A retrospective on 2023 Mazi Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, and DeMarvion Overshown at the NFL Combine.
The NFL scouting combine, which takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from February 26 to March 4th, kicks off the 2024 offseason this week. Live coverage of the on-field drills starts on Thursday, February 29. At the combine, draft candidates have an excellent opportunity to display their agility, strength, and talents as teams get ready for the draft at the end of April. Additionally, it gives potential draft picks the opportunity to interview with interested organisations. Depending on their performance at the event, players can potentially move up in the pre-draft rankings.
While this year’s draft hopefuls concentrate on trying to win over general managers, scouts, and coaches, let’s look back at the 2023 Dallas Cowboys top three selection picks and their combine performances.
Mazi Smith, position 26
The combine last year revealed Mazi Smith’s strength, which probably affected his draft position in 2023. He did take part in the bench press drill, where players must bench press 225 pounds for as many repetitions as they can, even though he chose to skip most of the workouts in order to focus more on his performance at Michigan’s pro day. The next closest rep total for Smith’s position group was thirty, with 34 being the highest.
Pick 58: Luke Schoonmaker
According to NFLCombineResults.com, Luke Schoonmaker had a respectable performance in the 2023 combine, giving him a “B” grade. He finished the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds, which is quicker than the typical 4.75 seconds for tight ends, placing him seventh out of all the TEs who competed. Schoonmaker, who stayed in the middle of the pack during the shuttle exercise, recorded the second-longest wide jump, measuring 127 inches. Being one of only two tight ends to interview with Dallas during the combine, he also took advantage of the chance. At 6’5″ and 251 pounds, Schoonmaker was a good fit for Dalton Schultz, who the Cowboys were considering replacing.
You can view the highlights of Schoonmaker’s combine at DallasCowboys.com.
Pick 90: DeMarvion Overshown
DeMarvion Overshown was the only linebacker interviewed by the Dallas Cowboys at the 2023 combine. With a 4.45 second 40 time, a 124 inch broad jump, and 15 repetitions in the bench press exercise, Overshown’s performance was mediocre in comparison to the other LBs. However, the Cowboys were encouraged by Overshown’s athleticism and versatility from his time playing for Texas. Overshown touched on that briefly in his media interview.
Visit NFL.com to see Overshown’s 40-yard sprint at the Combine.
None of these players had the season of 2023 turn out the way they had intended. While Smith recorded his first NFL sack against the Bills and three of his eight total tackles against the Giants in 2023, he didn’t make the same impact as one might have expected from a first-round draft pick. In his rookie season, Schoonmaker did a decent job of demonstrating his run-blocking skills, but he still has a lot of space to grow in terms of his ability to catch passes and create separation as a receiver. Regarding Overshown, he missed all of 2023 due to a torn ALC sustained during training camp, therefore 2024 will be his first season back on the pitch. Whether these choices will be hits or misses is still up in the air. The Cowboys will probably be closely monitoring the defensive lineman and linebacker draft possibilities at this week’s combine because of the uncertainty. Hopefully, these 2023 draft picks will turn out to be hits after a year of experience, whether it’s by playing in games or studying and viewing film while recovering.
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