Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivers loves to talk about “position flex.” Rivera and his staff love players who can play multiple positions, which has somewhat led the Commanders to de-emphasize the linebacker position a bit.
The Buffalo nickel role in Washington’s defense is the sort of hybrid role dominating today’s NFL. So if the Commanders find a player who has played linebacker and safety, that’s a positive for Jack Del Rio’s defense.
A recent visitor to Washington for one of the Commanders’ top 30 visits is the type of defender Rivera and Del Rio love. DeMarvion Overshown of Texas is a 6-foot-3, 229-pound linebacker-turned-safety who made big strides in 2022.
Commanders hosted Texas LB DeMarvion Overshown on a Top 30 visit, per source.
Safety turned LB is excellent when working downhill and fluid when asked to flip hips and ID routes in space. + blitzer as well.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 17, 2023
After playing safety in his first two seasons at Texas, Overshown moved to linebacker in 2020. In his first season at linebacker, Overshown started 10 games, recorded 60 tackles, with eight for loss, seven passes defended, two interceptions and one sack.
In 2021, Overshown played in 11 games and finished with 74 tackles. He took a big leap in 2022, recording 96 tackles, including 10 for loss and four sacks.
Overshown ran for the 40 in 4.56 seconds at the NFL combine.
Overshown is an exciting prospect because he is viewed as ascending prospect. While he did play five seasons at Texas, he improved each season after moving to linebacker. Overshown can play linebacker or safety in Washington’s defense while also offering some upside as a pass rusher.
Overshown will likely go somewhere in the middle rounds of April’s 2023 NFL draft.