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2023 NFL Draft Profile: Nevada DT Dom Peterson
The productive Wolf Pack defender has a unique physical profile. Could he be the long shot who gets a coveted phone call at the NFL Draft?
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A Nevada great takes aim at the NFL.
Playmaking defensive tackles are always hard to come by, which is why Nevada’s Dom Peterson might deserve a longer look then he’s received.
A native of Harbor City, California, Peterson first made waves as a redshirt freshman in 2018, making ten starts and posting 10.5 tackles for loss. From there, he’d become one of the most productive defenders in Wolf Pack history, making three appearances on the all-Mountain West defense while finishing second and third, respectively, in career TFLs and sacks.
Despite the level of disruption he posted throughout his college career, however, questions remain about whether his physical profile will enable him to continue doing more of the same in the pro ranks.
Measurables (taken from Dane Brugler)
Height – 6′
Weight – 300 pounds
40-yard time – 5.03 seconds
10-yard split time – 1.75 seconds
Arm length – 28 1/8″
Hand size – 8 5/8″
Wingspan – 74 1/4″
Vertical jump – 27″
Broad jump – 8′ and 2″ (or 98″)
Shuttle time – 4.78 seconds
3-cone drill time – 8.00 seconds
Bench press – 29 reps
Highlights
Strengths
Power, power, power. If you watched Nevada football over the last five years, you often saw Peterson right at the point of attack tearing through centers and guards with what NFL Draft Buzz describes as a potent combination of power and hand technique. Even when he wasn’t being outright disruptive, Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline notes that it was often “impossible to move [him] off the point”, even with double teams.
Weaknesses
Like it or not, one thing that NFL scouts will scrutinize is how unusual Peterson’s physical profile actually is. According to the Mockdraftable database, his arm length is a full two inches shorter than anyone who measured at the NFL Combine dating back to 1999 and his hand size would be in the first percentile. Considering that many coaches covet “length” on their defenders, this could be a serious red flag.
NFL Comparison
Javon Hargrave
Draft Prediction
I’ve long been a fan of Peterson’s handiwork, but the lack of length is the one factor that’s likely to keep him from being drafted. If I was running a war room, I’d roll the dice and spend seventh-round draft capital on him, but ultimately I expect that he’ll be scooped up quickly in undrafted free agency.
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