This class finally has the best defensive tackle at the top and Aaron Donald's climb to the top happened because of the emergence of Geno Atkins. However the other top DTs have been slipping becuase of their lack of production. If Will Sutton slips past the third round he will be one of the steals of the draft because he is one of the only defensive tackles this year that has proven he is a playmaker.
1. Aaron Donald – 6’1” 285 Ilbs. 4.68 40 – Pittsburgh – 7.15 - A three year starter who is a little small for the position but has tremendous strength and speed. With 27.5 sacks over the past three seasons Donald has an amazing ability to rush the passer from defensive tackle. With 63 tackles for loss and 6 forced fumbles Aaron is a force against the run as well. What sets him apart is the ability to get off the ball so quickly and after his pure strength kicks in. I have no doubt that Donald will be one of the best players to come out of this draft. At one point he was rated a 3rd or 4th round grade and I could not believe it. Aaron should call Geno Atkins and thank him because it was his performance that made his climb to the top possible.
2. Timmy Jernigan – 6’2” 299 Ilbs. 5.06 40 – Florida State - 5.9 - Jernigan is a little undersized for the position but has strong leg drive. He isn't the greatest athlete and has only been a starter for 1 year at Florida St. He is very inconsistent on film. He dominated against Clemson, but laid an egg against Syracuse. Played sick in the National Championship game and held his own. At the very least Timmy will be a one gap DT with the ability to clog up the middle. His ceiling is much higher than that.
3. Louis Nix III – 6’2” 331 Ilbs. 5.42 40 – Notre Dame – 5.75 - A three year starter with the ideal size to play nose tackle in the NFL. His stats are not amazing however what nose tackle racks up stats? The job is to clog up the middle which he did extremely well at Notre Dame for the past three seasons. Nix is built like a fire hydrine and has no trouble stopping the double team. He will never be a sack master however in the third round of the draft he is a true steal and I do not expect him to make it out of the top 100 picks.
4. Will Sutton – 6’0” 303 Ilbs. 5.36 40 – Arizona State – 5.6 -A fifth year senior that had three years starting experience, Will has the size but below average speed for the position. He had an amazing junior year with 63 tackles, 23.5 of them were for a loss, 12 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. His senior year was not that bad as well however his production slipped. It is unclear if it was due to poor weight gain or teams schemed for him. Sutton is one of the more accomplished defensive tackles in this year’s class. If Sutton slips past the third round he may be the steal of the defensive tackles this year.
5. Anthony Johnson – 6’2” 308 Ilbs. 5.24 40 – LSU – 5.56 - He is a two year starter who is only a junior, Anthony has the size for the position and below average speed. With 6 sacks and 19 tackles for loss the past season he shows much more playmaking ability than most of the defensive tackles in this year’s draft. He comes from a great program and could easily contribute his rookie year and eventually become a starter in the NFL. If he puts in a great work ethic he could become the second best defensive tackle in the draft.
6. Dan McCullers – 6’7” 352 Ilbs. 5.33 40 – Tennessee – 5.55 - A two year starter who was a JUCO transfer, he has rare size and is very slow for the position. He is great at one thing and that is clogging the inside. It takes more than one lineman to move him off of his initial spot. McCullers will never be a pass rusher and for that he is limited to playing only on rushing downs. On the right team he may earn a starting spot however on passing downs or against pass heavy teams he will be ineffective.
7. Ra'Shede Hageman – 6’6” 310 Ilbs. 5.02 40 – Minnesota – 5.5 - A two year starter with great size and speed for the position. Hageman had 8 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss and one interception. He shows the ability to be a playmaker and has more room to grow if he learns how to use his hands better and add a recovery move to his tool shed. He needs to understand what is happening in front of him quicker, too often he reacts too late after he has been isolated from the play. This class of defensive tackles seems weak and he will benefit from this. He could go anywhere from the 4th to the 6th round.
8. Daquan Jones – 6’4” 322 Ilbs. 5.35 40 – Penn State – 5.2 - A two year starter who has the size to be a defensive tackle or nose tackle in the NFL, his speed is below average. His best season was last year when he had 56 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, and 3 sacks. Daquan produced in college and has the size to be a serviceable defensive tackle in the NFL the only way he will be drafted higher than the 4th round is if a team believes he can play nose tackle in the 3-4 at a high level.
9. Ego Ferguson – 6’3” 315 Ilbs. 5.15 40 – LSU – 5.15 – A one year starter who is coming out as a junior and has good size for the position and average speed. Ego is not proven aht the position and he has to use his hands better also he must get better in one on one matchups. On film he does not impress and gets dominated when the offensive line double teams him. With the right team and training he could turn into a starter.
10. Kelcy Quarles – 6’2” 316 Ilbs. 4.96 40 – South Carolina – 5.1 - Kelcy is a two year starter who is a junior and has a great blend of size and speed. Kelcy made plays last season with 9.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. He gets dominated by double teams because he lifts at the point of attack and does not allow his body to dip at the waste. Quarles needs two seasons to get stronger and to learn how to play lower however he could become a starter at some point in his career or at least add depth to the line.
11. Shamar Stephen – 6’5” 309 Ilbs. 5.25 40 – Connecticut – 5.05 - A one year starter who has good size and below average speed for the position. With 10 tackles for loss and 3 sacks last season, Stephen shows he can make plays in the backfield. Shamar can become a player at the next level however he has a long way to go before he will ever play on an NFL field. Projects as a late round pick if he goes undrafted he may become a steal.
12. Caraun Reid – 6’2” 302 Ilbs. 4.91 40 – Princeton – 5.0 - Reid has three years starting experience and has a good blend of size and speed. Caraun has over 20 sacks in his college career and can make plays in the backfield in simple schemes however he played in the IVY league which is not well known for their competition level. He stands up straight too quickly into the play especially when he notices the run. If a team is patient with him he could turn into a contributor but I have a hard time seeing him becoming a starter in the NFL.
13. Brent Urban – 6’7” 295 Ilbs. 4.98 40 – Virginia – 4.95 - A two year starter who has a good blend of size and speed for the position. He had 11.5 tackles for loss last season in his only year at defensive tackle. Urban needs to add strength if he is going to stay on the inside. He could wind up being a decent 3-4 defensive end. A late round pick or maybe a priority free agent.
14. Deandre Coleman – 6’5” 314 Ilbs. 5.1 40 – California -
15. Bruce Gaston – 6’2” 316 Ilbs. 4.96 40 – Purdue -
16. Justin Ellis – 6’1” 334 Ilbs. 5.27 40 – Louisiana Tech -
17. George Uko – 6’3” 284 Ilbs. 4.99 40 – USC -
18. Jay Bromley – 6’3” 306 Ilbs. 5.06 40 –Syracuse -
19. Khyri Thornton – 6’3” 304 Ilbs. 5.03 40 – Southern Miss -
20. Beau Allen – 6’2” 333 Ilbs. 5.23 40 – Wisconsin -
