Top NFL Draft Defensive Tackle Prospects

SI Staff | Mar 20, 2013

Top NFL Draft Defensive Tackle Prospects /

Top NFL Draft Defensive Tackle Prospects

Star Lotulelei

A great balance of strength and speed, Lotulelei poses a major challenge to opposing guards. He has his best collegiate season in 2012, recording 42 tackles with 10 tackles for loss, five sacks and three forced fumbles. In addition to his power and quickness, Lotulelei has an effective swim move to get into the backfield. A previously undiscovered heart condition prevented him from working out at the NFL Combine, but signs since then suggest the condition shouldn't hold him back.

Sharrif Floyd

Floyd was a tremendous force in disrupting backfields, leading Florida with 13 tackles for loss in 2012. He also had 46 tackles and three sacks. Floyd has great hands to shrug off blockers and impressed with his speed at the combine with a 4.92 time in the 40-yard dash. He struggled with his technique when getting double-teamed, allowing himself to get driven upfield.

Sheldon Richardson

No defensive tackle may have had a busier year than Richardson in 2012. The Missouri draft prospect had 75 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks as well as three forced fumbles. Richardson has great agility and quickness for his size and addressed some concerns about his strength with 30 reps in the bench press at the combine.

Johnathan Hankins

Hankins' 2012 season got off to a huge start with 10 tackles against both California and Alabama-Birmingham. His production slowed later in the season, but he still produced an admirable 55-tackle, four-tackle-for-loss season. As a big 320-pound body, Hankins can certainly plug a hole, and despite his size, he has enough agility that Ohio State sometimes lined him up outside offensive tackles. His large size may have contributed to his fatigue problems, which often left him worn down or taking off plays late in games.

John Jenkins

At 346 pounds, Jenkins could slot in at nose tackle for any 3-4 defense. He doesn't have much quickness but is a dominant force in run stopping with his size and strength. Jenkins had 50 tackles, including two for loss, and beat highly touted Alabama guard Chance Warmack for a sack in the SEC Championship game. Jenkins performed well at the Senior Bowl, driving back lineman with a powerful bull rush.

Kawann Short

Three straight productive seasons for Short concluded with 15.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2012, despite him battling an ankle injury. Short has good explosiveness and is a sure tackler. He gets easily fooled by misdirections and needs to develop more moves to disengage from blocks.

Sylvester Williams

After a huge start to the 2012 season, Williams cooled off late. The North Carolina defensive tackle had five sacks in the first six games but got just one in the second half of the season. His overall numbers were still impressive as he finished the year with 42 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Williams has decent athleticism but will wear himself out chasing ballcarriers upfield.

Bennie Logan

Logan racked up 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, but like so many players, he hurt his draft stock playing against Alabama.The Crimson Tide's NFL-caliber offensive line limited Logan to just two tackles and no plays in the backfield. Logan has great lateral quickness and put on some weight by the combine to counter some concerns about his upper body strength.

Jesse Williams

He's not much of a pass rusher, but Williams will make a nice addition to defenses in need of help stopping the run. He had 37 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack in 2012, peaking late in the season with seven tackles against both LSU and Texas A&M. He has quick hands and great upper body strength but will likely be a two-down player in the NFL.

Brandon Williams

You probably didn't see him play a college game, but Williams dominated on the defensive line for Division II Missouri Southern State. He had 25.5 sacks over three seasons and finished his senior season with 68 tackles, 16,5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. The college competition may not have been SEC-stiff, but Williams also performed well at the Senior Bowl and has great upper body strength and rush moves.

Jordan Hill

A busy 2012 season may have moved Hill into the second day of the NFL Draft. Amidst the turmoil and chaos at Penn State, Hill picked up 64 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. At 6-1, Hill doesn't have prototypical defensive tackle height, but he uses that advantage to get leverage with a low pad level. He uses his hands effectively but doesn't have elite quickness and can get worn down throughout a game.

Kwame Geathers

Limited to part of a rotation on Georgia's crowded defensive line, Geathers still got 40 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack. He didn't help his stock in his most recent performances, getting shut down by Barrett Jones in the SEC Championship game and failing to impress at the combine. The 6-5, 342-pounder brings a lot of power to the nose tackle position but needs to be more consistent with his technique.

Akeem Spence

Spence was inconsistent in 2012, making nine tackles, including one for a loss, against Penn State a week before cooling to five tackles and no backfield plays against Wisconsin. He closed strong with 29 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in his final three games to finish the season with 72 tackles, seven tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. Spence surprised scouts who questioned his strength by doing 37 reps on the bench press at the combine, the second most among defensive tackles.

Chris Jones

The most productive pass rusher on this list, Jones lit up MAC quarterbacks for 12.5 sacks in 2012, giving him 27 over the past three years. Jones also made 42 tackles and 19 tackles for loss last season. He has great explosiveness and can either spin or swim to get past his blocker. At 6-2 and 302 pounds, he won't be able to overpower interior linemen in the NFL.

Josh Boyd

Boyd entered 2012 with high expectations but struggled without defensive tackle teammate Fletcher Cox to draw attention. Boyd regressed from his 2011 numbers, getting just 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.4 sacks, down from eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks a year earlier. He has a nice swim move but lacks impressive agility and athleticism.

Published Mar 20, 2013

SI STAFF