Cowboys lottery ticket pick brings size and motor but must fix key technique flaws at camp

Jerry Jones doesn't compare players to Osa Odighizuwa lightly. The Cowboys owner has already linked his former defensive tackle to fourth-round rookie LT Overton, telling reporters the two share a lot of the same traits on the field. 

The 83-year-old owner also admitted Dallas simply couldn't afford to keep Odighizuwa, who was traded to the 49ers for a third-round pick, and he's hoping Overton can step in and fill that massive void.

That is a ton of pressure to put on a rookie, but it fits the exact profile Dallas wanted with the 137th pick. Overton was a huge five-star recruit out of Georgia. He started his college career at Texas A&M before transferring to the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he put up 42 tackles, six tackles for loss, and four sacks in his final season. Draft analysts have praised him as a rugged run-defender who plays with heavy power.

For a Day 3 pick on a cheap four-year rookie contract, that is exactly what Dallas needed. Overton's high-energy motor pops on tape, and he already plays with great discipline in his gaps. Those traits make him a really exciting lottery ticket for the Cowboys' new-look defensive line, especially after the team traded away so many established starters this offseason.

The other side of his game is exactly why he wasn't a lock to go earlier in the draft. Scouts frequently flagged slow first step and inconsistent leverage on his college tape. 

Those technical flaws often let offensive linemen get their hands right into his chest before he can even fight for his gap. Film rooms also showed that when his initial jump is late, he tends to completely disappear for stretches of a game. Those are some kind of bad habits the coaching staff wants to iron out during training camp in Oxnard.

Still, there is a real role waiting for him here if his technique can catch up to his physical tools. Dallas obviously doesn't expect Overton to be an instant star on Day 1, but this summer will show if his get-off and hand placement can improve fast enough to make Jones's wild comparison actually mean something by the regular season.

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