Matt Eberflus has made his priorities clear when asked about what the Chicago Bears will be searching for in players. He wants guys that are athletic, fast, and long. Those traits are essential in his mind to forging a competitive football team. It doesn’t end there, though. One other key is the young man must love football. Eberflus puts a high demand on his players. They must be willing to work really hard if they want to achieve great things. He knows only those who genuinely love the game will be able to handle those demands.
That is why events like the Senior Bowl are so important. It gives teams a chance to meet with top prospects and gauge their personalities. Are they smart? Are they good teammates? Where is football on their priority list? Obviously, these answers alone won’t guarantee future success. Plenty of players who didn’t live and breathe football still had success. However, the majority of those who play for a long time do. It appears at least one name made a strong impression on the Bears and other teams, according to Ben Solak of The Ringer.
I asked three scouts who they had the best interview with all week—two said Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who tests off the charts in the “loves ball” category. The off-ball linebacker class is perhaps the weakest group in the entire 2023 class—the current top off-ball linebacker prospect, Arkansas’s Drew Sanders, is a pass rusher convert who will play a significant number of snaps in the NFL on the edge. Overshown’s intensity and experience have garnered him many fans within scouting circles.
Overshown appears to check every Matt Eberflus box.
He is 6’4 and 217 lbs, which fits the size and length category. Various reports suggest he runs somewhere in the 4.5 range. That is above average for a linebacker. So speed isn’t an issue. From what Solak reported, he also has a deep affection for the game of football. It reflects in his performance on the field. Across 38 games for Texas, he accumulated 248 tackles, 30.5 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, three interceptions, 17 passes defended, and three forced fumbles. What makes this so impressive is he didn’t convert to linebacker until his junior year in 2020.
That would explain why his instincts aren’t quite there yet. He’s been making most of his plays thanks to intelligence, hard work, and a tremendous athletic profile. As a former linebacker himself, Overshown represents the perfect opportunity for Matt Eberflus. He could mold the young man into something special given enough time. Current projections have him going somewhere in the 3rd round. Chicago needs more help at linebacker. It won’t be surprising if they go after Overshown at some point on Day 2.
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