2020 NFL Draft Defensive Tackle Rankings Top Ten
11. Benito Jones, Ole Miss
Size: 6-1, 316
The Good: While he might not have ideal size or length, he’s got a great center of gravity and he doesn’t get shoved off his base. Quick, he got behind the line for 10.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss to go along with 132 tackles. Always moving and always working, he keeps on coming and never gives O linemen a break.
The Not-So-Good: He doesn’t have the bulk. He might not fit every style and every team without the length that some teams want. To make things tougher, his workout numbers were just okay. He’s a tackle, but in this class of quick athletes for the position, he didn’t stand out.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Someone will be in love with him right outside of the top 100. Super-strong with a big-time attitude – in a good way – and four years of SEC experience, he can be a part of just about any line. Get past his lack of a true NFL body type.
Projected Round: Fourth
9. Leki Fotu, Utah
Size: 6-5, 330
The Good: You’d think with his size, mass, and strength he’d be the gum-up-the-works guy, and he might be. However, he’s athletic enough to do a little of everything for the line and get to the quarterback more than he did at Utah. He made 81 tackles with four sacks and 17 tackles for loss in his last three seasons, but stats probably won’t matter at the next level as he occupies multiple blockers in the interior.
The Not-So-Good: Don’t expect a whole lot of big plays when he takes over inside. He’s strong enough to get into the backfield, but if he’s not holding up against the run, he’s probably not doing what you want. There’s also a wee bit of a durability issue – he never played more than ten games in a season.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Building the infrastructure can be fun. He’s a part of an NFL defensive front with the size and all-around power that’s missing a bit in the draft.
Projected Round: Third
8. DaVon Hamilton, Ohio State
Size: 6-4, 320
The Good: Here’s your big NFL defensive tackle. In a draft loaded with decent-sized athletic tackles who don’t quite bring the thump, Hamilton helps take care of that. He’s not just a brick wall who occupies multiple blockers, he can get behind he line, too, with seven sacks and 20 tackles for loss in his four years.
The Not-So-Good: While he’s big and quick, he’s not quite what you want in a true anchor. He can handle himself on the inside against the blasters, but he didn’t get in on a whole lot of tackles considering his opportunities. In his four seasons he never got through a full year without missing some time.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Big and athletic tackles who fall after the second round are finds. He’s not quite the interior pass rusher who can take over, and he’s not quite the powerful tackle who can own a line, but he can move and he can start right away.
Projected Round: Third
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7. Raekwon Davis, Alabama
Size: 6-6, 311
The Good: Tools, tools, tools. He’s tall, strong, athletic, and he’s got the length NFL teams would like. While his pass rush fell off as his Bama career went on, he made 171 tackles with 10.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in his last three seasons. Like all big Tide defensive linemen, he’s versatile enough to fit in any scheme with the upside to be a killer 3-4 end.
The Not-So-Good: Yeah, it’s all there, but … there’s something missing. He went from making 8.5 sacks as a sophomore to coming up with just two in his final two years. He was good, but he didn’t quite dominate like it seemed like he would as his career went on.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He’s going to be a big-time call. It’s probably going to take an early second round pick to get him, but can he raise his game to match all of his abilities? On the plus side, if he puts it all together, he has the upside to be the best tackle in this draft, and it’s possible the value could be fantastic after the first round.
Projected Round: Second
6. Jordan Elliott, Missouri
Size: 6-4, 302
The Good: He has all the talent, the size, and the ability, but it all came down to what he could do in Indy to show off at the combine. He almost broke the 5.0 mark in the 40, was quick in the short drills and looked the part of a dangerous interior pass rusher. It took a little while to blow up at Mizzou, but he was solid at getting behind the line as his career went on, and last year he turned into an all-around producer.
The Not-So-Good: He’s not all that bulky, so if he’s not getting into the backfield, he might struggle to find a set role. If you care about the numbers, he wasn’t able to put up anything to jump out as one of the elite players in the draft, and he disappeared in games a bit too often. However …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Blow off the stats – they don’t quite indicate his worth as an all-around tackle to the Tiger defense over the last two years. He was a high-end SEC performer who always brought the effort and has the tools to step in and start right away at the next level.
Projected Round: Second