Defensive Tackles
The were nineteen DTs selected in the 2021 draft, as follows:
Round 2 - 2
Round 3 - 3
Round 4 - 4
Round 5 - 3
Round 6 - 5
Round 7 - 2
By most standards, the 2021 DT draft underwhelmed. With no Round-1 selections, and just two draftees in Round 2, as much is evidenced.
The 2022 draft should dwarf that of the aforementioned, as there is better talent at the top, and throughout each round. With just five DTs taken in the first 2 days of the 2021 draft, 2022 should see a rebound of sorts at the position.
1) DeMarvin Leal | 6'4 | 290 | DT | Texas A&M -
9/4 Kent State - Leal routinely lined up at DE, despite carrying the size of a DT. He mainly using power to beat his blocker, was able to do so in the run game and with his pass rush. He was credited with 5 tackles, 1 sack. However, he was in the backfield far more than those stats portray.
9/11 - Colorado - Leal had a good game, displayed a mix of athleticism and power. He had 4 solo tackles, 1 TFL. He continued to look like a top prospect.
9/25 - Arkansas - Leal had a decent game overall, but was neutralized far more than a potential top-10 prospect should have been. He had some flash moments, but not enough to prevent Arkansas from moving the ball on the ground.
11/13 - Ole Miss - Leal lined up at DE across from Broeker, and it was a night. Leal got the better of the LT at times, vice versa applies. Both of them played with great strength, with Leal using plus quickness at times to make the blocker whiff.
2) Jordan Davis | 6'6 | 340 | DT | Georgia -
9/4 Clemson - Davis had a great game. While credited with 3 tackles 2 TFLs, the stat line belies his impact. He played with commanding strength, often walking the blocker into the backfield to disrupt the pocket. While built in the form of a massive NT, he was able to create pressure against the pass as well.
10/30 - Florida - Davis looked the part in this one. He stood stout in the middle of the defense, making inside runs tough to come by.
3) Perrion Winfrey | 6'3 | 290 | DT | Oklahoma -
9/4 Tulane - My eyes may have deceived me, but I don't think I saw Winfrey out there in the first half. In the second half, he made his presence known. He fired off the ball and used explosion and active hands to get skinny between blockers. He drew a lot of attention in the middle, which freed up others. He had 3 tackles, 1 TFL with limited snaps.
11/13 - Baylor - Winfrey had an unbalanced game. When on, he fired off the ball and compressed the pocket, compromised run and pass lanes. On the flip side, he overshot plays at times with his head down, didn't locate the ball. His play wasn't bad, but lacked discipline which allowed some chunk yards in the run game.
4) Zachary Carter | 6'3 | 290 | DT | Florida
9/18 - Alabama - Carter had a nice game. While he couldn't overpower Neal (LT) and technically lost far more battles than he won, he was a formidable challenge. He held edge contain well, also showed that he can create pressure in the right circumstance. Had he gone against anyone other than Neal, I think he would've exploded.
10/30 - Georgia - Carter didn't have a bad game, but he was neutralized many times, as he was doubled and simply had to face great competition.
5) Tyler Davis | 6'2 | 300 | DT | Clemson -
11/20 - Wake Forest - Davis had a very average game. Venables sent the blitz often, so to his credit, Davis didn't have as much of an opportunity to shine. He was generally reliable up front vs. the mesh run, and did show some pass rush ability a couple of times. Overall, he looks like a shell of himself vs. his pre-injury play.
6) Devonte Wyatt | 6'3 | 300 | DT | Georgia -
9/4 - Clemson - Wyatt had a very solid game. He did a good job of clogging up the LOS, made run lanes tough to come by. He played with an active, no quit motor.
10/30 - Florida - Wyatt had a good game. He fired off the ball and was often able to beat his man, carrying out his gap duties well.
7) Phidarian Mathis | 6'3 | 313 | DT | Alabama -
9/4 Miami - Mathis had a very good game, turning in 5 tackles, 1 sack. His primary duty was to clog up plays at the LOS, and that's what he did. Miami often had little success moving the ball toward any gap responsibility that Mathis had.
9/18 - Florida - Mathis didn't have a sexy game by any means, but carried out his assignments well, was a good run-clogger when tasked with doing so.
11/20 - Arkansas - Mathis had a good game. He was in on 5 tackles, had 1 TFL. He showed great strength coupled with the quickness to beat blocks and cause problems against the pass and run.
8) D.J. Davidson | 6'3 | 320 | DT | Arizona State
9/4 Southern Utah - Davidson was the epitome of a true NT in this game. He paced his squad in both tackles and TFLs, 6 and 2 respectively, and recovered a fumble. He was a coke machine in the middle of the LOS, allowed very little on the ground. The opposition average just 3 yards a carry, and he's a big reason why that occurred.
9/11 - UNLV - Davidson had another sold outing. He showed off commanding strength, walked blockers into the backfield quite a few times. He clogged up run lanes and made reads easy for his LBs. He was mainly utilized as a 2-down run stuffer, but his bull rush did collapse the pocket at times on pass plays.
10/2 - UCLA - Davidson continues to impress. Sporting a very thick lower half, he did very well anchoring against the run, forcing runners to pick another lane to exploit. While he didn't wow as a pass rusher, he gave his all and was all hustle. As far as 2-down run cloggers go, he looks like he'll be one on the nations best pure NTs.
10/30 - Washington State - ASU's turnovers killed them in this one, not their run defense. As per usual, Davidson showed dominating power at the LOS, wasn't hemmed up when in 1:1 matchups against the run.
11/5 - USC - Davidson had another stellar game against the run, operated like a big road block in the middle of the defense. He showed of dominating strength, caused the RG to collapse and leave the game early with a leg injury. He had 1.5 TFLs.
11/13 - Washington - Another banner night, showing that he couldn't be moved without a double-team when anchoring, also showed great hustle for a big man when in pursuit. He was in on 7 tackles, 3 solo.
11/20 - Oregon State - Davidson really looked good early on, but he sustained an injury late in the 2nd quarter and wasn't the same from that point on. The run defense suffered when he wasn't out there.
9) Calijah Kancey | 6'0 | 275 | DT | Pittsburgh -
9/11 - Tennessee - Kancey had a great game. While he was only credited with 2 tackles, 1 sack, but he was in the backfield often. He fired off the ball and got skinny in between blocks. He was way too quick for the interior to keep at bay.
11/11 - North Carolina - Kancey was a beast, gave the UNC O-line fits throughout this game. He fired out and stayed low, showed off a great bull rush coupled with quickness.
10) Matthew Butler | 6'3 | 291 | DT | Tennessee
9/11 - Pittsburgh - Butler had a very solid game. He was in on 7 tackles, had 3 solo stops. He showed a good blend of quickness and power when he fired off the ball, drew double team blocks at times.
11) Derrick Tangelo | 6'2 | 308 | DT | Penn State
10/30 - Ohio State - Tangelo had a great game. 2 tackles hardly sticks out on the stat sheet, but game tape doesn't lie. He matched up against Petit-Frere, Thayer Munford and Luke Wypler. Tangelo was too powerful for any of the aforementioned to keep him at bay with any consistency. If Ohio State does in fact have the nation's best O-line, then this kid is damn good. His bull rush is one of the best in the nation.
11/13 - Michigan - Tangelo had another impressive game. LBs Ellis Brooks and Brandon Smith were able to amass a ton of tackles behind his play. He was quick off the ball and compromised run lanes throughout the game. He was in on 4 tackles himself.
12) Ifeanyi Maijeh | 6'2 | 280 | DT | Rutgers
13) Haskell Garrett | 6'2 | 300 | DT | Ohio State -
9/2 Minnesota - Garret didn't have a bad game, but based on how he played down the stretch last year, I expected more. There was a solid rotation at the DT position, but he was off the filed more than I anticipated. When in, it was a bit hit or miss. At times, he showed a good inside swim and was able to get parallel to the blocker. However, that same technique also got him turned out times with his side or back toward the ball. He looked better vs. the pass than the run, so this game didn't allow him to showcase his strengths as much.
9/11 - Oregon - Garrett flashed a few times early on, but as the game progressed he really faded. Oregon had quite a few decent runs, and Garrett looked suspect too often on some of them.
10/30 - Penn State - Garret had a very average game. He logged no tackles, which isn't a problem in itself. However, he failed to make any splash at the LOS and was kept at bay throughout the game.
14) Taron Vincent | 6'2 | 300 | DT | Ohio State
9/2 Minnesota - There were several snaps where Vincent looked like the best of Ohio State's front-4. He's better vs. the run that the pass, so this game suited his talents. Even though the Gophers ran the ball at will several times, Vincent held his gap(s) well and wasn't easily knocked off his base. Even when he couldn't stay cleanly square, he occupied the middle and forced plays out of his assignment.
9/11 - Oregon - Oregon ran for days against OU, but Vincent carried out his job more times than not. He held his gap assignment and deflated his blocker very well at times, compromising run lanes.
10/30 - Penn State - Vincent bested his teammate Garrett. He had 3 tackles, 1 TFL. He was quick off the snap and compromised run lanes on a number of his snaps.
11/13 - Purdue - Vincent's stat line belies what he did in this one. He was strong up front, often compromised the pocket and run lanes as well.
15) John Ridgeway | 6'5 | 320 | DT | Arkansas
9/11 - Texas - Ridgeway had a stand out game. He was in on 6 tackles, 3 were solo, 1 sack. He was a dominant presence up front, made interior runs tough to come by.
9/25 - Texas A&M - Ridgeway had a good game. When not drawing a double team, which was often, he showed off dominating strength, was far too powerful for the center to handle him. His ability to take on blocks and free up others was notable.
11/20 - Alabama - Ridgeway was solidly average today. He held well against a good O-line, certainly didn't make things easy up front. He didn't dominate by any means, but played his role.
16) Logan Hall | 6'6 | 275 | DT | Houston
11/27 - Connecticut - Hall had a very good outing. While he did get too erect at times against the run, he was generally very solid. He used very good arm extension coupled with good hand usage to beat blocks. He was too athletic to be kept at bay. He had 6 tackles, 2.5 TFLs.
17) Ben Stille | 6'4 | 293 | DT/DE | Nebraska
8/28 - Illinois - Stille had a very solid game, showing the ability to line up inside at DT, or kick out a gap as a base DE. He played with good anchor strength, gave center Doug Kramer some fits at times. He didn't flash much against the pass, was relied on mostly to gum up works at the LOS to free up others.
11/6 - Ohio State - Stille had a great game. Many claim that Ohio State has the nation's best O-line, but you wouldn't know it based on Stille's performance. Credited with just 2 tackles and 1 TFL, he ripped through the OSU interior several times, re-directed plays a number of times. His combination of strength with some quickness really stood out.
18) PJ Mustipher | 6'3 | 300 | DT | Penn State
9/4 Wisconsin - Mustipher flashed a few times in this game. He was seen either clogging up the LOS on run plays, or beating his blocker to get into the backfield. He played with a good level of intensity and effectiveness.
19) Robert Cooper | 6'2 | 335 | DT | Florida State
9/4 - Notre Dame - Cooper had a solid night. While not flashy, he did a good job of holding ground at the LOS and compromising run lanes. He's one reason why the Irish has a lacking rushing attack.
20) Zacch Pickens | 6'3 | 305 | DT | South Carolina -
11/20 - Auburn - Pickens had a decent game. While not flashy, he did hold up well as an anchor up front on a number of his snaps. He didn't show too much against the pass, overall looked like a rotational value.
21) Christopher Hinton | 6'4 | 305 | DT | Michigan -
9/4 Western Michigan - In a game where Michigan's defense thrived, Hinton disappointed. He was often handled 1:1, and really didn't do much to create pressure, or stalemate the run. He had just 2 tackles on the day.
9/11 - Washington - Hinton had a decent game, but didn't stand out as real good or bad. He held his own at the LOS vs. the run, but didn't do much to distinguish himself.
10/30 - Michigan State - Hinton had just 1 tackle. He did stand out a couple times, but his play was rather sublime as a whole. Walker had no problem tearing up space in front of this DT.
11/13 - Penn State - Hinton looked very average in this outing, did nothing to impress overall.
22) Thomas Booker | 6'3 | 310 | DT | Stanford -
9/11 - USC - Booker flashed a few times, but he simply didn't look like the prospect I've seen in games past. He was hemmed up a lot of the game, but did show some potential to build off of.
23) Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa | 6'2 | 282 | DT | Notre Dame -
9/4 Florida State - MTA had a very subpar game in my book. While 3-4 D-lineman often don't fill up the stat sheet, he had just 1 tackle to his name. FSU ran for 264 yards against his front, and he did little to stop as much. He looked to be too small for interior work, not quick enough to operate at DE.
24) Deslin Alexandre | 6'4 | 280 | DT | Pittsburgh
9/11 - Tennessee - Was in on 5 tackles, but his play didn't stand out relative to his teammate Kancey.
11/11 - North Carolina - Alexandre had a good game, playing in a rotational basis. He was stout vs. the run and created some pressure in spurts.
25) DJ Dale | 6'3 | 307 | DT | Alabama -
9/4 Miami - DNP
9/18 - Florida - Dale asserted himself against the run, but didn't do much more. That said, he was primarily used to gum things up, something he routinely did when in.
11/20 - Arkansas - Dale was having a solid game, but left quite early with an injury.
26) Travis Jones | 6'4 | 330 | DT | Connecticut
8/28 - Fresno State - Jones didn't flash nearly close to what I expected. He was a big body who created some push up front, but he ran shy of gas on a few of his series, and was neutralized 1:1 far too often. He showed off one move, a modified bull rush that was hit or miss, favoring the latter. Some scouts have him tabbed as a mid-rounder, and this game didn't show as much against an average O-line.
11/27 - Houston - Jones didn't get much help up front, but he still didn't do a whole lot to stand out. He was routinely hemmed up in both the pass and run game.
27) Cory Durden | 6'5 | 312 | DT | NC State
9/11 - Mississippi State - Durden flashed a few times, asserting himself well against the run and showing ability to create pressure against the pass. He notched 2 tackles on the day in a rotational capacity.
28) Jerrod Clark | 6'4 | 335 | DT | Coastal Carolina -
9/10 - Kansas - Clark had a good game. Kansas often struggled to move the ball in the middle, and some credit goes to Clark in that regard. He operated in big-body fashion clogging things up, but also did a collapse the pocket at times to create pressure.
29) LaBryan Ray | 6'3 | 295 | DT | Alabama -
9/4 Miami - DNP
30) Jordan Williams | 6'3 | 310 | DT | Clemson
31) Keondre Coburn | 6'2 | 340 | DT | Texas
9/4 Louisiana - Coburn had a solid game. He didn't show up on the stat line, but that just fine. His job was to occupy blockers, and he did just that. He wasn't a difference maker as far as creating pressure, but he freed up others to do so.
9/11 - Arkansas - The Razorbacks did run for 333 yards, but Coburn did his job more times than not. He clogged things up at the LOS a number of times, but wasn't supported by his LBs.
32) Dion Novil | 6'4 | 330 | DT | North Texas
999) Jermayne Lole | 6'1 | 310 | DT | Arizona State (Out indefinitely, triceps surgery)