Top draft prospects - Defensive Tackle

College football and the NFL Draft

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The team stats I used were for illustrative purposes only, cos the math was easy.

Sincerely, a Liberal Arts major
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Siaki Ika, Baylor. An amazingly agile 358 pounder. Weight keeps trending upwards, he can't get any higher, might have limited number of plays in college. Limited in getting to QB but unmoveable on the line

Calijah Kancey, Pitt. Considered somewhat undersized at 6'0", 280 pounds but he gets to the QB, having the top DT grade for this.
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Grizzled wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:51 am Siaki Ika, Baylor. An amazingly agile 358 pounder. Weight keeps trending upwards, he can't get any higher, might have limited number of plays in college. Limited in getting to QB but unmoveable on the line
I like him for clogging up with middle and being disruptive on the line. Adding him would also help open it up for the LB's and DE's. He has 3T experience and it seems he could fit the Flus' style of D.

That said, not sure if the fat % weight would be an issue for Flus'. Will be interesting if he comes to the combine a little lighter or worse yet, has gained even more.
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bearsoldier wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 8:15 am
Grizzled wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:51 am Siaki Ika, Baylor. An amazingly agile 358 pounder. Weight keeps trending upwards, he can't get any higher, might have limited number of plays in college. Limited in getting to QB but unmoveable on the line
I like him for clogging up with middle and being disruptive on the line. Adding him would also help open it up for the LB's and DE's. He has 3T experience and it seems he could fit the Flus' style of D.

That said, not sure if the fat % weight would be an issue for Flus'. Will be interesting if he comes to the combine a little lighter or worse yet, has gained even more.
Haven't seen him play. From descriptions, I don't think he's that 3T guy but would be an immovable force next to one. Still P.O.ed they got rid of Tonga, the run defense sucked all year from lack of a run stuffer.
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I would have kept Tonga as well... He would have been good for the rotation and was better than decent at stuffing the run.
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Carter absolutely has the ability to be a dominant 3-technique. Like, Chris Jones/Fletcher Cox-level dominant.
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thunderspirit wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 8:13 pm Carter absolutely has the ability to be a dominant 3-technique. Like, Chris Jones/Fletcher Cox-level dominant.
Chris Jones is a great comp (Jones is a little taller). Similar things were said about Jones pre-draft.
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The Kaiser wrote: Sat Jan 07, 2023 10:37 pm
EricTighe wrote: Sat Jan 07, 2023 9:12 am By the way Donalds numbers in College.

In 52 games he has 181 tackles- 66 tackles for loss- 29.5 sacks - 6 forced fumbles and 10 passes defended.

Ridiculous numbers!
Interestingly, Calijah Kancey has numbers that match up pretty favorably to Aaron Donald's- considering that Aaron Donals is one of the greatest of all time at the position.

In their first three years:

Donald: Games: 39, Tackles: 122, TFL: 37.5, Sacks: 18.5
Kancey: Games: 33, Tackles: 90, TFL: 34.5, Sacks: 16

Donald was 6'1", 285 at the combine. He ran just below 4.7 and benched 35 reps with 32.5" arms.
Kancey may come in at the same weight but slightly shorter. Not sure on his 40 time, arm length or strength- combine will be important.

But still, I would be happy with taking a bet on Kancy in the 3rd or 4th and getting him in the rotation as a pass rush specialist.
Kancey is interesting, but I worry he's just too small to hold up - I've seen him listed closer to 270 vs 285.
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Here is Dane Brugler's Top 15 DT (from The Athletic):

1. Jalen Carter | Georgia | 6-3, 310
2. Bryan Bresee | Clemson | 6-6, 316
3. Siaki Ika | Baylor | 6-4, 354
4. Mazi Smith | Michigan | 6-3, 335
5. Gervon Dexter Sr. | Florida | 6-6, 316
6. Keeanu Benton | Wisconsin | 6-4, 312
7. Byron Young | Alabama | 6-3, 299
8. Colby Wooden | Auburn | 6-5, 285
9. Calijah Kancey | Pittsburgh | 6-0, 275
10. Zacch Pickens | South Carolina | 6-4, 305
11. Keondre Coburn | Texas | 6-2, 339
12. Cameron Young | Mississippi State | 6-4, 316
13. Karl Brooks | Bowling Green | 6-3, 305
14. Moro Ojomo | Texas | 6-3, 284
15. Jaquelin Roy | LSU | 6-3, 315
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From PFF:


This is as diverse a defensive tackle class as I’ve seen in a few years. This top includes almost every body type you can think of, from tiny three-techniques to long five-techniques and massive nose tackles.

10. JER’ZHAN NEWTON, ILLINOIS (RS SOPHOMORE | 6-2, 295)
2022 Grade: 91.0
Play Style: Agile Disruptor
Initial Round Projection: Late Day 2
One of the biggest risers in the entire draft class, Newton played 611 snaps as a redshirt freshman yet earned only a 57.7 overall grade. He came back in 2022 and looked like a completely different player altogether with one of the most productive seasons at the position in the country.


At 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds, Newton personifies the three-technique position. His quick feet and hands were made to rack up plays on the football. And he did just that in 2022 with 55 pressures and 30 run stops. I just wouldn’t expect him to bring too much versatility to the fold.

9. KEONDRE COBURN, TEXAS (RS SENIOR | 6-2, 344)
2022 Grade: 77.7
Play Style: Do-It-All Nose
Initial Round Projection: Late Day 2
Coburn’s flashes are first-round caliber. His combination of power and quicks leads to reps that leave your jaw on the floor. At 344 pounds, he’s a handful when he wants to be.


If you haven’t picked up from my wording yet, though, it should be made clear that those plays come far too infrequently to draft Coburn high. And that’s even true for his career year this past fall. His tape in 2021 was less encouraging, as evidenced by his 62.4 overall grade. Coburn could very easily be a starting nose tackle in the NFL, but can he keep that up for a 17-game season is the question.

8. KEEANU BENTON, WISCONSIN (SENIOR | 6-4, 315)
2022 Grade: 73.7
Play Style: Versatile Penetrator
Initial Round Projection: Day 2
Benton has the unique ability to get into the backfield of opposing offenses. When he pins his ears back, all 315 pounds can get moving in a hurry. It’s why he earned an 83.6 pass-rushing grade this season.

Despite Benton having the length of a two-gapping nose tackle, that’s not a role I’d love him in at the next level. Holding up to double teams and playing low was an issue on tape. If you’re playing him on the nose, I’d give him the freedom to work upfield. Otherwise, Benton is probably better suited as a 3-4 defensive end.


7. MORO OJOMO, TEXAS (RS SENIOR | 6-3, 284)
2022 Grade: 90.7
Play Style: Powerful Hands Fighter
Initial Round Projection: Day 2
Ojomo had shown promise in years past, but in 2022 he brought it on every single play. Ojomo earned a sub-70.0 overall game grade just once as he provided a consistent, disruptive force for the Longhorns. While he is listed at only 281 pounds, play strength was not a concern on tape. He can reset the line when he wants to and plays with great leverage.


It is worth wondering why he played only 337 snaps in 11 games this season, though. That figure ranked fourth among Texas' defensive tackles. While all the others along the front are also NFL-caliber players, it’s still worth questioning.

6. KARL BROOKS, BOWLING GREEN (RS SENIOR | 6-4, 300)
2022 Grade: 93.4
Play Style: Penetrator
Initial Round Projection: Day 2
Brooks is in the tweener category. He’s not quite stout enough to be an every-down defensive tackle and not quite long nor explosive enough to stay on the edge, where he played for Bowling Green. Still, the quicks he plays with for a 300-pounder is something I’m willing to bet on — especially when it translated to the football field for an 89.6 run-defense grade and a 94.8 pass-rushing grade in 2022.


While there may be a bit of a learning curve when he gets to the NFL, Brooks is the type of athlete I’d take a chance on.

5. MAZI SMITH, MICHIGAN (SENIOR | 6-3, 337)
2022 Grade: 76.8
Play Style: Stout Nose
Initial Round Projection: Early Day 2
Smith has long-term NFL starter written all over him. When he wants to drop anchor, there’s little chance of moving him against his will. That ability alone is growing more attractive to NFL defenses trying to stop the run with light boxes.


The only question left for Smith is why four years in with one of the best athletic profiles you’ll see from a nose tackle hasn’t translated to affecting the passer more. He’s registered only 23 pressures on 368 pass-rushing snaps this season, and that may never be his game at the next level.

4. CALIJAH KANCEY, PITTSBURGH (RS JUNIOR | 6-0, 280)
2022 Grade: 91.8
Play Style: Twitchy 3-Tech/Edge Tweener
Initial Round Projection: Early Day 2
Kancey will likely end up the prospect I’m higher on than most. What’s going to scare off most others is obvious. Currently, only six defensive tackles are listed at 6-foot or shorter in the NFL, and there are 16 defensive tackles listed at 280 pounds or lighter but precisely zero NFL defensive tackles who are both. Kancey will be an outlier no matter what position he plays at that size. Watch him move so effortlessly on a football field, though, and it’s easy to see him breaking the mold, whether on the interior or off the edge.


Kancey just knows how to get to quarterbacks. You see him stack moves together and counter what offensive linemen are doing so effortlessly on tape. It’s why he led all defensive tackles in college football with a 92.4 pass-rushing grade. He won’t fit into every scheme, but the ones he does will love him.

3. SIAKI IKA, BAYLOR (RS JUNIOR | 6-4, 358)
2022 Grade: 74.5
Play Style: Nimble Nose
Initial Round Projection: 1-2
A 358-pounder never looked so good. Siaki Ika’s lateral agility at his size is a sight to behold. Centers expected him to try to play through them, and Ika consistently left them grasping at air over the course of his Baylor career. Ika racked up 51 pressures in two years at Baylor after transferring from LSU.


The biggest thing keeping Ika from getting a true first-round grade is workload. He averaged just under 35 snaps per game for the Bears in 2022. Combine that with the fact that his weight is going the wrong way from 340 pounds when he left LSU to 350 last year to now 358, and it’s worth wondering how much impact an NFL team can get from a man that size.

2. BRYAN BRESEE, CLEMSON (RS SOPHOMORE | 6-5, 305)
2022 Grade: 72.3
Play Style: Long, Versatile Athlete
Initial Round Projection: 1st
The former No. 1 overall recruit out of high school in the 2020 class has not quite lived up to that lofty billing, but the tools are still there. He’s barely played, though, seeing a grand total of 884 snaps across three seasons for various reasons (most notably, an ACL tear in 2021).

Look no further than the ACC championship game against North Carolina to see why Bresee is still thought of in such high regard despite 302 snaps in 2022. He racked up five pressures on 18 pass-rushing snaps in dominant fashion. They even had the 300-plus-pounder rushing off the edge, where he showed his prodigious athletic gifts.


1. JALEN CARTER, GEORGIA (JUNIOR | 6-3, 300)
2022 Grade: 92.7
Play Style: Complete DT
Initial Round Projection: Top Five
Carter has put together a viable case for being the best defensive tackle prospect in the PFF era. Quinnen Williams is the current title holder coming out of Alabama in 2019, but there were some worries about his game that don’t apply to Carter. Williams was a one-year wonder who broke out in his redshirt sophomore season, while Carter had the highest pass-rushing grade on the vaunted 2021 Georgia defensive line as a sophomore. Williams didn’t have elite strength but made up for it with elite quicks, while Carter’s play strength is off the charts.

At a minimum, the run Carter has been on since returning from an early-season ankle injury is the most dominant these eyes have seen at the position since PFF started grading college in 2014. From Week 9 on, Carter has earned a 93.0 overall grade to lead the country.


He’ll head into the 2023 draft as the top non-quarterback on PFF’s draft board.
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Among DTs, these guys stood out yesterday at the Senior Bowl:

Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
Byron Young, Alabama
Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

Derek Hall, Auburn has gotten notices earlier in the week.
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If not Daron Payne:
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Grizzled wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:31 am Among DTs, these guys stood out yesterday at the Senior Bowl:

Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
Byron Young, Alabama
Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

Derek Hall, Auburn has gotten notices earlier in the week.
Adebawore looks like he can make the transition to 3-technique, as does Karl Brooks. Those two, and Auburn's Colby Wooden, are mid-to-late Day 2 guys I like.

On Day 3, I like Dante Stills early; and beyond Round 4, I'd roll dice on any of these non-Combine invites: San Diego State's Jonah Tavai, Wake Forest's Kobie Turner, or Chattanooga's Devonnsha Maxwell.
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What happened to Dante Stills this year? I remember him being rated much higher last year when most of the draft sites thought we was coming out. Or were they jsut getting him mixed up with his brother?
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Z Bear wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:40 am What happened to Dante Stills this year? I remember him being rated much higher last year when most of the draft sites thought we was coming out. Or were they jsut getting him mixed up with his brother?
Dunno.
I don't remember that.
I was just noticing the other day how I took him in the 7th in my first sim in May 22, and he's still a regular consideration in the 7th.
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Z Bear wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:40 am What happened to Dante Stills this year? I remember him being rated much higher last year when most of the draft sites thought we was coming out. Or were they jsut getting him mixed up with his brother?
Stills is a good-not-great (by NFL standards) athlete without great physical tools who'll turn 24 in December. His productivity (which is considerable) has hustle and technique in it as much as athletic ability. That has plenty of value on any team, but it's more common than the athletic and physical freaks, so those rarities get drafted sooner.

I don't think the feedback he got from the league last year told him he was a Day 1 or 2 pick. That's more or less the same spot this year.

Also, among (some, not all) draftniks, there's a certain level of "you didn't come out early? Must be Something Wrong With You syndrome!" Which is dumb, because everyone's situation is different and should t be viewed through identical lenses, but does exist.
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Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern extremely high on my wish list. COuld end up being a steal for who ever gets him.
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I watch more Northwestern football than anyone should ( my dad was a graduate) - Adebawore will be a good rotational player, but not sure he has the physical specs to be a starter at DE. IF he could add 20 good pounds, his game is better suited inside.

A similar player who I really like sliding inside is Southern Cal’s Tuli Tuipulotu.
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wulfy wrote: Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:12 am I watch more Northwestern football than anyone should ( my dad was a graduate) - Adebawore will be a good rotational player, but not sure he has the physical specs to be a starter at DE. IF he could add 20 good pounds, his game is better suited inside.

A similar player who I really like sliding inside is Southern Cal’s Tuli Tuipulotu.
Tuli played outside. I like the kid. If he wasn't talked about in the early second or end of the first I would love to have him in the third. Doubt he makes it that far.
Adebawore has a non stop motor. exceptional quickness, exceptional strength with no pass rush moves. Northwestern miss used him playing him outside as much as they did. This kid was born to play inside. At almost 290 he is more than big enough to play inside in our system.
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Z Bear wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:40 am What happened to Dante Stills this year? I remember him being rated much higher last year when most of the draft sites thought we was coming out. Or were they jsut getting him mixed up with his brother?
I feel like Dante Stills has been in college for a decade even though he hasn't. I know he was once considered a fringe 1st round prospect, but I don't know what contributed to his fall.
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EricTighe wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:26 pm Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern extremely high on my wish list. COuld end up being a steal for who ever gets him.
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2023/ ... -adebawore

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Ade ... thwestern




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Grizzled wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:31 am Among DTs, these guys stood out yesterday at the Senior Bowl:

Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
Byron Young, Alabama
Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

Derek Hall, Auburn has gotten notices earlier in the week.
Didn't love Young to be honest
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thunderspirit wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 12:37 am
Grizzled wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:31 am Among DTs, these guys stood out yesterday at the Senior Bowl:

Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
Byron Young, Alabama
Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

Derek Hall, Auburn has gotten notices earlier in the week.
Adebawore looks like he can make the transition to 3-technique, as does Karl Brooks. Those two, and Auburn's Colby Wooden, are mid-to-late Day 2 guys I like.

On Day 3, I like Dante Stills early; and beyond Round 4, I'd roll dice on any of these non-Combine invites: San Diego State's Jonah Tavai, Wake Forest's Kobie Turner, or Chattanooga's Devonnsha Maxwell.
Liked Brooks during Senior Bowl week
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Jalen Redmond is a dude I'd look at in round 3 - which might be a round early, but I'd still do it.

Probably not going to start any time soon, but he could be wildly effective in a rotation.
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dave99 wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:43 pm
3. SIAKI IKA, BAYLOR (RS JUNIOR | 6-4, 358)
2022 Grade: 74.5
Play Style: Nimble Nose
Initial Round Projection: 1-2
A 358-pounder never looked so good. Siaki Ika’s lateral agility at his size is a sight to behold. Centers expected him to try to play through them, and Ika consistently left them grasping at air over the course of his Baylor career. Ika racked up 51 pressures in two years at Baylor after transferring from LSU.

The biggest thing keeping Ika from getting a true first-round grade is workload. He averaged just under 35 snaps per game for the Bears in 2022. Combine that with the fact that his weight is going the wrong way from 340 pounds when he left LSU to 350 last year to now 358, and it’s worth wondering how much impact an NFL team can get from a man that size.


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dave99 wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:43 pm
4. CALIJAH KANCEY, PITTSBURGH (RS JUNIOR | 6-0, 280)
2022 Grade: 91.8
Play Style: Twitchy 3-Tech/Edge Tweener
Initial Round Projection: Early Day 2
Kancey will likely end up the prospect I’m higher on than most. What’s going to scare off most others is obvious. Currently, only six defensive tackles are listed at 6-foot or shorter in the NFL, and there are 16 defensive tackles listed at 280 pounds or lighter but precisely zero NFL defensive tackles who are both. Kancey will be an outlier no matter what position he plays at that size. Watch him move so effortlessly on a football field, though, and it’s easy to see him breaking the mold, whether on the interior or off the edge.


Kancey just knows how to get to quarterbacks. You see him stack moves together and counter what offensive linemen are doing so effortlessly on tape. It’s why he led all defensive tackles in college football with a 92.4 pass-rushing grade. He won’t fit into every scheme, but the ones he does will love him.
One thing is certain, just about the only defense Kancey can be a good fit in is a defensive scheme similar to what the Chicago Bears play. Why is that? In the Bears' scheme, especially for a 3-technique, the player has to be quick, strong, and explosive. He has to be a disruptor, especially in the run, and a good interior pass rusher. Size is important, but there have been several excellent 3-techs who haven't been the biggest defensive tackles.
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2023/ ... cago-bears

https://pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/f ... ncey/12017



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They are really trying to drag Kancy into the top 40 with the subtle Donald comparisons. I just see Will Sutton.
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wab wrote: Mon Feb 27, 2023 10:43 am They are really trying to drag Kancy into the top 40 with the subtle Donald comparisons. I just see Will Sutton.
Those highlights have me salivating!

I really don't see the issue with the lack of size here as well. Makes it easier to penetrate gaps and given he won't be asked to be a run stuffer I don't see that a 40th centile 280lbs is insurmountable given a willingness and ability to play with good leverage and pad level. I would like to see strength numbers at the combine that aren't awful though...
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Kancey has a great motor and displays a lot of quickness. You'd like more of those highlights to be against SEC or B1G competition rather than ACC and the Colonial Athletic Association, but he can't control who his team plays, so that is what it is.

I don't know that I see Will Sutton (though I'd also guess Kancey isn't likely to be drafted into one defense then expected to play in an entirely other scheme), but I also don't see Aaron Donald.
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