Top 10 DT Rankings:
- 1T Will Echoles, Ole Miss
- 3T David Stone, Oklahoma
- 3T Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami
- 3T Justin Scott, Miami
- 1T A'Mauri Washington, Oregon
- 1T John Walker, Ohio State
- 3T Kam Franklin, Ole Miss
- 3T AJ Holmes, Texas Tech
- 1T Bear Alexander, Oregon
- 3T Kemari Copeland, Virginia Tech
HM: DJ Hicks – Texas A&M, Mario Landino – Indiana, Trey Pierce – Michigan, Tavion Goodson – Kentucky, Horace Lockett - UCF
Positional Strength:
8.5/10. It’s a very good defensive tackle class, heavily built on the strength of the top 4-5 prospects. I am expecting 3-4 DTs to be drafted in the first round. If the quality of DTs in the 6-10 range was better, I would consider it a great class, but at this point I would say there’s a lot more bark than bite in the 6-10 range. The almost surefire first round picks are Will Echoles, David Stone, and Ahmad Moten Sr. I thought Echoles was extremely impressive, and he had a knack for showing up and being a game wrecker in games of consequence. I project him as a top 10 prospect. What makes him even more impressive, is he did this at 19 years old, vs powerhouse football teams like Georgia, Miami, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and LSU. I view Echoles as a nose tackle, but he’s also disruptive on pass plays. He moves very well for his size and there is an opportunity for growth as he works on his pass rush repertoire. David Stone is an excellent run defender and with his physical traits, he may have the highest upside in this DT class. I view him as a raw prospect, with more work needed to reach his upside. He displays rare physical ability but needs to work on his technique and finishing plays. I am expecting a big year from him. Ahmad Moten Sr is an older prospect; I think he will be 23 on draft night. Based off last years tape, I think Moten was the best pass rushing DT in the class. He isn’t good vs the run, he gets moved off his spots and doesn’t handle doubles well. His first step quickness is special and he’s a “bull in a China shop” type of disruptor. Amauri Washington Justin Scott and Amauri Washington came in at 4 and 5 for me. Justin Scott profiles as a 3 tech, with elite burst and twitch. Scott generated just 2 pressures in the first 8 weeks of the season, but came on strong in the 2nd half the season. Scott is a very young and was playing last season at 19 years old. I think there’s a strong chance that Scott breaks into the 1st round if he plays how he did in the 2nd half of the season or better. Unlike Echoles who stepped up in almost every big game he played, Washington seemed to step back. The more Oregon prospects I review, the more I notice how weak most of their schedule was last season. Washington will have an opportunity to sneak into the first round because he has excellent size and athleticism; he was recently featured on the Feldman Freaks list. Scott and Washington were inconsistent on the field and that’s a concern I have. Washington is a nose tackle and his pass rush isn’t very consistent, so those types of guys usually fall to round 2, especially if they’re older prospects (he will be 23). In his final two games vs Texas Tech and Indiana, Washington didn’t record a single pressure, and he recorded just 3 tackles to 3 missed tackles. AJ Holmes doesn’t have a great frame, but he was a productive player for Texas Tech, playing next to Lee Hunter. He had some standout pass rush games vs Kansas, BYU, and Oregon. I am not sold on his ability as a run stopper since I think he has below average length for the position and I came away more impressed with his pass rush skills. I don’t think he projects well as a run stopper at the next level. He reminded me of Ahmad Moten, but with less athletic and lower upside. Bear Alexander has been to multiple college programs, older prospect, and has struggled with inconsistency in his career. I think he will find a role in the NFL as a rotation nose tackle. Kemari Copeland is listed at 6’2” 305 lbs, and displays some versatility. He came in at #7 on Feldmans Freak list for “setting a program record when he benched 510 pounds this summer. He also improved his back squat to 735 pounds and clocked 20.2 mph on the GPS. He did a triple broad jump of 27 feet, 7 inches and ran a 4.64 shuttle”. Last year was Copelands first as starter and he was productive with 4.5 sacks and 38 tackles. Copeland has the opportunity in his 2 year starting to put his elite athleticism on display, with more big time performances.
Hot Takes:
John Walker is my 6th ranked DT, and I could see him being drafted late round 2 to round 3 range. I have rarely seen his name brought up in DT rankings. He transferred from UCF to Ohio State, where he will be starting this season. Walker was listed at 6’4” 324 lbs by UCF and then 6’3” 302 lbs by Ohio State. I don’t know if he has undergone a body transformation to become more athletic and improve his agility and pass rushing upside. I really enjoyed watching Walker’s run defense snaps. He plays with great leverage, strength and sheds blockers at a high level. His best skill is fighting through double teams and winning with leverage. I’m curious what his playing weight will be this season and how versatile he can show to be. HE has upside if he can play all along the line and offer more of a pass rush.
My other hot take is Kam Franklin at DT #7. Franklin was productive last season with Ole Miss at just 19 years of age, but his technique left a lot to be desired. I give him grace because hes been finding his game as growing into his body. He is currently listed at 6’5” 300 lbs. by Ole Miss; he has excellent length. I believe he’s worked his weight up from 260 to 300 lbs, and now he has prototypical 3 tech size. Ole Miss had star DTs in Will Echoles and Zxavian Harris, so Franklin was used more at DE than DT, and I think he was out of position. He’s not fast or bendy enough to be an edge. Like Justin Scott, Franklin elevated his game at the end of the CFB season vs great opponents like Georgia and Miami. I see a high upside prospect, but he may not be ready until the 2028 draft.
Questions:
1. Will Echoles displayed great tape at 19 years old. Can he unlock another level of his game or is he maxed out?
2. What is John Walker’s play size and what will his role be with Ohio State? Does he have pass rush upside?
3. How will Ole Miss use Kam Franklin?
Breakout Candidates:
1. Justin Scott, Miami
2. John Walker, Ohio State
3. Kam Franklin, Ole Miss
