NFL Draft Preview: Defensive Line
By Keith Myers
While there is no top-5 pick in this group of DTs, it is still a solid group with 7 players in the top 2 rounds. Recently Fletcher Cox seems to be shooting up draft boards and is now being considered in the top 10.
The Seahawks are not in need of a starting DT, so it’s the later round picks that I’ve paid the most attention to. Keep an eye on Brett Roy of Nevada in the 6th round area of the draft. He’s an undersized DT with quick first steps that could come in and play on passing downs and give Seattle’s big run stoppers a rest, and also increase the overall quality of the Seahawk pass rush.
This is an odd class of DEs. There are a few players with first round grades, but at the same time there is tremendous depth underneath that. This will lead to a few reaches early, and then likely a long gap before an DEs are picked, because there wont be an need to pick one when there’s a similar player that’ll be available later.
In spite of the all the media attention given to the Seahawk’s apparent need of a DE, don’t expect them to take one early in the Draft. Any DE picked by the Seahawks is going to be a part-time player who only comes in on 3rd downs to replace Red Bryant. That’s not something you use an early round pick on.
The exception to that would be a player like Melvin Ingram who can also play OLB. The same could be said for Nick Perry if the Seahawks choose to move down in round 1, even though he isn’t getting as much press and Ingram.
I don’t expect the Seahawks to take a DT this year. They have good talent and depth at the position already.
# |
Player
Pos
Pos #
School
7
Melvin Ingram
DE
1
South Carolina
11
Quinton Coples
DE
2
North Carolina
13
Courtney Upshaw
DE
3
Alabama
20
Nick Perry
DE
4
Southern Cal
23
Whitney Mercilus
DE
5
Illinios
28
Andre Branch
DE
6
Clemson
47
Jared Crick
DE
7
Nebraska
49
Vinny Curry
DE
8
Marshal
62
Chandler Jones
DE
9
Syracuse
70
Billy Winn
DE
10
Boise St.
82
Tyrone Crawford
DE
11
Boise State
97
Cam Johnson
DE
12
Virginia
114
Jake Bequette
DE
13
Arkansas
123
Trevor Guyton
DE
14
California
160
Jake Bequette
DE
15
Arkansas
170
Jack Crawford
DE
16
Penn State
175
Olivier Vernon
DE
17
Miami
197
Jacquies Smith
DE
18
Missouri
205
Donte Paige-Moss
DE
19
North Carolina
229
Julian Miller
DE
20
West Virginia
242
Derrick Shelby
DE
21
Utah
255
Justin Francis
DE
22
Rutgers
262
Scott Solomon
DE
23
Rice
271
Taylor Thompson
DE
24
Southern Methodist
281
Ernest Owusu
DE
25
California
295
Frank Alexander
DE
26
Oklahoma
# |
Player
Pos
Pos #
School
8
Michael Brockers
DT
1
LSU
15
Fletcher Cox
DT
2
Mississippi State
16
Dentari Poe
DT
3
Memphis
19
Devon Still
DT
4
Penn State
27
Jerel Worthy
DT
5
Michigan State
38
Kendall Reyes
DT
6
UConn
46
Brandon Thompson
DT
7
Clemson
69
Josh Chapman
DT
8
Alabama
83
Mike Martin
DT
9
Michigan
94
Alameda Ta’amu
DT
10
Washington
102
Kheeston Randall
DT
11
Texas
119
Marcus Forston
DT
12
Miami
132
Derek Wolfe
DT
13
Cincinnati
140
DaJohn Harris
DT
14
Southern Cal
142
Jaye Howard
DT
15
Florida
179
Brett Roy
DT
16
Nevada
200
Hebron Fangupo
DT
17
Brigham Young
218
Akiem Hicks
DT
18
Regina
237
Mike Daniels
DT
19
Iowa
245
Vaughn Meatoga
DT
20
Hawaii
268
Nicolas Jean-Baptiste
DT
21
Baylor
292
Travian Robertson
DT
22
South Carolina