DL Top Ten and First Look:
1. Christian Wilkins, Clemson
2. Da'Ron Payne, Alabama
3.Steven Richardson, Minnesota
3.Steven Richardson, Minnesota
4. Derrick Nnadi, Florida State
5. Maurice Hurst, Michigan
6. Trenton Thompson, Georgia
7. Lowell Lotulelei, Utah
8.Vita Vea, Washington (shown right)
9. Folorunso Fatukasi, UConn
5. Maurice Hurst, Michigan
6. Trenton Thompson, Georgia
7. Lowell Lotulelei, Utah
8.Vita Vea, Washington (shown right)
9. Folorunso Fatukasi, UConn
10. Kahlil McKenzie, Tennessee
After a mediocre 2017 draft class for interior defensive lineman, NFL teams should be happy the 2018 class looks stronger. It is by no means elite, and this class is unlikely to reach the 2015 class in terms of talent (Chris Jones, Robert Nkemdiche, Kenny Clark, to name a few), but this class has enough talent to satisfy DL-needy teams.
In a crowded defensive tackle field, Christian Wilkins has separated himself from the field. Wilkins is 6'4'', 300 pounds, and ridiculously athletic. Due to injuries, Clemson asked him to switch to defensive end for the latter half of the season, and (amazingly) he didn't look out of place. Wilkins has excellent quickness and hand use to pair with his great strength. He posted 56 tackles, 13 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks in 2016, and while those numbers do not seem elite, the tape shows a complete player who can rush the quarterback and play the run. The next prospect is Da'Ron Payne, a stellar athlete who was stuck behind Jonathan Allen and Dalvin Tomlinson on the depth chart last season. Because of Tomlinson's limited role, his numbers are far from elite (36 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks), but Tomlinson was still very impressive in his small sample size. Tomlinson has immense strength and violent hands to couple with impressive quickness, so I believe he will fully realize his potential and breakout in 2016. Steven Richardson is generating almost no draft twitter buzz, but Pro Football Focus' number two rated defensive lineman is a name to know. Richardson posted 31 tackles and 11 TFLs in 2016, but his most important stat was his 7 sacks. Richardson has rare quickness for a big man and uses it to provide the Gophers a consistent interior pass rush, which happens to be one of the most coveted skills in the NFL. His run defense isn't elite, but in a pass-happy league, he will be worth his weight in gold as a pass rusher. Derrick Nnadi caught fire at the end of 2016 and finished the year with 49 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, and 6 sacks. Nnadi lacks the elite quickness of the first four prospects, but Nnadi is probably stronger than all of them. Nnadi reportedly benches 525 pounds and squats 750 (per Ryan Clark of Warchant.com), so it isn't that surprising that Nnadi tosses around offensive lineman as if they were in high school. Expect him to have another big year for the Seminoles. Maurice Hurst is a hot name right now, probably because he plays with such great intensity and determination. Hurst is undersized at 6'2'' and 282 pounds, but he is very strong for his weight and has elite quickness. Hurst may get the tweener label, but a player as ferocious as Hurst has a home in the NFL.
In a crowded defensive tackle field, Christian Wilkins has separated himself from the field. Wilkins is 6'4'', 300 pounds, and ridiculously athletic. Due to injuries, Clemson asked him to switch to defensive end for the latter half of the season, and (amazingly) he didn't look out of place. Wilkins has excellent quickness and hand use to pair with his great strength. He posted 56 tackles, 13 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks in 2016, and while those numbers do not seem elite, the tape shows a complete player who can rush the quarterback and play the run. The next prospect is Da'Ron Payne, a stellar athlete who was stuck behind Jonathan Allen and Dalvin Tomlinson on the depth chart last season. Because of Tomlinson's limited role, his numbers are far from elite (36 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks), but Tomlinson was still very impressive in his small sample size. Tomlinson has immense strength and violent hands to couple with impressive quickness, so I believe he will fully realize his potential and breakout in 2016. Steven Richardson is generating almost no draft twitter buzz, but Pro Football Focus' number two rated defensive lineman is a name to know. Richardson posted 31 tackles and 11 TFLs in 2016, but his most important stat was his 7 sacks. Richardson has rare quickness for a big man and uses it to provide the Gophers a consistent interior pass rush, which happens to be one of the most coveted skills in the NFL. His run defense isn't elite, but in a pass-happy league, he will be worth his weight in gold as a pass rusher. Derrick Nnadi caught fire at the end of 2016 and finished the year with 49 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, and 6 sacks. Nnadi lacks the elite quickness of the first four prospects, but Nnadi is probably stronger than all of them. Nnadi reportedly benches 525 pounds and squats 750 (per Ryan Clark of Warchant.com), so it isn't that surprising that Nnadi tosses around offensive lineman as if they were in high school. Expect him to have another big year for the Seminoles. Maurice Hurst is a hot name right now, probably because he plays with such great intensity and determination. Hurst is undersized at 6'2'' and 282 pounds, but he is very strong for his weight and has elite quickness. Hurst may get the tweener label, but a player as ferocious as Hurst has a home in the NFL.
The next five players are lead by Trenton Thompson. Thompson was a force last year for the Bulldogs, racking up 56 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, and 5 sacks. He was also the MVP of the Liberty bowl after racking up 3 sacks against TCU. Thompson has a nice blend of strength and quickness, he just needs to demonstrate it more consistently play-to-play. If he doesn't disappear for stretches of games this season, Thompson will rise up this list. Lowell Lotulelei, the younger brother of Carolina Panther and Pro-Bowler Star Lotulelei, is a true nose tackle. The 6'2'', 310 pounder is a human cork against the run while also demonstrating some pass rushing ability thanks to his quickness and hand use (3.5 sacks in 2016). As long as Lotulelei can stay healthy, he will be taken in the first 100 picks of the 2018 draft. Vita Vea and Folorunso Fatukasi join Lowell Lotulelei in the "tough against the run but tougher on autocorrect" tier of player. In all seriousness though, all three players have the size and strength needed to be a starting nose tackle. The only thing really determining their order is how useful they are against the pass. The final player on this list is Kahlil McKenzie, a true wildcard. McKenzie only started one game (he played in seven) before tearing his pectoral muscle, but man he looks like a brute on tape. I was legitimately shocked at how disruptive he was in his limited amount of snaps. We will have to see how McKenzie fares in 2017, but my money is on him flying up draft boards.
Match-ups to Watch:
Tennessee vs Georgia, September 30th
Want to find out whether or not Kahlil McKenzie is legit? If you do, watch this game. If he can disrupt a strong Georgia offense that features Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and Jacob Eason, McKenzie's name is on the map. Trenton Thompson will also be playing for Georgia, so we will have to see if he can be a consistent force against the Volunteer offense.
Florida State vs Alabama, September 2nd
You knew this matchup was going to make this list. Derrick Nnadi gets a chance to prove 2016 was no fluke against the preseason number one team, while Da'Ron Payne enters a bigger role against the preseason number three team. For both prospects, this is a dream scenario if they perform well.
Minnesota vs Wisconsin, November 25th
The battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe features two defensive tackles looking to raise their stock. Steven Richardson gets a prime chance to show improvement against the run versus one of the best running teams in college football. Meanwhile, Olive Sagapolu of Wisconsin will get to prove his worth as a nose tackle against a strong Minnesota backfield.
The battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe features two defensive tackles looking to raise their stock. Steven Richardson gets a prime chance to show improvement against the run versus one of the best running teams in college football. Meanwhile, Olive Sagapolu of Wisconsin will get to prove his worth as a nose tackle against a strong Minnesota backfield.
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All stats come from www.sports-refrence.com unless otherwise noted
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