Draft Preview: Defensive Line

Wingspan. We needs it. [Inside the Star]

Like all defenses, ours is better with a healthy rotation of defensive linemen. While defensive backs and linebackers are asked to play a much larger chunk of defensive snaps, the constant impact and energy expenditure of defensive linemen (along with their larger size) means they need to be rotated out more to be kept fresh. And while our shift to a Wide 9 front paid dividends in 2019, the aggressive nature of that alignment and scheme means we always need to have defensive line depth. Otherwise, our starters get tired and we can wind up looking like we did near the end of the regular season.

So this year, like probably every year, we’ll be taking a good long look at whose available along the defensive line, both to add depth and (potentially) a future starter.

Defensive Tackle 

Necessary traits: Playing along the interior of the line, defensive tackles need to be better against the run than their edge counterparts, as they're more likely to see double teams and there are fewer ways to compensate for a blown-out hole on the interior than on the edge. Our wide 9 system still asks the nose tackle (DJ Jones) to anchor some against combo blocks, but in general we're looking for quicker, penetrating dudes (like DeFo) as our goal is to knife past the linemen or ride a shoulder to string out a play rather than shoving a guard into the backfield via brute force.

Roster need: I know that DeFo is gone and that leaves a hole, but -- as discussed in length previously -- I don't love the idea of trying to fill that hole immediately with a defensive tackle at 13. In part because we have some young guys who could step up in a rotational manner, in part because we can't just spend all our picks and money on the defensive line and see that as a sustainable strategy. That being said, losing DeFo and backup Sheldon Day and having Solly on the last year of his contract means adding someone later in the draft could make sense. So for the most part I've included options along the interior with projections more on the second day and later.

That being said...

Derrick Brown, Auburn: If Brown is on the board at 13 we should totally take him. An absolute monster of a man, Brown uses explosive power, long arms, and brute strength to constantly win at the point of attack. And despite his subpar testing numbers, he has the range and the instincts to gobble up ball carriers and get after the quarterback. Because he rushes upright and inefficiently at times, there are some questions as to whether or not he'll ever make the jump from pocket pressurer to sack man, but he has the talent, production, instincts, and positional versatility, to thrive in our scheme. [Top 10]

Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina: One of the most popular picks in many mock drafts for us at 13, Kinlaw is an explosive, long-limbed (83" wingspan) athlete with the physical profile (6-5, 324 pounds) of an absolute terror on the interior. Adept at the swim move and with the elite burst to dive into the backfield in a hurry, he'd likely be at his best in attack mode and avoiding double teams in our wide 9 system. His potential is as high as it gets, and that -- combined with his work ethic -- makes it understandable why so many people would see him as a natural fit. That being said, the consistency is severely lacking in his tape. His instincts aren't really there yet and his mechanics are sloppy. Yes, he saw double teams often and didn't have the luxury that Brown had of playing beside another top 50 pick on the interior, but 18 TFLs in 34 career starts is worrisome. His upright style makes his long frame play against him at times and leads to balance and body control issues, and it's worth wondering if the wide 9 scheme that he could eventually thrive in may also allow him so much space and freedom early in his career that it could stunt his growth. The potential is there, and -- at his best -- the Chris Jones comparisons make a lot of sense. But that's at his best. If we're picking him at 13 we'd better be confident he'll approach that level. [Top 15]

*Ross Blacklock, TCU: A bit longer and leaner than most prospects (6-3, 290 pounds), Blacklock shows great short-area quickness and agility and good top-end chase speed (4.90 forty). Really athletic in short areas, showing some Aaron Donald-ish shades. Slips off blocks and squares up to play multiple gaps against the run and shows the effort and agility of a disruptive pass-rusher. But a lot of that's still projection, as he's currently a better pressurer than he is a finisher. Plays high at times and thus has some issues holding up against double teams and big power inside, but this could be mitigated somewhat by our attacking style. Tore his Achilles and missed all of 2018, but returned looking full-strength. Needs consistency and clean-up, but there's a lot to like. [1st - 2nd Round]

*Justin Madubukie, Texas A&M: Also on the leaner side (6-2.5, 293 pounds), Madubukie makes up for his lack of size with leverage, power, and an explosive get-off. Really good body control, movement skills, and flashes good chase down speed (4.83 forty). Plays strong and powerful, but his lack of size and anchor ability shows when his pad level gets inconsistent. Has flashed ability as a pass rusher but doesn't have a lot of counters and lacks the fluidity of stringing multiple moves together that makes someone like Nick Bosa so incredibly effective. He's a three-tech with nice upside, but is a bit of a project. [2nd Round]

*Raekwon Davis, Alabama: A towering man (6-6, 311 pounds) with a rare combination of leverage, height, and power that at times resembles DeFo (but is not nearly the explosive athlete). Has good movement side-to-side and is at his best as a two-gapping run-stuffer where he can show off his raw power. Seemingly doesn't have incredible pass rush traits due to his lack of burst but did rack up 10 TFLs and 8.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2017, which hints at potential pass-rush upside. That being said, when he took on a full-time starting role he had fewer tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (2) in the next two years combined than he did as a sophomore, which brings up a number of questions about maturity and work ethic. [2nd - 3rd Round]

*Jordan Elliott, Missouri: A Texas transfer who didn't start a game his first three years in college, he dedicated himself to the weight room, lost 30 pounds prior to his junior year, and put together a strong 2019 season. Good first step quickness with explosive upper body strength and strong handwork to keep blockers off his frame, excelling most as a stack-and-shed type against the run, but could take a step forward in the pros as he's faced with fewer double teams. A physically impressive prospect with all the necessary physical traits and a trajectory that's pointing upwards, he certainly seems to have his best football ahead of him, but teams will have to be sure they're fine with the emotional immaturity that led him to transfer from Texas and the fact that he'll have to stay on top of his weight throughout his professional career. [2nd - 3rd Round].

*Larrell Murchison, N.C. State: With a smaller frame and less than elite athleticism, Murchison gets by with great hustle, good short-area quickness, and a knack for finding the football. While his ceiling is much lower than many others, his technical skill set and motor will likely keep him around the league for a while. He projects best as a rotational three-tech, perhaps similar to the role Sheldon Day held for us last year. [4th Round]

*Malcolm Roach, Texas: A former defensive end in a 3-3-5 scheme, Roach is a bit of a tweener, with shorter arms for a defensive lineman and lacking the athleticism to stick on the edge. That being said, he's got some one-gapping ability, good instincts to find the ball in the backfield, and provides some positional versatility as a backup subpackage player tasked with getting backfield penetration. [5th - 6th Round]

I’d have to learn how to spell his name, but it could be worth it [Sam Wasson / Getty Images]

Defensive End

Necessary traits: The Wide 9 emphasizes speed from our edge rushers, but when employed with a good first step, great leverage, power, and hand-fighting can also be highly successful (see: Bosa, Nick). Basically, with the wider alignment (in the "9" gap extended a full split outside of the tight end), they have to be able to aggressively collapse to the quarterback, while keeping the discipline and strength to hold up against off-tackle runs, and the disengagement skills and change-of-direction necessary to play contain.

Roster need: We have two sure things locked up for the next handful of years in Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead. Dee Ford, while highly disruptive when he's been healthy, is -- if reports are to be believed -- theoretically available for the right price. Ronald Blair is a great talent off the bench but is recovering from an ACL injury and is on a one-year contract. With so many question marks, what we're likely looking for is a versatile defensive end (not a direct replacement for Ford), who we can expect to play with our second line and get some snaps on the edge when Armstead slides inside on passing down.

With Armstead and Bosa in the fold, I wouldn't expect a first-round pick to be used on an edge rusher, so I haven't included anyone with a locked in first-round grade. And with Dee Ford still likely here for at least another year, the most likely scenario is that we get a defensive end on the third day or we pick up a second-day prospect who has slid in the draft.

*Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State: Long levered, flexible athlete whose long-striding speed, wingspan (82"), and action-figure-like hip fluidity to turn the corner resemble Aldon Smith (off the field... jk). While he doesn't have a huge pass rush toolbox, he's already stringing together what he's got and his coachability is said to be high (although he was suspended for the 2019 season for a violation of team rules). He doesn't have an explosive first step, needs technical refinement, and will require some time to continue filling out his frame, but once he does he could be both an impactful edge rusher and someone who has the size and length to condense inside on passing downs. [1st - 2nd Round]

Josh Uche, Michigan: A one-trick pony who does that one trick very well, Uche is an explosive athlete off the edge with the bend, flexibility, and length to chase down quarterbacks and ball carriers. He's super dangerous on loops and twists and is able to slip into tight spaces with speed. But against the run? You're not getting much. He's vastly undersized for the edge (6-1 245 pounds), spent the large majority of his career as a pass-rush specialist, and will need a lot of coaching to make him a more complete rusher and complete player. If picked, he would project more as an eventual Dee Ford replacement [2nd Round]

Julian Okwara, Notre Dame: While we're on the subject of explosive edge rushers who lack refinement and size but have high speed rusher potential, Okwara has got the first step, bend, and pursuit speed to develop into an edge specialist. He even has some coverage experience and, when he can convert speed to power, packs some punch with his hands. Like Uche, he is a minus run defender, and he lacks many pass rush tools and the ability to string them together. He also plays a bit out of control at times, projecting him as a high-risk, high-reward speed rusher. [3rd - 4th Round] 

*Kenny Willekes, Michigan State: A former walk-on who built a career for himself that included 229 tackles, a school-record 51 TFLs, and 26 sacks over three years based largely on hard work, relentless effort, and really good ball-hunting instincts. He's got strong hands and great body lean and plays with his hair on fire (for better or for worse, as he tallied nine penalties in 2019 alone). The question now becomes how he translates to the professional level, as he lacks ideal size and length and is an average-at-best athlete. While he will likely top out as a rotational piece, he's typically the kind of player you don't want to bet against and could be a nice addition late in the draft. [5th Round]

*Alton Robinson, Syracuse: Explosive edge rusher with the first-step quickness (35.5" vertical), long arms, and long-striding speed (4.69 forty) of a disruptive NFL pass rusher and a player drafted in the first two days. In fact, coming into this season, he was expected to be drafted in the first two days. But after recording 10 sacks as a junior, he followed up with 4.5 as a senior. Despite showing good handwork and tenacity, he doesn't have ideal bend, which gets him too far upfield at times and makes it difficult for him to run the arc. And while he shows flashes of speed-to-power with a nasty bullrush, his overall strength is subpar, which hurts him against the run and as a tackler. Additionally, he was arrested in 2016 for stealing an ex-girlfriend's purse and allegedly pushing her into a bush and suspended for Syracuse's 2018 bowl game. While there are those who say character is no longer a concern, anyone looking to draft Robinson will have to do a deep dive in determining whether the risk is worth the reward of an off-the-bench edge rusher. [5th Round]

*Derrek Tuszka, North Dakota State: Small-school standout with very intriguing potential given his draft projection. Totaled 40.5 TFLs and 28.5 sacks over three years as a starter for the Bison, a team that has won 8 FCS National Championships in 9 years. Instinctual player who has aggressive, active hands, uses a handful of basic rush moves to good success and tested fairly well athletically with a 4.79 forty and an outstanding 6.87 cone drill that really accents his hip bend and movement skills. In terms of frame, he's a bit of an OLB tweener, with lack of ideal bulk and functional strength to hold up against the run, and -- perhaps the biggest red flag of all -- short arms. That being said, the production, movement skills, and temperament project him as at least a situational pass rusher as well as an intriguing developmental player who -- as he adjusts to the jump in competition and adds more counters to his pass rush repertoire -- could have the upside for more. [5th - 6th Round]

*Ron'dell Carter, James Madison: Another FCS standout, Carter started at Rutgers before transferring to JMU, where he improved each year while leading the team to a FCS Championship berth as a senior. In 2019 he tallied 66 tackles, 27 TFLs, and 12 sacks and that production plus his solid size (6-2.5, 265 pounds) and length (80") makes him an intriguing late round prospect. While not a plus athlete or standout in any particular way, he'll have a chance to prove himself in training camp somewhere. [7th Round / UDFA]