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2026 draft scouting first look: Alabama defensive lineman L.T. Overton
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- 2026 draft scouting first look: Alabama defensive lineman L.T. Overton
LT Overton is a player who is a little more familiar from an NFL draft perspective than most collegians. That's because Overton was often projected to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, which resulted in a more scouting-centric eye towards his play for the Crimson Tide during the last college season.
Overton is an interesting prospect. At this point in his career, which began at Texas A&M before moving to Alabama in 2024, he appears to be more of a talent in search of a position than an easily defined prospect. Some of that owes to his size.
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At a listed 6-foot-5 and 283 pounds, which each seemingly legit, Overton is a little too tall and light to be a full-time interior player, but too big and tight-hipped to play as a full-time DE in most schemes-- Alabama 's included. As a result, the Crimson Tide deployed him all over the place.
Their game against Georgia last September is a great example. In just the first half of the game, Overton lined up at 8 different spots on the line, from a shaded nose to playing over the flexed TE in the slot. As was the case in several other games I watched ( Tennessee , LSU , South Carolina ), Overton was at his best playing the 4i/5T role and attacking the guard.
His best attribute is his length. Overton has long arms even for a 6-5 guy; his wingspan could wind up being the longest in the draft class. He's got power in the shoulders and hands that can really set up inside moves--swats, pulls, rips and swims. Overton is also good at using a long first step to win leverage against taller blockers, which serves him well when playing outside the offensive tackle.
Overton has some twitch for his size, but he's never going to win with quickness. His tight hips really show when he has to change direction, and it also leads to issues in corraling tackles in space. Some Alabama fans have been very harsh on Overton's inability to finish what he starts, and that criticism isn't without some merit. That needs to be his biggest point of emphasis during the 2025 college season.
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Out in space, Overton is athletic enough and aware enough to be effective in short drops. He can destroy the blocking and/or timing in a tunnel screen or quick slant--ask LSU. While not sudden, Overton does have decent speed once he's moving, though the body control to gather or change direction is still not an asset. He fights hard and can be violently unpleasant to block with his length and strength.
Overton's usage in the Alabama defense will be important to watch this coming season in regards to his 2026 NFL Draft potential. Does he continue to be a more supplementary versatile piece, or will the Crimson Tide ensconce him at one primary position and ask him to thrive in a more defined role? As such, Overton is a player with a very wide potential draft range entering the college season.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: L.T. Overton: 2026 NFL Draft scouting first look at the Alabama DL
