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- P.J. Mustipher – Penn State
Mustipher is a large run stopper in the middle of the defensive line. He is powerful and has some solid push. In order to be more productive and not just a body absorbing space, Mustipher needs to work on pad level so that he does not get moved as easily. Mustipher also needs to develop more consistency with his play. He will fit best as a developmental 4-3 defensive tackle.
Player Comparison: Leki Fotu
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Las Vegas (Wild Card – New York Jets)
- Jalen Redmond – Oklahoma
Redmond is a smaller defensive tackle and a former defensive end. He is quicker than most tackles and does have some flashes of solid power. He controls his gaps well and is rarely moved by single blockers. Redmond also displays some strong play recognition and once he identifies where the play is going, he quickly penetrates through the nearest gap. There is plenty of developmental appeal, but Redmond was an underachiever in college. His leverage can be inconsistent as well due to his lack of weight. Redmond will likely be a rotational tackle in a 4-3 base defense.
Player Comparison: Byron Cowart
Projection: 4th – 6th Round
Best Fits: Houston, Dallas, Chicago (Wild Card – Philadelphia)
- Byron Young – Alabama
Young is a versatile defensive tackle with a prototypical build and size. He has a thick lower half and a strong upper half which makes him physically dominant and a force to move in gap control. He sheds off offensive linemen well and has the strength to anchor against the run. Young does have a bit of a balance issue which needs to be corrected. Also, he lacks any value as a pass rusher. Young could easily play in any scheme.
Player Comparison: Ross Blacklock
Projection: 4th – 6th Round
Best Fits: Cleveland, Las Vegas, Chicago (Wild Card – Detroit)
- Tyler Lacy – Oklahoma State
Lacy can be listed as an edge rusher or a defensive tackle, but I view him inside in the NFL. He is an experienced player with a significant amount of reps at the college level. Lacy has nice play recognition and urgency in his play coupled with a great motor. He displays active hands and adds value with his versatility. He is the definition of a tweener and has some issues with a lack of leverage. Lacy also has some underwhelming burst. In a 4-3 defense he would be a nice rotational defensive tackle coming in next to a larger tackle.
Player Comparison: Dre’Mont Jones (much less explosive version)
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: San Francisco, Houston, Kansas City (Wild Card – New Orleans)
- Jerrod Clark – Coastal Carolina
Clark is a large nose tackle at 345 pounds. His primary job is to serve as a run stuffer and to take up space. Clark has a large wing span which helps him drive back blockers and bat down passes. He has a slow buildup as a pass rusher but does possess some three down potential. Clark needs some work on his technique and has a tendency to get stuck on blocks/struggle to separate. He does not offer positional versatility. Teams with 3-4 base defenses should look his way, but there may be a slight bit of appeal in a 4-3.
Player Comparison: Travis Jones
Projection: 3rd – 5th Round
Best Fits: Pittsburgh, Seattle, Minnesota (Wild Card – Arizona)
- DJ Dale – Alabama
Dale is a stoutly built defensive tackle with a thick lower half. He moves well in pursuit and locates ball carriers well. Dale is a high effort type of player – other players may be more skilled but Dale’s effort is hard to match. Due to Dale’s size and hustle, he does get fatigued late in games. He will need to get stronger at the next level and probably would operate best next to a larger defensive tackle in a 4-3 base defense.
Player Comparison: Javon Hargrave / Neville Gallimore
Projection: 4th – 5th Round
Best Fits: Philadelphia, Detroit, Kansas City (Wild Card – Dallas)
- Karl Brooks – Bowling Green
Brooks is another player that may be considered an edge rusher. It’s hard to figure out exactly what he is because he is a tweener. Schematically he will probably be best suited as a 3-4 defensive end or as a pass rush specialist defensive tackle in a 4-3. Brooks plays like he is shot out of a cannon and is disruptive to the highest degree. I have coined him “The King of Pressure” the last few months after a strong Senior Bowl and rising draft stock. He is full of energy, very balanced and is not afraid of physicality. Brooks also possesses better footwork than most other interior players plus gets better leverage. He does suffer from inconsistent hand placement and has a short list of counter moves. He is another player that gets more limited the farther he is lined up away from the ball because of a lack of bend around the edge. It is unknown if Brooks can be an every down player but he is a good one.
Player Comparison: Chris Jones (pass rush ability) / Jordan Elliott (build)
Projection: 3rd – 5th Round
Best Fits: New Orleans, Chicago, Jacksonville (Wild Card – Washington)
- Moro Ojomo – Texas
Ojomo is a versatile defensive lineman that is quick out of his stance and shoots gaps. Ojomo is able to get skinny, creating penetration. He is an experienced player but will likely be a rotational/role player in the NFL. The closer he lines up to the center, the less effective he becomes because he wants to use a little more athleticism than brute strength. When lined up closer to the edge he is a playmaker. Ojomo will need to gain some more strength but playing as a 3-4 defensive end or defensive tackle will help him get away from the middle.
Player Comparison: Jerry Tillery / Roderick Perry II
Projection: 4th – 6th Round
Best Fits: Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee, Atlanta (Wild Card – Denver)
- Calijah Kancey – Pittsburgh
Kancey is a lightning quick defensive tackle who was a spark plug for the Pitt Panthers defense. He is smaller in stature but not afraid to challenge bigger blockers by making first contact. He shoots gaps quickly and displays a top notch motor. Kancey is a tough player. His lack of mass and weight at 6’ and 275 pounds makes me wonder how he will translate to the league and what scheme might end up being best for him. That will of course depend on the team that selects him but expect him to serve as a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 pass rush defensive tackle.
Player Comparison: T.Y. McGill / Khalen Saunders
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Seattle, Houston, Minnesota (Wild Card – Philadelphia)
- Zacch Pickens – South Carolina
Pickens is one of the prototypical 4-3 defensive tackles in this year’s class. He has quick hand speed and manages to keep moving even when slowed down or initially stopped. Pickens creates plenty of havoc and wins quickly when rushing the passer. He also has no issues deconstructing blocks in the run game. He does struggle against double teams but that comes back to the fact that he needs to get behind his pads more and be more physical at the point of attack.
Player Comparison: Matt Ioannidis
Projection: 3rd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit (Wild Card – Las Vegas)
- Siaki Ika – Baylor
Ika is a massive 360 pound nose tackle. Despite being a space-eater, he is disruptive and a solid pocket pusher. He is an excellent run stopper and an ideal early down rotation piece. He has some initial quickness and slipperiness for his size. Ika’s low center of gravity plus power makes him a solid anchor and helps him keep his linebackers clean. He probably could afford to cut some weight to be more dynamic because he is pretty athletic. His shorter arm length and inconsistency versus double teams are two of the only flaws in his game. He will absolutely have a limited snap role.
Player Comparison: Danny Shelton
Projection: 3rd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Arizona, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota (Wild Card – Seattle)
- Keeanu Benton – Wisconsin
Benton is a powerful and unmovable nose tackle. He is stout with an extremely strong anchor. Benton is more athletic than the normal nose tackle which makes him versatile. He has ideal length, walks blockers right back into the backfield and also gets offensive linemen off balance. He is a master at understanding leverage and countering to the blockers move because of his wrestling background. Benton is a true run stuffer with limited pass rush ability. I have struggled finding flaws in his game but building a plan of attack to improve his pass rush ability might be his biggest development piece. Benton may actually be best suited for a 4-3 base defense but could certainly play in a 3-4 base.
Player Comparison: DJ Reader
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Cleveland, New Orleans, Las Vegas (Wild Card – Houston)
- Mazi Smith – Michigan
Smith is another run stuffing space eater in the middle of the defensive line. He does a good job of plugging holes and gets double teamed regularly. He has great strength and size in addition to some decent lateral agility. As a pass rusher, Smith is all power and actually moves faster in pursuit than most 330 pounders. He has shorter arm length and he can improve on his hand counters. Sometimes Smith can be a bit slow off the snap as well. Lastly, the biggest concern around Smith is the felony weapons charge that put Smith on a 12 month probation. He has the skills to be an impactful nose tackle in a 4-3 or 3-4 base defense but his draft stock may have taken a slight hit. Regardless, he is a solid football player.
Player Comparison: Alim McNeill (size and style of play) / Malik McDowell (off the field concerns)
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Los Angeles Rams (Wild Card – Atlanta)
Watch as Cole unveils the top 3 – highlights included!
