2022 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch: Texas vs. Oklahoma

Two border state rivals fight it out in a classic rivalry that began in 1900. Oklahoma and Texas each have multiple 2022 NFL Draft prospects that will decide who can take the upper hand in the Big 12 on Saturday.

The Red River Showdown is a neutral site clash between Texas and Oklahoma. They’ve been playing each other for 120 years, and it’s widely considered one of the best rivalries in college football. They play the game in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas because it’s roughly equidistant between the two campuses, a la Georgia playing Florida every year in Jacksonville.

The stakes are high this year and new Longhorns’ coach Steve Sarkisian will attempt to do what his predecessor Tom Herman could not: beat Oklahoma. The Sooners might fancy themselves national title contenders, but if that’s the case they need to start playing like it. Oklahoma might be 5-0, but they haven’t beaten an FBS team by more than a touchdown all year. Both Texas and Oklahoma have unblemished 2-0 conference records and this contest could very well determine who plays in the Big 12 Championship Game on December 4th. A few key matchups between potential 2022 NFL Draft picks may decide this game and we’ll take an extended look at those.

Texas LB DeMarvion Overshown vs. Oklahoma RB Kennedy Brooks

Oklahoma’s offense is at its best when they use a balanced attack. Having Spencer Rattler drop back and throw the ball 40 or 50 times isn’t a recipe for a Sooners’ victory due to the potential for mistakes and negative plays. Their offensive line is superb with both Marquis Hayes and Wanya Morris making the Big 12 preseason all-conference team. Oklahoma’s run game features a two-pronged approach, utilizing both junior running back Kennedy Brooks and junior Tennessee transfer Eric Gray. While Gray was tabbed the preseason newcomer of the year in the Big 12, we’ll focus on Kennedy Brooks here.

Kennedy Brooks is one of the more underrated and unheralded running backs in college football. He’s built solid at 5’11” and 215 pounds and for his college career he’s averaged 7.3 yards per carry. Brooks has tantalized 2022 NFL Draft evaluators with his speed, vision, and balance. Many of Brooks’ highlight runs have come out of the shotgun and involved him getting to the perimeter and cutting it up field. He’s shown he can operate in a zone read/zone blocking scheme, and that will likely serve him well at the next level.

Brooks did sit out last season, but that could end up being a good or bad thing depending on how he performs this year. So far, he’s ninth in the Big 12 in rushing yards with 318 at 5.9 per tote. If he runs for 1,000 yards this season (like he did in both 2018 and 2019) him not playing in 2020 will be viewed positively, in that he didn’t accumulate wear and tear on his body. If he disappoints this year or is usurped by Gray, then his 2022 NFL Draft stock will likely take a hit, as scouts will view him missing 2020 as a regression slide. All this underscores how critical this season will be for Brooks’ development.

The main man trying to stop him on Saturday will be Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. The Arp, TX, native is third in the Big 12 in tackles this season with 44. He’s what teams will be looking for in the 2022 NFL Draft due to his physical profile and skill set. Overshown is 6’4” 220 pounds and a long, twitchy athlete. He played safety in high school and during his first two seasons in Austin, possessing the size and closing speed to meet receivers aggressively at the catch point.

But he switched positions to linebacker last year in 2020 and brought his coverage ability and ball skills with him. In 2020, DeMarvion Overshown racked up eight tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. This was all during his first year at a new position and with an abbreviated offseason program due to COVID-19.

Overshown projects well to the next level due to his versatility. NFL teams are looking for defenders in the draft who can cover, play the ball in the air, rush the passer, make tackles in the run game and force turnovers. With the proliferation of the passing game, teams need defenders who have the speed and quickness to run with skill players. It’s not enough to just be able to stuff the A or B gap on early downs; new-age linebackers ideally will be able to nullify the passing game and even play as a nickel back on passing downs. Hybrids like DeMarvion Overshown aren’t easy to find, and that’s why he’ll likely be selected in the top half of the 2022 NFL Draft.