.

The problem with Overton is that he lacks elite athleticism, which could limit his ability as a pass rusher on the NFL level. However, he is a powerful player who could utilize bull rushes in the pros.

"Overton is a slow-twitch end with impressive power and a consistently rugged demeanor," Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote. "He has long arms and plays with the anchor/leverage that helps him secure his gap. However, he rarely gains early positional advantages and isn’t going to be a gap-shooter.

Because Overton doesn't have great speed, he may have to rely exclusively on his strength, which is why he made need to move inside.

"He lacks range in pursuit and won’t threaten tackles to the corner with his get-off as an edge rusher," Zierlein continued. "Overton’s play strength and leverage create power on the edge, but power won’t trump production. Adding mass and moving inside to 3-technique could be in his best interest."

We'll see if the Alabama product can carve out a niche with the Cowboys, who have gone very defense-heavy in this draft.

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