2025 NFL Draft: DT Rankings
1
Walter Nolen
School: Ole Miss
Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 296 lbs
Strengths:
Nolen brings a well blended physical profile, which allowed him to win many of his matchups, and forced teams to double team him pretty often. Despite not having great technique, he played with a surprising amount of leverage. Even in a position where you’d expect the offensive lineman to have the advantage, Nolen would sort of combine bend and power to continue forward into the backfield. He is very good at making himself thin and squeezing through gaps. Nolen is a solid athlete. His twitchiness allows him to execute stunts, and he can take advantage of stiffer interior offensive linemen. As well, he has enough strength to not only resist being pushed back, but to also create some push of his own. He does a very good job of getting off of blocks, and his timing as a run defender looks good. I like his spatial awareness, and how he is able to find that spot to meet the ball carrier and stuff him at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses:
Nolen is a good athlete, but I think he falls short of the elite mark when it comes to speed. I feel the same way about his strength. Physical traits are not a weakness of his game, really, but most individual traits fall short of being elite. Nolen can win with power, but I wouldn’t say he really bullies his opponent. As for his athleticism, it is his twitch and agility that I like best, but he isn’t an elite gap shooter. He more so has to work his way through his opponent. It is a bit of a process. Of course, he can still be highly successful like this, but for him to reach his ceiling, he’ll need to develop more rush moves and inside counters, and play more consistently at a lower pad level. He was somehow able to still outleverage opponents, despite not having the best technique, but things likely will be different if he doesn’t play lower, going forward. As well, while he was often able to maneuver his way through his opponent and into the backfield, the process could be slow at times. Utilizing inside counters more often will help him to speed up the process, and get more quick wins.
Summary:
I wouldn’t say his physical traits are elite, but he is a strong enough player and a good enough athlete to win in different ways, and become a high end player both against the pass and against the run. He has a good amount of twitch in his game, as well as some pop, and he used these to his advantage. However, his lack of refinement when it comes to technique will hurt him if he doesn’t improve. Nolen will need to play at a lower pad level, and also implement inside counters as a bigger part of his game. The main issues here are all fixable, and he should be able to put it all together. Nolen looks like someone who will be able to contribute on day 1. As he gains experience and continues to develop, has the potential to be a high end starter at 3T.
| Grade: 86.6 | Round Grade: 1st |
2
Mason Graham
School: Michigan
Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 296 lbs
Strengths:
Graham is a good all around interior defender, with the physical traits to start and be effective on day 1. He has a good get off, and combines his explosion off the line with enough strength to convert speed into power. His hands are decently active, and he’ll give repeated jabs, which can knock his opponent backwards and help him gain some leverage. He doesn’t give up on any play, and continues to work, even when he doesn’t get through initially. Some of his production has been thanks to this mentality. When there is chaos in the pocket that isn’t directly caused by him, he’ll be there soon to clean up the loose bits. Graham took on his fair share of double teams, yet rarely was pushed back. If not in a stalemate, he was able to create some push, or slip in between the two offensive linemen. His strength and motor have helped in run defence. Graham has shown the ability to push his way off of a block, and will throw himself at the ball carrier to make the tackle. As well, his lateral mobility is on display when he is tracking the ball carrier across the line of scrimmage before meeting him in the running lane and stonewalling him.
Weaknesses:
Graham has good athleticism and good strength, but is still a bit undersized. Especially when it comes to length, this can be an issue. Offensive lineman with a longer reach have been able to anchor against him, and use leverage to their advantage. In these situations, Graham has a much harder time disengaging, and can end up being a non-factor in the play, especially in instances where his pad level is too high. As well, Graham needs to go into his rushes with more of a plan. He has used a swim move effectively from time to time. However, many of his reps consist of trying to win with power or just athleticism by shooting the gap. His lack of length makes it tough to win without a more diversified approach, and there were stretches where his play looked pretty average.
Summary:
Graham has the athleticism and power to be an effective 3T at the NFL level. With his traits, he should be either a starter or a highly involved rotational piece on day 1. His get off will force interior offensive linemen to stay on their toes and put plenty of focus into sealing up the gaps. His strength, meanwhile, will also help create some disruption in the backfield. I like his floor, though I’m not sure I see a sure fire top 5 quality player, as the hype would suggest he is. Graham is lacking when it comes to length, and this has led to him losing leverage battles in the trenches. As well, he often tries to win with physical traits, and is not technically refined. If Graham can develop some consistent go-to rush moves, he might be able to become more of a dominant force. But with how his game currently looks, I am wondering if he has enough to take his game to the next level, from being disruptive to also being highly productive. Time will tell, but his floor is high enough that he should be a starter on day 1.
| Grade: 86.5 | Round Grade: 1st |
3
Derrick Harmon
School: Oregon
Ht/Wt: 6’5”, 313 lbs
Strengths:
Harmon has a big frame and will instantly make a defensive line a lot stronger. He is able to create consistent push as a pass rusher to collapse the pocket and sometimes force the QB to scramble outside, or at least shuffle around within the pocket. I love what he brings as a run defender. He eats up space and can take on double teams, which frees things up for the LB’s and other defenders around him. But Harmon isn’t just a space eater. He makes plays of his own. On several occasions, he was able to bully his opponent and then fill the gap, stonewalling the RB shortly after. Harmon does well to disengage from blockers. His length gives him additional leverage, and he uses it well, before extending out and wrapping up to finish the tackle.
Weaknesses:
Harmon is a linear athlete with sub par change of direction skills. If the play happens to pass him by, or is close to it, he won’t be able to recover in time to get himself back into position. His upside as a pass rusher takes a big hit because of this. The push that he creates is good, but he likely won’t finish at a high rate. He can get home if his win happens quickly. However, he likely won’t catch a scrambling QB, and his average quickness also gives his opponents a chance to recover and push him out the back. As well, Harmon isn’t the best when it comes time to track plays horizontally along the line of scrimmage. He is much more effective defending the downhill run. In both phases, he has natural leverage, but can sometimes offset it by playing at a high pad level. It wasn’t the biggest issue, but just something minor to iron out. Something else he can do is implement more moves beyond just using power and the odd rip move. Diversifying his attack could help in both phases.
Summary:
Harmon moved all around the DL in college, but projects best as a NT at the NFL level. He is a linear athlete, lacking the lateral mobility to bring too much upside as a pass rusher, in terms of production. That being said, he is sort of a NT+ because I would say his impact rushing the passer is still quite a bit higher than what you’d expect from most NT’s. He is big and strong, and does have the ability to create a lot of push. Even if it won’t always lead to a filled up stat sheet, it can help out the guys around him. If he can work on his hand technique, we might even see some improvement in his pass rush productivity. Harmon really makes his money as a run defender, where his big frame, toughness, and ability to clog lanes and make tackles should allow him to be a decently big contributor on day 1. He is limited in terms of lateral mobility, which limits his overall upside. But in a role that is very much underappreciated, he can still make a big impact.
| Grade: 85.2 | Round Grade: 1st |
4
TJ Sanders
School: South Carolina
Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 297 lbs
Strengths:
Sanders is a powerful player with quickness that can be deceiving. His hands have a lot of pop in them, and his strikes can be really jarring for his opponents. He can rush the passer with an effective bull rush, or if that doesn’t work, he has a few other tricks up his sleeve. Sanders has a good arm over move, but his swipe is what really looked good. He is a heavy hand battler, and in an instant, he will swipe away the hands of his opponent and free himself up to make a play. This helped him put up pressure, but was also highly effective against the run. On a couple of occasions, he even accelerated over from the edge of the pocket to blow up the QB attempting to scramble up the middle. Sanders’ power also allows him to be an effective run defender. He plays a much heavier game than his listed weight would suggest.
Weaknesses:
Sanders looks explosive during many plays, but for some reason, his get off is a little bit underwhelming. It isn’t bad, but doing better in this area would help him get an upper hand earlier in the rep. He shows some good agility at times, but probably doesn’t have enough twitch to be a true gap penetrator. Other things like power and/or finesse moves are needed to complement. For being such a disruptive player, I wish he had been able to get home a little more often. Perhaps this is again a testament to his athleticism that is good in some areas, but maybe not complete when charting the profile. He also can play at a high pad level at times, which takes away from his natural strength.
Summary:
Sanders is a highly disruptive force along the interior, who is effective both as a pass rusher and run defender. His strength is helpful in both phases, where he can create push before then using a finesse move to disengage and continue on with the play. He didn’t quite get home as often as I’d have liked, given how disruptive he was, but areas of his athletic profile that are just okay might be to blame. An inconsistent pad level too. If Sanders can continue to develop and find a way to up the stats, he could be an elite player in this league. But even if not, he should still be a quality starter. Even if it doesn’t always lead to stats, disruption is highly valuable, especially from the middle. And the fact that he is also good against the run is a nice add on. He looks like a day 1 starter that can improve as he goes along.
| Grade: 85.0 | Round Grade: 1st |
5
Tyleik Williams
School: Ohio State
Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 334 lbs
Strengths:
Williams has a big frame and is surprisingly athletic for his size. At his size, I think it goes without saying that strength and power play a big part. His hand strikes generate some nice pop early in the rep, and can set the tone for him. With his opponent off balance, he is able to then create further push, and help to collapse the pocket. Williams eats up double teams and takes up space in the middle. When the ball carrier runs in his direction, he can fight off the block and make the tackle. He has also used an arm over move to disengage from blocks. This has been useful against the run and pass. Williams has more speed than I would have thought. If a run gets past the line of scrimmage, he puts in the effort to help chase it down, and you can see him gain momentum as he gets down the field. If members of the secondary are able to slow down the ball carrier in these situations, Williams can find himself in position to make a tackle.
Weaknesses:
Williams often finds it difficult to keep his pad level down, which has enabled his opponents to gain a leverage advantage over him. He allows them to get direct strikes into his chest, and a lot of the power and strength that he possesses is neutralized as a result. Williams also doesn’t have long arms, which can further present an advantage to the man he’s up against. While he has good athleticism for his size, I’m not sure that he is quick enough to be an impact player as a pass rusher. Initial wins when rushing the passer often result in him being pushed out the back. He has a tough time penetrating gaps and winning around his rush edge. From a technical standpoint, in addition to his pad level, Williams will need to be more consistent with his hand placement.
Summary:
Williams has the size and strength to project very favourably as a run defender at the next level. He’ll have to keep his pad level down and improve his hand technique, but both are things that he should be able to fix. This will help with consistency. He is fast enough and strong enough to have some splash plays as a pass rusher, but I don’t think he is quick enough to put up consistent production in this area. His primary role will likely be to defend the run, and he should be, at least, a very good 2 down player. He’ll have to work to prove that he can be effective on all 3 downs, which at this point, is not a guarantee. Still, for the upside he brings in what his projected role is, it should still be enough to see him drafted no later than day 2.
| Grade: 83.9 | Round Grade: 2nd |
6
Kenneth Grant
School: Michigan
Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 331 lbs
Strengths:
Grant is a big guy who has the mass to handle the dirty work in the trenches. He eats up double teams and has the strength to split them. As well, he effectively is able to move his opponent backwards, which benefits him against the run and pass. After generating some push early on, Grant then skillfully uses a swim move, which then gets him past his opponent. From there, he is either meeting the RB in the backfield or entering his pursuit of the QB. Grant is money as a run defender. As mentioned, his swim move has gotten him some tackles for a loss. But his strength also creates chaos, as he can cause the pocket to collapse and running lanes to slam shut. He falls off blocks nicely, and is generally a good tackler.
Weaknesses:
Grant is a sub par athlete, which will limit his upside at the next level. He is a NT whose impact as a pass rusher is likely to be limited. He can create some push in the pocket, and his wim move does help him out. However, he doesn’t have the speed or quickness to consistently threaten the QB and turn initial wins into sack production. His lack of burst off the line sometimes prevents him from getting the kind of power into his attack that he would like, despite being a strong player. Strong players on the other side sometimes are able to neutralize him. Too often, Grant plays at a pad level that is too high, and can be inconsistent with his hand placement. Both of these make it easier for him to be neutralized.
Summary:
Grant has the size and strength to be an effective NT at the next level. For the most part, he plays the run well, and his effective swim move combines well with his power move to create separation from his opponent and put himself face to face with the ball carrier. Grant is a limited athlete, and his pass rush upside looks like it will be limited to pushing the pocket, and clean up duty. In both phases, he will need to play at a lower pad level and improve his hand placement. His floor looks like that of a good 2 down run stuffer. If he can be disruptive enough against the pass, it might be enough for him to overcome potentially lower sack production, and keep him on the field as a 3 down player.
| Grade: 83.5 | Round Grade: 2nd |
7
Ty Robinson
School: Nebraska
Ht/Wt: 6’5”, 288 lbs
Strengths:
Robinson is a tall, dense defensive lineman who combines a high motor with athleticism and power to make for a nice threat in both phases of the game. He is a warrior on the football field, always looking forward to the battle. His feet are always moving, and just from sheer effort, he is able to penetrate gaps and put pressure on the QB. But effort isn’t the only reason why he is so productive. He is a powerful player. Power and effort always combine well. He can be overwhelming for even some of the stronger offensive linemen to deal with. His punch is strong and can set the tone for the rep. Robinson has an effective bull rush that he uses to walk his opponent into the backfield. He also is a good athlete. His get-off is quick and impactful, while he has surprisingly good twitch and speed, which help him exploit soft rush edges and track down the QB. These traits also help him against the run. In this phase, he has also shown the ability to bench press his opponent off of him, before blowing up the ball carrier in the at the line. Robinson’s hand usage has improved over the last while. You see a swim move that has been effective, a good club move, as well as some other inside counters. Robinson has versatility, having played on the inside and the edge in college.
Weaknesses:
Short arms is the biggest thing that affects Robinson. He generally does well to overcome it, but in a vacuum, it is not ideal. This, and a high pad level at times, combine to make up some of his poor moments as a pass rusher. It probably impacts him most as a run defender, since his tackle radius is smaller. Ball carriers have an easier time slipping through, and sometimes he really has to strain to hang on. This could be the case too, as a pass rusher trying to take down the QB. Robinson has improved his hand usage, but could still clean up the technique a little bit. He gets a bit erratic at times, which partly goes along with his “on the go” mentality. Calming down a bit and putting more focus on technique would help him. As would going into more of his rushes with a concrete plan.
Summary:
Some might sour on Robinson because of his short arms, but he has other standout traits that should help him mitigate. He is a strong, powerful player with an elite motor. He combines this with good athleticism to make for a strong presence as a pass rusher. Against the run, he makes plays as well, though he likely will have some missed tackles due to his length. His athleticism looked good on tape, but running at a lighter weight at the combine, he looked even faster and quicker. It will be interesting to see what weight his drafting team will want him playing at. In any event, despite some obstacles he’ll face, Robinson has a lot of upside. He’ll have to clean up his technique in order to reach his ceiling, but he should still be impactful pretty early on.
| Grade: 80.9 | Round Grade: 2nd |
8
Shemar Turner
School: Texas A&M
Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 290 lbs
Strengths:
Turner is a versatile player who has experience lining up all over the DL. For an interior guy, his bend looks really good, which allowed him to even have some success when lined up on the edge. His quickness also allows him to get around one of the rush edges from the interior position from time to time. Turner has flashed a good arm over move that can burn an offensive lineman that plays with bad leverage and technique. His strength is also decent. He can hold up at the point of attack without allowing himself to be taken out of the play. On some occasions, he will get some push of his own. Turner’s motor and scrappiness allows him to get off blocks, which helps especially against the run.
Weaknesses:
Turner is a bit undersized in terms of length and mass. Although he can play with a little power, he doesn’t dominate many reps from a power standpoint, and he doesn’t usually walk his opponent straight back into the pocket. His push is more modest. He also has a tough time against double teams. Turner flashes a good arm over move, but doesn’t use it, or other rush moves, with enough consistency. Too often, he is content to sink or swim with his original rush attack, which usually revolves around an athletic trait, rather than technique. Although he is a good athlete, his get off didn’t look too inspiring. For a guy with his traits, I’d like to see him pop up off the snap quicker. From a technical standpoint, there are times where his hand placement is too wide, and offensive linemen can strike right down the middle. Combined with a high pad level, he is not doing himself any favours. While he never really got overpowered in college, road grading G’s might take him out of some running plays if he doesn’t get stronger.
Summary:
Turner has a pretty solid all around skill set, showing enough bend and quickness to threaten the rush edges of G’s, and even to win from the edge on occasion. Glimpses of a good arm over move show up every once in a while, but he’ll need to utilize these kinds of moves more often and avoid constantly trying to win with physical traits. At the college level, he had enough power to hold his own at the point of attack, but the more powerful interior linemen in the NFL might have other things to say. I’d like to see him add more mass and get stronger. He’ll have to correct his hand placement and pad level when engaging in blocks, but this, and his other issues are mostly correctable. I wouldn’t outright call him a project, but early on, he is more of a developmental guy with rotational ability. In a year or two, he has the chance to become a good starter.
| Grade: 78.4 | Round Grade: 3rd |
9
Omarr Norman-Lott
School: Tennessee
Ht/Wt: 6’2”, 291 lbs
Strengths:
Norman-Lott is an explosive athlete, with a quick get-off to penetrate through gaps, the quickness and bend to turn the corner, and the speed to hunt down the QB. His athletic profile is complete. These traits really shine through when he is rushing the passer. He has been able to get quite a few quick wins. With bursting through the middle, the QB sometimes has no choice but to duck for cover. Despite being a smaller guy, his game has a lot more power than I was expecting before I began his evaluation. There were a good handful of times over several games where he was straight up able to bull rush his opponent several steps backwards towards the QB. On a couple of these occasions, he was successful in converting the pressure into a sack. His disruptiveness and gap penetrating ability also allows him to blow up some running plays, and force the ball carrier to redirect on others. He is a high motor guy, which helps in both phases.
Weaknesses:
Norman-Lott is quite undersized, and there will be times where he gets pushed around. His power as a pass rusher is actually decent. There will still be times he gets locked down, but I’m not as concerned about it. As a run defender is where the bigger issues seemed to be. This is because nearly all of his wins in this phase came due to his athleticism and motor, unlike his pass rush, which had some power mixed in. Against the run, road grading interior linemen were able, not just to get push, but in some cases, plough him several yards away from the play. He’ll have to get stronger, especially in his legs, but it is hard to say how much more mass his frame will be able to take. Norman-Lott has shown to be capable of using inside counters to his advantage, but expanding on this and using his moves more frequently will benefit his game.
Summary:
Norman-Lott might be a polarizing draft prospect. If you focus on his power against the run, you’ll have him. If you focus on athleticism, you’ll love him. His lack of power in the run game stems from the lower half, as he can’t anchor. This is a concern, and likely will follow him around in the NFL, but he can still make some plays. There will just be some peaks and valleys. By now, his dynamic ability as a pass rusher has been well documented. But the relative power that he brings in this phase is comforting, in a sense, as it limits the areas where he is a liability to being just against inside power runs. The deficiencies will be frustrating, but the high points are high enough that I can live with some of the low points. I think he brings enough to be a 3 down player, rather than just a sub package guy. His high end athleticism and hot motor should yield some good production, especially as a pass rusher, given that he can clean up his technique.
| Grade: 75.5 | Round Grade: 3rd |
10
Joshua Farmer
School: Florida State
Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 305 lbs
Strengths:
Farmer is a long interior lineman with an abundance of strength. Right off the snap, he looks to deliver a jab that is meant to set the tone for the rest of the rep. It is jarring, and can be highly disruptive for his opponent. Once he has that early advantage, Farmer likes to keep the power coming. His bull rush is effective, and he is able to push his way into the pocket. On some of these reps, he was able to use the dip/rip move at the end of it and get to the QB. He is a tenacious player with a high motor. Along with his power, this helped to facilitate a lot of his good plays. The traits mentioned above also translate well to the run game. He isn’t someone that will be paved out of the way very often. Sometimes he is able to disengage and make the tackle, and when he isn’t, the ball carrier has to redirect because there isn’t a lane open in Farmer’s direction.
Weaknesses:
Farmer’s motor helps to make up for it, but still, he is an average at best athlete. Lateral agility is definitely below average. This and a slow get off will prevent him from being a gap penetrator that gets quick wins. He’ll have to work throughout the rep for his pay dirt. His stiffness and trouble changing directions also allows the offensive lineman to push him behind the play, which usually eliminates him from it, unless it continues to drag on for a while. As well, it makes things tough at times against the run when he has to disengage and shift his positioning all within a short window to make a tackle.
Summary:
Farmer projects as at least a solid rotational player at the next level. His strength is legit and he is able to generate a lot of power out of it. I wouldn’t go as far as to say his rush is one dimensional, as he does have some rush moves. That said, his lack of athleticism will limit his ceiling. Luckily, he has a high motor, which can compensate a little bit. His ability to generate forward movement will translate as a pass rusher and run defender. Even if the production doesn’t always follow, he does enough in both phases to be a solid starter, though it might be good if he is in sort of a 1a, 1b tandem, where a different skill set is able to rotate with him.
| Grade: 75.0 | Round Grade: 3rd |
11
Darius Alexander
School: Toledo
Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 305 lbs
Strengths:
Alexander is a strong interior defensive lineman who plays with active hands and a consistent motor. He’s got the strength to go toe to toe with some of the bigger interior offensive guys, and he uses the push/pull technique to effectively take advantage of ones that might have some balance issues. Flashes of a good swim move also show up once in a while. Alexander looked like he was playing a bit lighter this past season, compared to 2023, and was a bit quicker as a result. This isn’t to say that he is an athletic specimen, but he has enough quickness to exploit weak rush edges and penetrate gaps. Against the run, the push/pull technique again made some appearances, and his ability to create some space and then fall into a tackle was pretty good. He’s got enough length to gain leverage and create some room for himself, which helps to facilitate all this.
Weaknesses:
Alexander is a solid athlete, but seems to lack much of a get-off. He isn’t quick off the line when the ball is snapped, and fails to get that early upper hand in the rep. This gives an extra bit of time for his opponent to prepare, and in some cases, initiate contact. There are times where Alexander will go into his rush without much of a plan. Power always seemed to be his go to attack, and while he played with active hands, he often leaves you waiting for that inside counter to be unleashed. There were times where the push/pull and swim move were impactful, but adding a few more would be beneficial, as would using his moves more often. In some of these cases where he didn’t end up using an inside counter, he kept hand fighting as the RB, who had taken the handoff, passed by. It seems like his awareness on the field has to improve. Additionally, there were instances where his pad level got a bit high. He’ll have to work on keeping it down.
Summary:
I don’t think he will be a dynamic player at the next level, but Alexander’s skill set is decently well rounded, and should allow him to be an average starter or good rotational player. He has enough strength to effectively bull rush, and his usage of the push/pull technique allows him to disengage to either pursue the QB or get in position to make a tackle, if it is a running play. His overall athleticism isn’t elite, and there are flaws, such as his burst. However, he does have enough quickness to penetrate gaps. There are some minor things to work on, such as minimizing the instances where his pad level rises. The biggest thing, though, is for him to not only add some rush moves to his toolbox, but also use them more. His awareness on the field will also have to improve. His traits don’t seem to be elite, and his upside might not be enormously high, but his blended skill set should allow him to be a solid player at the next level.
| Grade: 73.4 | Round Grade: 4th |
12
Alfred Collins
School: Texas
Ht/Wt: 6’6”, 332 lbs
Strengths:
Collins has great length, which he uses to his advantage in a variety of ways. He shows off an effective swim move quite frequently, which aids him as a pass rusher and run defender. As well, when playing the run, he is able to keep his opponent at his fingertips. With his long reach, disengaging is much easier, and he has a large tackle radius to secure it without issue. Collins is decently strong at the point of attack. Against the run, he can stalemate at the line before using his length to disengage and make the tackle. His long arms have also been useful in batting down passes.
Weaknesses:
On tape, Collins looks uninspiring as an athlete. He is slow out of his stance, which gives his opponent an early leg up. As well, there isn’t a whole lot of twitch to his game. When a play requires him to reroute and change directions, it usually means he is out of it. This is a big reason why his production as a pass rusher has been so low. He’ll flash with a good finesse move or a good bull rush, but when it comes time to pursue the QB, there isn’t enough juice there to finish it off. This will limit his upside at the next level. As far as technique goes, he could lower his pad level, which gets a bit high sometimes. It wasn’t an every play issue, but when it did pop up, the difference was noticeable in how much leverage he was playing with.
Summary:
Collins projects as a solid rotational piece at the next level that will give you a handful of good flashes. He has great length and an impactful swim move to beat his opponent. As well, his strength and finesse are able to get him some wins against the run. However, Collins lacks the burst, speed, and bend to be more of a stat sheet producer. His lack of overall athleticism prevents him from getting to the QB. He lacks the speed to chase him down in a footrace, and doesn’t have the quickness to adjust to lateral maneuvers. At the next level, he should be able to play the run pretty well and give you some hurries. But if he starts something as a pass rusher, most of the time, it is likely he’ll be relying on someone else to finish it.
| Grade: 71.5 | Round Grade: 4th |
13
Tonka Hemingway
School: South Carolina
Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 284 lbs
Strengths:
Hemingway is an athletic gap penetrating 3T with the ability to impact the game as a pass rusher. His burst allows him to get quick wins by just shooting right through the gaps. As well, sluggish interior linemen will have some trouble going up against him. Hemingway is able to cut across their frame and effectively use jukes to win the rep. He also unleashed a nice spin move a couple of times. Against the run, it is mostly the same story. When he is penetrating gaps, he is creating some disruption and either making the tackle or forcing the ball carrier to reroute. His impressive performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl should boost his draft stock.
Weaknesses:
Hemingway currently is lacking ideal strength and power for the position. His bull rush isn’t very effective, and linemen are able to anchor. Against the run, there are times where he will be paved away, which opens up a good running lane for the ball carrier. There are also some instances of missed tackles. As a pass rusher, he doesn’t have many rush moves at his disposal, outside of gap penetration. His plan of attack is very basic, and when the initial one doesn’t work, he doesn’t often go to an inside counter.
Summary:
Hemingway’s athleticism gives him a good bit of upside, but right now, he is a project. His gap shooting abilities should allow him to see rotational snaps. However, to unlock his full potential, he will need to develop his hand technique and add more rush moves to the toolbox. Additionally, it would be nice to see him get stronger and add a bit of power into his game, which would help against the run. It will never be the focal point, but adding some kind of power element would be big for his development. Overall, I think he projects conservatively as a solid rotational piece. You can’t take it for granted that all the developmental steps will happen. But if a coach can get it out of him, he has the potential to start at 3T.
| Grade: 70.2 | Round Grade: 4th |
14
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
School: Georgia
Ht/Wt: 6’5”, 276 lbs
Strengths:
Ingram-Dawkins is a great athlete with the burst, speed, and bend to be a productive player at the next level. He shoots off the line when the ball is snapped, and can put some fear into offensive linemen that have a tough time sealing their rush edges. Ingram-Dawkins also shows flashes of power, and the ability to convert speed to power. When done correctly, his hand strike can be deadly, and on one or two occasions, he sent his opponent straight to the ground with one strike. At the next level, he will be an interior guy, but he played on the edge a lot in college. This would explain his good athletic traits for an interior guy. As well, the versatility is a nice bonus.
Weaknesses:
Ingram-Dawkins has good traits, but is extremely raw. His hands are active, but extremely wild and erratic. They would be impactful if he can use them properly, but instead, he opens up his chest to his opponent, who is able to land some jabs and knock him off balance. A lack of rush moves also plagues his game. Most of the time, he goes into the reps with no plan, and will fail to make an impact. The potential is also there for him as a run defender, but the same problems persist. As well, he misses too many tackles, despite having pretty good length. Ingram-Dawkins sometimes has trouble reading the play and, at times, will go all out as a pass rusher, only for it to be a running play that passes him by.
Summary:
Ingram-Dawkins has all the traits and versatility that you want in a defensive lineman. His athleticism is in the upper tier, and he also has a good amount of power to put some fear into his opponents. However, at this point, he is very raw. His game is very unorganized and sometimes reckless, which leads to stretches of nothing, along with some missed tackles mixed in. Despite all the issues, the upside is high enough that I could understand taking a chance in the mid rounds. Coaches will have to be on top of their game for this one, but if they can successfully mould the ball of clay, the result will end with a big payout.
| Grade: 70.0 | Round Grade: 4th |
15
JJ Pegues
School: Ole Miss
Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 309 lbs
Strengths:
Pegues is an athletic player who also brings good size and length. At his best, he is showing off his explosive qualities, as well as his twitch that allows him to penetrate gaps. When he is on his game, Pegues is using these traits and combining them with a good swim move, countering against an interior offensive lineman that overextends. This move has also gotten him some production as a run defender. Back to his pass rush, flashes of a good spin move have shown up, too. Once in the backfield, he shows good speed to get after the QB. He has enough length to disengage from blocks, and a good tackle radius to snag ball carriers at the line. Interestingly, he was also used on offence as a wildcat QB, mostly in short yardage or goal line situations. Even more interestingly, he looked good doing it, combining speed and power to turn in a high conversion rate.
Weaknesses:
Pegues can stand to get a little stronger so he can play with more power. Lowering his pad level will also be a necessity, or he will continue to have reps where he gets washed out of the play or allow his opponent to anchor. To pile on, his hand placement will have to get better, as he can be a bit careless with it right now. Overall, he was a pretty inconsistent player. The motor would flip off and on, and when it was off, he really looked sluggish. There were times where he didn’t seem to show as much fight as in others.
Summary:
Pegues has some upside thanks to his combination of size, length, and athleticism. He has flashed quick penetration ability and some good rush moves, but he will need to get stronger to better handle the heavier interior offensive linemen, and to improve against the run. That should be able to get done. The bigger thing might be playing with a more consistent motor. If you look at his wins and losses, his motor being good on the good plays and bad on the bad plays was a common theme. Shows that maybe he left some production on the field. His tape was a bit disappointing, given the potential he seems to have, but he can be a good player at the next level if coaches can get it out of him. If not, he might be limited to a rotational role.
| Grade: 69.5 | Round Grade: 5th |
16
Ty Hamilton
School: Ohio State
Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 299 lbs
Strengths:
Hamilton has a decent blend of strength and athleticism, though he is probably more twitchy than fast. He’s got some wiggle to his game that allows him to penetrate through gaps and bend around one of the interior rush edges to put pressure on the QB. Hamilton has some pop in his punch and has a bull rush that will do some good things for him. Against the run, his penetration ability is useful when lanes need to be clogged up, and he has enough quickness to react to the movements of the ball carrier and still have the chance to make a play.
Weaknesses:
Hamilton has solid traits, but not any particular one that is elite. He’s got good quickness, but I don’t think his speed quite matches. His strength is also solid, but like with his athleticism, higher end opponeents who are better across the board will be tough for him. Hamilton’s attack as a pass rusher is extremely basic, which makes him predictable. You see an arm over move every so often, but he usually opts to bull rush or try to use his quickness to get around the rush edge. This kind of predictability will make it a lot easier for opposing offensive linemen. As well, Hamilton is lacking in length which, in certain matchups, will make it very hard to disengage from blocks.
Summary:
I don’t know if Hamilton has enough there to become a regular starter, but he’s got a skill set that is well rounded enough for him to be a good rotational player. His quickness and strength are not elite, but probably above average when looking at them as a combination. He should be able to push the pocket and sometimes get through with his bull rush, while his twitch will allow him to penetrate some gaps. In order to have a chance to elevate his game beyond that of a decent rotational guy, he’ll need to add a lot more tools to his toolbox. His rush attack is too plain and predictable. If he can get some of that down, we could see his game reach a new level, but it is easier said than done. Without doing so, he can still be disruptive, but the production will probably be capped.
| Grade: 68.1 | Round Grade: 5th |
17
Deone Walker
School: Kentucky
Ht/Wt: 6’7”, 331 lbs
Strengths:
Walker has a massive frame and very long reach–traits that have the potential to give him an upper hand in almost any matchup. His reach makes it easy to win with a swim move, and his natural leverage, when used correctly, can be very tough to block against. Walker is able to keep his opponent an arm’s length away, which makes it easier to disengage. He shows the ability to bench press his opponent off of him, and then move over laterally to make a tackle against the run. His large tackle radius helps secure it. For such a big guy, it was surprising how thin he could make himself when attempting to get through gaps. He has decent quickness for his size, and these traits sometimes make the offensive lineman sell out to protect the rush edge, which perfectly sets up the inside counter. Walker also does well to get his arms up to block or knock down passes.
Weaknesses:
Walker has solid agility for his size, but his burst and get-off don’t really stand out at all. As well, his speed in pursuit isn’t anything special, and statistical pass rush production might be hard to come by. There are long stretches where he fails to generate much at all, especially later in games when he tends to wear down. Conditioning seems to be something he can improve. As fatigue sets in, you increasingly see his pad level rise, which turns the tables on who has the leverage. Now it is Walker who is getting pushed back. Walker has a good swim move, but could still add more to his toolbox to diversify his attack.
Summary:
Walker is a flashy but inconsistent player. You see the size, length, and relatively good quickness that he has, and it has led to some wins in both phases. A good swim move has also helped. At this point, though, he looks a bit better as a run defender. He shows some good things as a pass rusher, in addition to the swim move, like being able to get skinny through the gaps as a penetrator. But poor conditioning and overall burst and speed caused consistency to drop. With additional technical development, he should be able to be more disruptive on a consistent basis, rather than just showing flashes. But the big question is if he will be able to translate it into production? If he can, the ceiling might be pretty high. If not, he projects more as a good run defender who will have some splashy plays rushing the passer. In any event, before we even get to that discussion, he’ll have to improve his conditioning and play at a lower pad level than he has for large stretches.
| Grade: 66.1 | Round Grade: 5th |
18
Warren Brinson
School: Georgia
Ht/Wt: 6’5”, 315 lbs
Strengths:
Brinson has a pretty good motor and shows some feistiness as a pass rusher. His hands are active as he tries to swipe away those of his opponent before getting through with an inside counter. He’s got decent quickness and is able to make himself thin as he attempts to get through the gap. Brinson is a pretty decent lateral mover with the ability to slide over to make tackles against the run. He also does well to maximize his leverage, playing at a low centre of gravity and not allowing his opponent to get him off balance.
Weaknesses:
Brinson has decent power, but isn’t really overbearing or anything. He’ll create some push, but offensive linemen have been able to anchor against him. More often, when he isn’t able to win with finesse or quickness, he loses the rep. There were some rush moves in his toolbox, but their effectiveness varied. Sometimes his swim move was unsuccessful and the offensive lineman was able to perfectly mirror the rush. Brinson wasn’t a full time starter in college and didn’t have the most statistical production.
Summary:
Brinson has enough quickness and plays with good enough leverage to disengage from blocks at the line. This enables him to make some plays against the run. His motor and quickness also allow for some flashes as a pass rusher, and a good swipe move can be a pain for his opponents to deal with. However, he only plays with modest power, and will need to improve his technique when it comes to some of his other rush moves. He is solid against the run and can also be solid, at the next level, as a pass rusher. But the ceiling doesn’t seem to be very high. He projects as a solid piece of the rotation who might have more flashes than statistical production, even as a pro.
| Grade: 65.7 | Round Grade: 5th |
19
Elijah Simmons
School: Tennessee
Ht/Wt: 6’1”, 334 lbs
Strengths:
Simmons plays with a nasty mean streak. Arguably the hardest hitting DL in this class. He makes his money as a run defender. His strength shows up in abundance, which he uses to toss defenders off to the side. But it isn’t just strength. Simmons plays with good natural leverage as well. He is at a low centre of gravity, and doesn’t let his opponent get into his chest. Simmons shows the odd flash as a pass rusher with his bull rush. I’d expect him to have some pocket pushing capabilities at the next level. His good get off, high motor, and strong hand strikes should help.
Weaknesses:
Simmons has good burst but not a lot of twitch. As a result, he likely won’t be a big threat as a pass rusher outside of his ability to bull rush. It also doesn’t help that he doesn’t really utilize rush moves or inside counters. With a lot of DL depth on his team at Tennessee, his snap count was quite low, and he doesn’t have much experience on the field for someone who played as long as he did. Maybe he got the raw end to the deal a little bit, but it is still somewhat concerning that he couldn’t carve out more of a role in so much time spent there.
Summary:
Simmons projects as a run stuffing NT at the next level. It was a bit concerning that he never really was able to crack their starting lineup, even considering the depth Tennessee had on the DL. But still, his flashes were about as good as run defending flashes can be. His mean streak and demeanour is something you want on your defence. You can tell he takes pride in delivering a big hit. He won’t offer much as a pass rusher, and his ceiling is a 2 down role as a run defender. This, along with his low snap count, likely relegates him to the late rounds. But I think he will have some coaches pounding the table for him later on. His profile would suggest UDFA, but I’d be surprised if his tape doesn’t prompt someone to take a chance on him late.
| Grade: 62.4 | Round Grade: 6th |
20
Jamaree Caldwell
School: Oregon
Ht/Wt: 6’2”, 332 lbs
Strengths:
Caldwell has a dense, well built frame, and is able to play with power. He has some decent moments against double teams, where he was able to claw his way through. The run game is where he’ll make most of his money. He gets a good hand strike in early, and then can disengage at the right time to clog up the gap. Caldwell also shows flashes of a decent bull rush, and is scrappy enough to get through from time to time.
Weaknesses:
Caldwell is a below average athlete, which hinders his overall game. He doesn’t have the burst or twitch to be a consistent threat as a pass rusher. Even against the run, if it happens that he has to redirect, he most likely is done. Caldwell doesn’t have great length for the position, which can put him at a disadvantage when trying to play with leverage. Bigger offensive lineman have an easier time sustaining their block, and he has a tougher time battling through it.
Summary:
Caldwell isn’t a flashy player, but instead more of a lunch pail kind of guy. He takes up space in the middle and is capable of working through double teams. However, his lack of athleticism will limit the ceiling. He shows the odd flash as a pass rusher, but disappears often for long stretches. His lack of length will cause issues disengaging when playing the run, but he still has enough strength and power to produce more good than bad in this area. He might get through the odd time as a pass rusher, but he will be a run stuffing NT at the next level, with mostly middling traits, outside of strength. He projects as a solid rotational guy, but will have to work to maybe one day be a starter with the same role.
| Grade: 60.3 | Round Grade: 6th |
21
Aeneas Peebles
School: Virginia Tech
Ht/Wt: 6’1”, 282 lbs
Strengths:
Peebles is an athletic player with a great get-off. His burst gives him an early jump at penetrating the gaps, and heavy footed interior lineman aren’t always able to slide over in time. He also uses a couple of different rush moves in an attempt to get into the backfield. His swim move was probably the most effective, but his spin is pretty solid as well. Peebles has a high motor. This helps him in his pursuit of the QB, and once in a while, his feistiness will earn him a win. As well, it will get him a “clean up” sack every so often, when he is able to take advantage of a play that drags on a bit longer than usual, and put himself in position to finally end it.
Weaknesses:
Size is a major issue for Peebles. He is extremely undersized, and rarely is able to implement power into his game. Guards are often able to anchor against him in pass protection, and pave him away in the run game. His length, or lack thereof, makes it tough for him to disengage from blocks, especially when trying to defend the run. As well, it even takes away from his swim move, and makes it easier for offensive linemen to defend against.
Summary:
Peebles projects as a sub package guy at the next level. A pass rush specialist. His lack of size, length, and power makes him too much of a liability against the run to be an every down player. However, his athleticism and ability to get quick gap penetrating wins will be useful in certain situations. On obvious passing downs, he will be able to completely gear up towards getting to the QB, without having to worry about the run. This gives him his best chance at success. He’ll likely be a mid to late rounder, but Peebles can be a solid addition as a role player.
| Grade: 59.2 | Round Grade: 7th |
22
Cam Jackson
School: Florida
Ht/Wt: 6’6”, 328 lbs
Strengths:
Jackson has a large frame and good length which, as a NT, helps him in both phases. He has a decent motor, and will battle as a pass rusher. The odd time, you see a push/pull move work, or a bull rush that a scrambling QB runs into. He is at his best defending the run, where his long reach helps him disengage and make tackles. Jackson is a big guy and eats up a lot of space in the middle. It is tough for lanes to be paved open in his direction, and he is sometimes able to meet the ball carrier at the line. There were also instances of him winning with a spin move and getting a tackle for a loss.
Weaknesses:
Jackson put up very little production in college. As a pass rusher, he had the odd flash, but he was invisible for long stretches. He doesn’t have much burst, and his overall athleticism isn’t much better. The speed and agility needed to pursue the QB are both lacking, and most of his rush production seemed to be him creating some push up the middle, and the QB then running into his vicinity–close enough for him to make a play. Even as a run defender, there were some inconsistencies. His pad level gets up a bit high and he loses leverage, with the play sometimes passing him by.
Summary:
Jackson projects as a 2 down NT at the next level. He’ll give you the odd flash as a pass rusher, but not enough, in all likelihood, to play on passing downs, even with development. Against the run, he is half decent, and uses his size and length well. His swim move has done some good things for him. However, his pad level is too high sometimes, and his hand technique could be a bit better. I don’t see enough athleticism to really project a whole lot more growth here. He can improve marginally by working on his technique and gaining experience. But his ceiling is still likely a 2 down run stuffer. His early days will be spent as a depth guy.
| Grade: 58.1 | Round Grade: 7th |
23
Nazir Stackhouse
School: Georgia
Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 327 lbs
Strengths:
Stackhouse is a big and strong run stuffing NT. He’s got a strong punch to shock his opponent, and will eat up a lot of space, which frees things up for the guys around him. Stackhouse is like a brick wall in the middle. If the ball is handed off up the guy in his direction, there is a good chance he’ll stonewall it. He does a good job of disengaging at the right time to make these tackles.
Weaknesses:
Stackhouse offers very little in terms of pass rush. He might get you the odd pressure or even the odd sack, but not much more. This is largely because he doesn’t bring much athleticism to the table. His get off is slow, he has no pursuit speed, and certainly no twitch. No rush moves either. It’s pretty much a zero across the board. Twitch is the main one that even impacts him as a run defender. There are times where he will get close to making a position, but just couldn’t move laterally and adjust his frame in time.
Summary:
The criticism of his athleticism and pass rush ability sound harsh but are warranted. That being said, I don’t think he deserves to fall out of the draft altogether. He is actually a very solid run defender when it comes to the inside ones. “What you see is what you get” kind of player. Stackhouse is a force in the trenches, and getting tackled by him will hurt. His ability to free himself and stonewall ball carriers at the line will provide value. Given his lack of pass rush, he is unlikely to ever start, even given that NT’s are primarily run defenders. But he has enough to make it as a backup NT who sees the odd rotational snap between the 20’s, and comes onto the field in short yardage and goal line situations.
| Grade: 55.0 | Round Grade: 7th |
DT Rankings:
- Walter Nolen (86.6, Rd 1)
- Mason Graham (86.5, Rd 1)
- Derrick Harmon (85.2, Rd 1)
- TJ Sanders (85.0, Rd 1)
- Tyleik Williams (83.9, Rd 2)
- Kenneth Grant (83.5, Rd 2)
- Ty Robinson (80.9, Rd 2)
- Shamar Turner (78.4, Rd 3)
- Omarr Norman-Lott (75.5, Rd 3)
- Joshua Farmer (75.0, Rd 3)
- Darius Alexander (73.4, Rd 4)
- Alfred Collins (71.5, Rd 4)
- Tonka Hemingway (70.2, Rd 4)
- Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (70.0, Rd 4)
- JJ Pegues (69.5, Rd 5)
- Ty Hamilton (68.1, Rd 5)
- Deone Walker (66.1, Rd 5)
- Warren Brinson (65.7, Rd 5)
- Elijah Simmons (62.4, Rd 6)
- Jamaree Caldwell (60.3, Rd 6)
- Aeneas Peebles (59.2, Rd 7)
- Cam Jackson (58.1, Rd 7)
- Nazir Stackhouse (55.0, Rd 7)
Notables Not Graded:
- CJ West
- Rylie Mills
- Vernon Broughton
- Tim Smith
- Cam Horsley
Featured Image Via: Maize & Blue Nation (CC)