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Old 01-24-2019, 04:02 PM
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Default 2019 Draft - Interior DL

People seem interested, so let's do this.

edit: same caveat applies, I am compiling what I've consistently read from multiple seemingly-knowledgeable draft blogger types.

I've read people saying "I don't care where the pass rush comes from, DE or DT", and to an extent I agree. Look at Dante Fowler in LA, finally playing well next to Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, and Michael Brockers. Excellent interior DL play frees up edge players to win their battles one-on-one against a RT or TE. And truly special DTs can seriously produce. With Donald, Chris Jones, JJ Watt, Deforest Buckner, Calais Campbell, Fletcher Cox, etc you are seeing a lot of sack production come from places other than the edges.

My only potential point against that is that we don't totally know what we have in Denico Autry and Tyquan Lewis. I was not initially a fan of Autry, but his production speaks for itself. He got a lot of sacks in the second half of the season (after perhaps getting healthy finally). And I've heard in interviews that the Colts are very high on Lewis as an interior rusher.

None of that would be enough for me personally to avoid DT in the 1st if the value was there. Just something that may factor in on draft day.

Quinnen Williams | DT | Alabama
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 289.
2018 Stats: 71 tackles, 19.5 TFL, 8 sacks


I actually did watch some of him vs. LSU and I can see why people have him going top 5ish. I don't think he is as dominant as Suh in college but he is stout vs. the run and has some very good pass rush moves. He was doubled a lot and still produced. There's a lot to say about him but the Colts have no shot.

Jeffery Simmons | DT | Mississippi State
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 301
2018 Stats: 63 tackles, 18 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 FF, 4 batted passes


Seems like a solid penetrating DT that will pressure the pocket but will not create a ton of sacks. Long player with an explosive first step, often wins the snap there rather than fighting through blocks with technique or strength. Seems to get into the backfield a lot but struggles to finish the tackle. Had an incident in 2016 where he hit a woman on video. I don't personally see what the hype is about but maybe it's an eye test thing.

Ed Oliver | DT | Houston
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 280
2018 Stats (8 games): 54 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 3 sacks


I don't totally get the hype with this guy but most draft people seem to love him. His play style might be Aaron Donald-ish but he's not as good. Donald is compact but very powerful, Oliver just seems undersized and fast but without the power. He went to Houston but never had more than 5.5 sacks. Lots of TFL and he showed great speed from the interior. I've read he is actually smaller than listed. I'm not convinced his game translates to the NFL that well. And he had a weird shouting/shoving match with his head coach in 2018 that looked pretty bad. If the draft dorks are right he will be picked long before we get a chance and I'm good w/that.

Christian Wilkins | DT | Clemson
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 312
2018 Stats: 51 tackles, 14 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 1 FF


Just from reading about him I don't know why he's not the #2 DT prospect in the draft. But no one has him that high. Great size, good flexibility despite shorter arms and squatty build, quick athlete in short areas, plays very hard with great effort, knows how to defeat blocks or blow through them, anchors well against the run. Has the athleticism to play DE (he spent time there in 2016) but the body and mentality to play inside. He was arguably the best player on arguably the best defense in college football. He also earned his BA and MA in 4 years at Clemson. Everything I read tells me he'd be a great pick at #26 if he lasts that long.

Dre'Mont Jones | DT | Ohio State
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 272-295???
2018 Stats: 43 tackles, 13 TFL, 8.5 sacks


Excellent athlete, good gap penetrator with a variety of pass rushing moves that he seems to know how to use. Plays like a DE playing DT. Struggles to anchor against the run and with double teams. Really good first step explosion but then he stands up once engaged, killing his own momentum. Maybe he should be a DE. There seem to be wild discrepancies about how much he actually weighs so pre-draft activities with weigh-ins will be important. His strengths seem to fit with what Eberflus wants to do with his non NT DL so I wouldn't be surprised if Jones is high on the board.

Jerry Tillery | DT | Notre Dame
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 304
2018 Stats: 28 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 7 sacks


With that size, 7 sacks, and ND hype, my first question is why is he ranked so low? Supposedly a high-effort player that can run a 4.8 40. He moved from noseguard to 3 tech this season and had his best year of football. Might be an eyeball test thing again but he seems like a pretty great prospect to me.

Gerald Willis III | DT | Miami
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 285
2018 Stats: 59 tackles, 18 TFL, 4 sacks


Might be a sleeper, seems like a very good 1 gap 3 tech prospect. Good penetrator, great first step suddenness. Needs some coaching, but still had a very productive year at a top-tier football school. He was kicked off the football team at Florida, then took 2017 off of football to deal with whatever his problems were. Reports from 2018 say he used that time well and was a much more mature, focused, hard-working player when he returned. He lacks some technique but between his natural talent and apparent maturation he seems like a pretty good 4-3 prospect already, with significant room to grow and improve.

Dexter Lawrence | DT, Clemson
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 350


I won't spend a ton of time on him. He's a big 2 gap NT. Maybe has better-than-expected athleticism but I don't see him having much of a role in this defense. He had 6.5 sacks as a freshman so maybe that is noteworthy.

Isaiah Buggs | DT | Alabama
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 295
2018 Stats: 52 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 2 FF, 3 batted passes


Great stats were supposedly a result of Quinnen Williams drawing double teams while Buggs was usually only single-blocked. Not a great athlete and apparently does not play hard every down. But is pretty good when he does. I included him for his sack numbers but it sounds like he'll be more of a mid-round player.

Let me know who you think I missed, if anyone.

Last edited by FatDT; 01-25-2019 at 09:32 AM.
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Old 01-24-2019, 05:05 PM
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I’m really hoping Ballard finds another gem in this draft at 3 tech like he did with Leonard at LB
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Old 01-24-2019, 05:36 PM
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Seems like there are good options available, but as with EDGE, I wonder if a player at DT will be BPA at 26. A lot is going to depend on how the board shakes out. It's possible there could be 4 QBs taken before 26, which could push one or two of these premium guys down the board.

Though, another part of me thinks DT may be a position like CB in this defensive scheme. Since the Colts need a unique skill-set, they may get better value picking a player after the first 50 picks.
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Old 01-24-2019, 06:07 PM
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Tillery from ND is the guy I have studied the most and he looks like the real deal to me. I will love to see how he tests at the combine.

But what I really hope is that Ballard does enough good work in free agency that our top picks become "luxury" picks instead of need pick. Find DE, DT, CB and WR of starting quality in free agency and then every pick truely becomes BPA.


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Old 01-24-2019, 06:45 PM
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I watched the national championship game and did not see the "Christian Wilkins singlehandedly beat Alabama" hype. I felt like if that statement applied to anyone, it was Trayvon Mullen. Honestly, if I was ranking the Clemson DL guys, Wilkins is third on the list. He gets good gap penetration occasionally, but also gets pushed off his spot too often. Ferrell is the best of them and is just a nightmare off the edge, and Dexter Lawrence has nose size but also gets good gap penetration, at least as good as Wilkins, commands doubles, and gets his hands up and bats balls down in the passing game if he doesn't rush effectively.

I think Jones and Tillery are trait guys that fit what Eberflus likes to do, as you mention. He also likes his DTs lighter than the norm, so if Oliver is there, he might be the guy.
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Old 01-24-2019, 08:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dam8610 View Post
I watched the national championship game and did not see the "Christian Wilkins singlehandedly beat Alabama" hype. I felt like if that statement applied to anyone, it was Trayvon Mullen. Honestly, if I was ranking the Clemson DL guys, Wilkins is third on the list. He gets good gap penetration occasionally, but also gets pushed off his spot too often. Ferrell is the best of them and is just a nightmare off the edge, and Dexter Lawrence has nose size but also gets good gap penetration, at least as good as Wilkins, commands doubles, and gets his hands up and bats balls down in the passing game if he doesn't rush effectively.

I think Jones and Tillery are trait guys that fit what Eberflus likes to do, as you mention. He also likes his DTs lighter than the norm, so if Oliver is there, he might be the guy.
Dexter Lawrence is definitely one to look at
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Old 01-24-2019, 08:28 PM
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Dexter Lawrence is definitely one to look at
Not in this scheme
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Old 01-24-2019, 09:04 PM
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Good read, thanks FatDT
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Old 01-24-2019, 09:57 PM
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Not in this scheme
Thought of that too. Hard to separate for this D
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Old 01-24-2019, 11:53 PM
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FatDT, have you watched film on Oliver? Just curious where the "no power" assessment comes from. I just watched 4 games of 2018 Oliver followed by 2 games of 2013 Donald, and the biggest differences I noticed were that Donald wasn't doubled, doubled and chipped, or tripled nearly as often, Oliver was way more effective at batting passes down, and Donald had a more refined set of pass rush moves. Other than that, lots of double team splitting, lots of gap penetration, lots of pocket pushing and power from both players.
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