FanPost

NFL Draft Prospects '11: DT

I don't quite remember the talk before the NFL Draft last year, but I feel like this year almost has more absolute-must acknowledge positions than last year. Defensive tackle is an absolute must acknowledge position, because the best player will be 34 and everybody else not named Fred Robbins is not very good. Not to knock our 34-year-old, but to expect him to duplicate what was a career year is just preposterous.

In an age of Nkadamong Suh, defensive tackle is becoming ever important. The Rams don't need a Suh-caliber player, but they do need at least a capable starter and possibly even another potential starter. I see Robbins as getting older and likely declining. In other words, he will eventually have to be replaced and rookie defensive tackles don't typically make that much of an impact. So it is better to get ahead now while he is still a worthy player.

Of course, I've always wondered about the importance of defensive tackle given their role. As a quick (and unprofessional) study, I started by looking at the top DT (I settled on the NYT rankings in April 2010). The average amount of wins the Top 10 got in the 2011 season was 8.2 wins. That seems oddly average for what is known as the top group of DTs. I bet if I did a similar study for QBs, WRs, LBs then they would average more wins. Also worth noting six of the teams missed the playoffs and none of them won it all (You mean Johnny Jolly isn't elite?). Last year, the starting DTs for the Saints included Ryan Pickett. Point being, I know I should value getting a new DT, but it isn't as important to the team's success as people think.

I kind of just contradicted myself there if only to prepare not addressing this position seriously. I hope we get a great player in the draft, but I'll go back to their relative unimportance in the grand scheme.

1. Marcell Dareus, Alabama - 6'3, 319 - 33 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 pass deflections

Why get him - He ran a 4.92 in the Combine at 319 pounds - The next best weight to run below a 4.95 weighed 305, bull rusher always a threat to get to the QB, handles double teams, can play DE and NT as well, disrupts plays, good agility, good initial quickness of snap, can anchor a pile and collapse the pocket

Why not get him - His arm length is a little less than ideal, character concerns as he accepted money from an agent, tendency to get too upright

Summary - I don't know about you, but his weaknesses are the definition of nitpicking. Who doesn't accept money from an agent nowadays, especially one with a hard family life? His size and speed plus the fact that he can fit in any system will make him long gone by the time the Rams get to him.

Projected Round - Top 5

2. Nick Fairley, Auburn - 6'3, 297 - 56 tackles, 12 sacks, INT

Why get him - He ran a 4.82 Combine time, by far best among DTs, long arms, explosive and quick off snap, good footwork, plays with mean streak, makes most plays behind line, very good hand strength, good closing burst, good effort in pursuit

Why not get him - He didn't qualify academically at Auburn at first, work ethic is questionable, is known as a dirty player, has had one productive season, needs to improve lower body strength

Summary - He has a few too many question marks to be above Dareus in this rankings. Not saying a team will not pick him above Dareus, just that all of his weaknesses are legitimate concerns while Dareus are more minor. He reminds me of Albert Haynesworth - that's a compliment and an insult at the same time.

Projected Round - Top 10


3. Corey Liuget, Illinois - 6'2, 298 - 63 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 pass deflections

Why get him - clogs up lane well, likely not getting past him if he's in your way, strong against the run, athletic and versatile, able to bull rush effectively, strong upper-body strength, leader, hustles through every play, excellent change of direction

Why not get him - He's not very fast (He got a 4.95 Combine, but he looks so slow on film), doesn't have elite closing speed (to say the least), can be moved by NFL caliber lineman, runs out of steam at end of games

Summary - Well, let me tell you that I was not really impressed upon watching some of his tape. He seems like he gets blocked easily every play and he is pretty darn slow. Granted, he has his positives in that he collapses pocket, is great against run, and is a high character player. I won't be advocating for not drafting him, but I am not a fan of drafting him if that makes sense.

Projected Round - 1st

4. Muhammed Wilkerson, Temple - 6'4, 315 - 68 tackles, 10 sacks, FF, 3 pass deflections

Why get him - great size for DT with long arms, good pass rusher with 18 sacks in career, versatile as he can play DE, strong hands, anchors well against run, very agile, excellent effort, good closing speed, patient

Why not get him - needs to improve strength, needs to use hands more effectively, lacks quick first step, lacks superior straight-line speed, rarely pushes interior lineman back

Summary - It's odd to figure out what type of player he is. Judging by his size and relatively decent speed, you'd never expect most of his game involves running around lineman and getting sacks. A good reason not to put to much stock in Combine times: He looks faster than Liuget on the field despite running 0.04 seconds slower.

Projected Round -1st-2nd

5. Phil Taylor, Baylor - 6'3, 334 - 62 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 pass deflections

Why get him - isn't driven back, but rather powers through lineman, good against run, massive frame, very powerful, has a mean streak, can push pocket with bull rush, violent and quick hands, can play in 3-4 and 4-3

Why not get him - He projects mostly as a NT, ideal for 3-4, weight is a concern, plays too high, dismissed from Penn State's team, durability concerns, not much of pass rusher

Summary - Man I love this guy. It's too bad he's mostly a nose tackle, because he is just a straight beast on the field. Every play he drives back his blocker. He's not very fast, but when he got a hold of the back, the back would stop moving. He actually kind of reminds me of Fred Robbins because he so big and it's surprising how powerful he is (He isn't as fast or as good a pass rusher).

Projected Round - 1st-2nd

6. Stephen Paea, Oregon State - 6'1, 303 - 45 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 pass deflections

Why get him - wide frame and muscular build, athletic and agile, good bull rusher, run plugger with his upper and lower body strength, sudden burst, explosive hitting ability, one of strongest players in country, high effort players, stays low

Why not get him - He doesn't have the skills to do much in the pass rushing department (height, quickness, arm length), doesn't have elite speed, tore lateral meniscus at Senior Bowl (injury concerns)

Summary - I think he would be a good value pick in the 2nd round. He's also a run stopper and we could certainly use one of those types of players on our line. He's got a lot of upside, but a lot of risk.

Projected Round - 2nd

7. Marvin Austin, UNC - 6'2, 309 - DID NOT PLAY

Why get him - good upper and lower body strength, good initial burst, strong and active hands, good hustle, elite speed at 4.80 Combine time, quick first step, good agility and balance to get to the QB

Why not get him - He has so many character concerns that us Rams fans can write him off, will get drawn offsides from anticipating snap count, tendency to play too upright, apparently bombed interviews at Combine

Summary - I could say this player is the best player I've seen since Suh and it wouldn't really matter since he is almost the opposite of four pillars. He tries during games, but his off-the-field concerns are just going to keep Devaney and Spags from pulling the trigger.

Projected Round - 2nd-3rd

8. Kenrick Ellis, Hampton - 6'5, 346 - 94 tackles, 15 TFLs, 2 sacks

Why get him - long arms and big hands, run stuffer, good hustle, can push back to two defenders, excellent upper-body strength, explosive tackler, great amount of mass you have to block (346!)

Why not get him - kicked off South Carolina squad for multiple violations, suspended for one game in '10 season, wants to play finesse game, hasn't played elite competition, has difficulty regaining balance

Summary - His off-the-field concerns are going to keep the Rams from drafting him and I'm ok with that in this case. You mess up multiple times, get kicked off an SEC football team, and then manage to keep breaking the rules by getting suspended? Man I wish some guys would just take advantage of their talent and not blow it.

Projected Round - 2nd-3rd

9. Drake Nevis, LSU - 6'1, 298 - 56 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 FF, INT

Why get him - playmaker (evidenced by his forced turnovers), explodes off the snap, tough and hard-working, good tackler, pass rush threat, good balance, quick and strong hands that allow him to disengage from blockers easily

Why not get him - Sort of inexperienced as he only started 16 games in college, lacks significant bulk, lacks straight-line speed, not ideal height or weight, short arms

Summary - Nevis is an interesting case, but the problem is that he's probably gotten the most out of his talent and will only be a rotational lineman due to limited size, strength, and height at the NFL level.

Projected Round - 2nd-3rd

10. Jarvis Jenkins, Clemson - 6'4, 310 - 38 tackles, sack, FF

Why get him - good size-speed combo with a 4.98 Combine time (4.92 Pro Day), solid run stuffer than causes havoc in backfield, ideal 5-technique DT

Why not get him - inconsistent throughout college, not much of a pass rush, lacks elite quickness, lacks stamina, only DT not to reach 20 reps of 225 pounds (he got 17 reps)

Summary - I'm intrigued by his ability to be an effective run stuffer if only because that was a major hole last year. However, we would have to draft him with the knowledge that his ceiling is very low and I'm not so sure we can afford that.

Projected Round - 3rd

11. Jurrell Casey, USC - 6'1, 300 - 67 tackles, 5 sacks, INT

Why get him - good intial quickness off the snap, has arsenal of pass rushing moves made more effective because he is light on his feet, good motor, good lower- and upper-body strength

Why not get him - his short arms may make it difficult to separate from lineman, inconsistent in run fits sometimes allow big gap, hand usage could improve

Summary - Casey seems like a good pick given his draft position, however I think the Rams really should focus on DTs that stop the run moreso than DTs that can rush the passer. This guy appears to be more of the latter than the former.

Projected Round - 3rd-4th

12. Jerrell Powe, Ole Miss - 6'2, 329 - 27 tackles, 3 sacks

Why get him - explosive upper-body strength, is able to catch and draft runners effectively, anchors well and his short, stocky stature is effective against run, good power and vision

Why not get him - older as prospect at 24-year-old, denied academic eligibility on three separate occasions (to be fair, he has dyslexia), hardly any pass rush, doesn't wrap tackles securely, tires and is outrun easily

Summary - Well he's pretty much strictly a nose tackle and that is designed specifically for the 3-4. Even if we had the 3-4, he still will struggle to learn playbook, starting off older than most prospects, doesn't secure tackles, and is outrun. Enticing?

Projected Round - 3rd-4th

13. Terrell McClain, South Florida - 6'2, 291 - 24 tackles, 3 sacks

Why get him - good initial quickness, non-stop motor, good lateral quickness, good awareness, quick hands and suddenness to surprise blockers, good athletic ability, good lower-body strength

Why not get him - not much of a pass rusher, struggles to disengage from blockers, ends up on ground too much due to poor balance, inconsistent tackler

Summary - A guy who everyone will root for, I'm not so sure that he will do what we want him to do. He's worth a mid-round selection if only because he reminds me of George Selvie (talent is iffy, in later years production was too).

Projected Round - 3rd-4th

14. Lawrence Guy, Arizona State - 6'5, 304 - 41 tackles, 2 sacks

Why get him - Great size with quick burst off line, good straight-line speed and lateral agility, late burst to ball, explosive hitter, high upside, locates ball quickly and pursues

Why not get him - doesn't use his hands well, struggles to disengage from blockers, has dyslexia and ADD, academic issues as well getting in

Summary - Guy can also potentially be a defensive end in the NFL or can be a backup to both positions. He's worth the risk in the middle rounds because his upside is somewhat high.

Projected Round - 4th

15. Ian Williams, Notre Dame - 6'1, 319 - 38 tackles, 2 sacks, INT

Why get him - has anchor and upper-body strength to hold double teams, strong hands, has strength to knock down smaller backs with arm tackle, takes deep angles to chase RBs down sideline

Why not get him - does not provide much initial pass rush, lacks closing speed, does not have elite initial quickness, doesn't dominate with bull rush

Summary - This guy is a prototypical 3-4 defensive tackle, or the proper term, the nose tackle, so I'm thinking the Rams have little to no chance of drafting him.

Projected Round - 4th

16. Sione Fua, Stanford - 6'2, 310 - 23 tackles, FF, 5 sacks

Why get him - thick, stout player, generates violent punch, strong and powerful bull rusher, high motor, good lower-body strength, anchors well against double teams

Why not get him - does not run well, offers little as a pursuit defender, does not use hands to beat blockers, does not have awareness to locate ball once he's passed ballcarrier

Summary - Fua is another tackle projected as a nose tackle at the next level. Plus, he doesn't seem to have the speed necessary to be a good DT at the next level.

Projected Round - 4th round

17. Martin Parker, Richmond - 6'2, 300 - 113 tackles, 5.5 sacks

Why get him - quick hands and feet, is able to disengage and attack ball carriers with violent hands, solid balance, long arms

Why not get him - hasn't faced elite competition, will not push bigger NFL lineman into pocket, lacks elite closing speed

Summary - Parker could be a very good pick in the later rounds as he provides some upside in that he could surprise in how good he transitions in the NFL or could fall flat on his face. Personally, I would hope the Rams have gotten a DT by the point and could work on depth in other areas.

Projected Round - 5th round

18. Cedric Thornton, Southern Arkansas - 6'3, 309 - 52 tackles, 1.5 sacks, FF, PD

Why get him - good length and good arms, flashes power, good bull rusher who can hold the middle, hard hitter who has mean streak, versatile (can play DE)

Why not get him - inconsistent technique, suspended for drug-related arrest in '09, violated team rules in '10 and got suspended for two games, hasn't faced elite competition.

Summary - Despite how enticing a FCS-level lineman with character concerns and bad technique is, I think the Rams will pass.

Projected Round - 5th round

19. David Carter, UCLA - 6'5, 297 - 41 tackles, FF, 4 sacks

Why get him - can occupy and split double teams, great rare size, instinctive, versatile as he can play DE, good chance of direction

Why not get him - lacks strength at the point of attack, limited experience at UCLA with just one year starting, rarely plays to potential

Summary - An inexperienced lineman who does not play to his potential is not exactly jumping out at me. There is always the fact that he has good potential, but that is almost negated by the fact that there is nothing indicating he will live up to it.

Projected Round - 6th round

20. Chris Neild, West Virginia - 6'2, 319 - 31 tackles, 3 sacks

Why get him - run-stuffer, keeps leverage against double teams, active hands, good motor, provides punch when one-on-one

Why not get him - lacks typical bulk, lacks change-of-direction ability, no dominant bull rush, slow to twist inside, does not provide much pass rush

Summary - Neild is not going to be drafted by the Rams because he is mainly a 3-4 NT so it is unfortunate that a run stuffer couldn't be a 4-3 DT instead.

Projected Round - 6th round

21. Sealver Siliga, Utah - 6'2, 314 - 41 tackles, 2 sacks

Why get him - long and thick arms, plays low with a strong base, leader of the team, aware of where the ball is, pulls single blocker down at times

Why not get him - only average against double teams, will not make plays in backfield on his own, lacks change-of-direction skill

Summary - Siliga is seen as a run stuffer with next-to-no pass rushing skills and to be honest, I don't mind drafting him because we should have plenty of pass rush from Hall, Robbins, and Long.

Projected Round - 6th round

22. Colby Whitlock, Texas Tech - 6'2, 302 - 57 tackles, 2 sacks, PD, FR

Why get him - has a big frame, can collapse the pocket, good job of disrupting backfield, nimble feet

Why not get him - size is not ideal for DT, not particularly fast for size, lacks the strength needed to be good DT

Summary - Whitlock is a little too small and weak and his speed and moves don't really make up for it.

Projected Round - 6th

23. Anthony Gray, Southern Miss - 6'0, 330 - 44 tackles, 2 sacks

Why get him - owns thick, short frame, usually gains leverage, plays with violence inside, aggressive in pursuit, possesses good core strength

Why not get him - inconsistent first step, lacks great instincts, gets pushed back too often, does not change directions well

Summary - Gray is a nose tackle in the truest sense however he is intriguing in that he is sort of a decent running 330 pound tackle which are rare.

Projected Round - 6th

24. Ladi Ajiboye, South Carolina - 6'1, 297 - 41 tackles, 2 sacks

Why get him - explosive jump off ball, good motor and strong work ethic, maintains good balance through contact, good lower-body strength

Why not get him - undersized, short arms, arrested in '09 for marijuana possession, can be ineffective when opposing lineman establish position

Summary - Ajiboye should be drafted just for his name. Of course the Rams have their fair share of interesting names and maybe should pay more attention to his limited size and legal issues (although marijuana possession is extremely minor).

Projected Round - 6th

7th round prospects

25. Ollie Ogbu, Penn State - This undersized and quick defensive tackle can hold his own against double teams, but has inconsistent hand usage.

26. Mike Blanc, Auburn - Blanc is a fast (5.00 Pro Day), but sort of lacks the length necessary to be effective defensive tackle at just 281. However, he could also be a defensive end.

27. Zach Clayton, Auburn - Clayton is an overacheiver with good athletic ability and good speed (4.87), but a lot of the reason for his rise was his great Combine performance not his on-play performance.

Defensive tackle is a position of high need for the Rams so you should not be surprised if they draft a DT in the 1st or the 7th or somewhere in between. They need a starter and depth at the position so they really are a threat to draft one anywhere.

As usual, these rankings are the opinions of professional and not my opinion. Look at it more as a collection of scouting reports summarized into one post for one position. I am not sure how many positions I will get done in the wake of the end of school. I was planning on doing a post for cornerbacks, but evidently that will not be possible. I cut them out because the two starters are already well decided and it would mostly be for the later rounds. I figured safety, running back, and defensive end were more important. Hopefully I can get to those.

I'll leave you with the usual poll.