2020 NFL DRAFT DEFENSIVE LINE TIERS

[Deputy Nutz]

2020 Draft Tiers - Defensive Line

Decent group of talent in 2020, but not nearly as talented or lofted with the expectations of the 2019 class of defensive linemen. Overall there are two linemen guaranteed to go in the first round with a few others sniffing around the edges of the first round. This group has some athletes but overall there are not many big block eaters in this group.

Tier 1 - Possibly two top ten picks in this group, but I doubt it. It’s more like top 20.

Derrick Brown Auburn 6’5” 326 - If you want to build a prototypical defensive tackle I think Derrick Brown’s physical stature would be a good place to start. He is massive, and has very long arms that when he uses them along with his hips he can press 330 pound blockers off of him with ease. Something that might go unnoticed about him is his motor, he will chase plays downfield and although his combine will tell you that he doesn’t run especially well his film disagrees with his test numbers. He takes really good angles to the football. Against Alabama, the Tide decidedly ran the ball away from him 75% of the time making him beat cut off zone blocks and chase from the backside. He will get himself stalemated in the passing game when he stops moving his feet and peaking to locate the football. When he activates his hands, and uses pass rushing moves he can be successful putting pressure on the QB. He is agile enough to stunt at the next level. For such a big guy he does need to have better pad level, and play better against double teams.

Javon Kinlaw South Carolina 6’5” 324 - Very big, very strong and very unpolished. If he can’t beat the blocker with strength and brute force than he doesn’t make a lot of progress. Strong offensive lines can neutralize him. He is tall, and this affects his pad level along with his balance, when he stands up and gets extended he falls over. He needs to learn how to disengage from blockers and play the shock and awe game. Not overall dynamic off the snap. What he brings to the table is sheer force and strength that coaches can’t wait to get their hands on to work with. Against lesser offensive lines he plays a man’s game against boys.

[Deputy Nutz]

Tier 2 - These linemen can all be first round draft picks or at the very worst early day 2 picks. They are not overly big linemen but these guys get their numbers through their athleticism.

Ross Blacklock TCU 6’3” 290 - I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he is undersized but he might not have the length or weight to fit in every scheme. Blacklock jumps off the snap and if he can beat the offensive linemen into the gap he usually can be disruptive. If he gets cut off or engaged he struggles to get off blocks or even extend his undersized arms. He has good lateral quickness and foot speed, but he can get overwhelmed and stonewalled if offensive linemen square up on him. He needs to gain some mass and keep his lateral quickness and his jump off the ball.

Justin Mudubuike Texas A&M 6’3” 293 - High motor kid that is built with a thick torso and lower body. Sort of looks like a linebacker. He doesn’t have the first step that Blacklock has but you could make a lot of comparisons to their style of play. Mudubuike seems to have the ability to be in the right place at the right time as he can bat balls down on what seems like a regular basis. He needs to improve his interior pass rushing as it is non existent unless he is running a stunt or is long stemming a gap. He needs to learn to attack first with hands and add more pass rushing moves to his rep. He also needs to keep his feet moving at contact. His recognition is pretty good.

Neville Gallimore Oklahoma 6’2” 304 - Probably has the most active hands and bangs the drums better than many on this list. He does a nice job of getting skinny in the gap, but struggles at times to square up the line of scrimmage and hold his gap in the run game. High motor kid that will chase plays away from him. His biggest knock on him is consistency and one thing he can’t control is height, most scouts would like another inch or two. Similar build to Mudubuike and Blacklock. Gallimore probably offers more in terms of pass rush than anyone else in this tier.

Marlon Davidson Auburn 6’3” 304 - The question with Davidson is how productive or was his bounty a contribution of playing alongside Brown? Auburn used Davidson in a number of different ways, from a 0 tech all the way out to stand up 5 technique. I don’t think he has the ability at the next level to be a stand up edge rusher, but he could be a strong 5 tech tackle or end in a 4-3 defense, or as an end in a 3-4. The lack of overall length could be an issue as an end. Stout against the run, there is no back up in Davidson. He doesn’t have the explosive get off that you would like to see, but he isn’t slow off the ball either. He has a nice dip of the shoulder coming off the edge, I would like to see him with a little more shock or punch power into the offensive linemen, he doesn’t do enough to put the offensive tackle on skates. He is a solid player against the run, and has more than one way to get the passer.

[Deputy Nutz]

Tier 3 -These are day 2 guys probably late second round to third round players. These guys like most defensive linemen drafted will be expected to contribute. These guys have some things to fix technique wise but have the ability to play meaningful snaps in the 2020 season. Big tier here with a string of linemen that could get drafted one after another.

Leki Fotu Utah 6’5” 330 - Fotu is a massive human with long arms and large hands. As big men goes you can check the boxes on lack of flexibility, and plays too high off the snap, but he is athletic especially for his size. He absolutely has to get better with his hand punch and using his frame to out leverage offensive linemen. For a player his size he can jump the snap and fire off the ball. Fotu can be in the backfield in a split second which is relatively rare for a player his size. If a NFL coach can break him of the sumo mentality he could be player at the next level.

Davon Hamilton Ohio St. 6’4” 320 - The could be quite a bit of upside as he didn’t see starter snaps until his senior year at Ohio St. He is a big strong linemen that could fit most NFL schemes. He has work to do as a pass rusher but that could simply be developmental at this point. A negative that stands out on film is his hip flexibility and getting enough torque from his hips and making use of his fundamental strength in his lower half. He has a large upper body that fails him at times because his lower half struggles to engage. For a larger defensive linemen he has better than average get off and can shoot gaps and be disruptive. He is at his best when he fires off the ball low, keeping his eyes below the offensive linemen’s chin, but when he pops out of his stance, most likely due to his hip tightness he struggles to get a viable push.

Raekwon Davis Alabama 6’6” 311 - Offers a lot in terms of overall length in his height and arms. Davis has sort of hit that threshold in terms of almost being too tall as his first instinct is to stand up automatically making him look over offensive linemen’s hats. His lower half seems skinny to me and he doesn’t come off the ball with enough force and speed, mostly because he gets vertical too fast. Davis struggles with change of direction and locating the football. If the ball isn’t run to his gap then getting himself to the ball is a problem. His best trait is he doesn’t get blown up and keeps himself active holding the point of attack using his long arms. He is really good when he keeps himself square to the line of scrimmage and his head over his knees. He is tall so when he does play with leverage he plays at a different level then those 3 or 4 inches shorter than him.

Rashard Lawrence LSU 6’2” 302 - Very wide shouldered guy with a thick torso, but blessed with above average arm length. He just has to get better using the length in his arms, but it might be a bit of nature because of how wide his shoulders are, his arm length is negated in a way. He isn’t a great athlete but he does a nice job of recognizing blocking schemes and fighting off of it. He isn’t fast twitch at all but he has some dog in him and can hold the point, always scraping to get to the ball. Doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher from the 4 tech or 5. He has a nice arm over technique that works to disengage from blocks.

Nick Coe Auburn 6’5” 280 - Tested with the linebacker group at the combine in truth he is more of a 3-4 edge rusher even a 4 tech to a 5 tech with his hand in the ground. He offers teams a lot of flexibility where they can play him, he probably needs to either drop a 15 pounds or gain 15 pounds to secure a constant position versus just being a rotational guy. He has some good pass rush with a nice shoulder dip and punch but gets in trouble when his feet stop moving. Coe is not the most instinctual guy but high level coaching could help him in this area.

Mctelvin Agim Arkansas 6’3” 309 - If there is a true sleeper in this crew for 2020 with a high ceiling it could be Agim. He could make an impact as a rotational interior pass rusher for a team as when he sets up to pass rush he has a couple of good techniques that he can use and coupled with a good charge off the snap he could develop as a long term starter if he gets into the right fit with the right positional coach. Where he struggles is reading blocks, when he is in position where he is guessing he can be driven off the LOS. This goes back to his ability to use and extend his hands to create seperation, like most he also needs to work on loosening up his hips and getting better bend.

[Deputy Nutz]

Tier 4 - These guys either lack experience, athletic ability, or size that will make them a hot commodity on draft day. There are some guys that could slide into a rotation in 2020 either on early downs, or some that might offer a little something as pass rushers. Look to see some of them pop off late on day 2 but most likely this Tier will hear their names called on day 3.

Jordan Elliott Missouri 6’4” 302 - Reading his write up from other paper scouts I was sort of high on him, liked him for the Packers somewhere on day 2. After watching him with my own eyes there are big chunks of the game where he just looks sort of lost out on the field. He needs to get better at recognizing blocks by the offensive linemen because it almost seems he is happy to go where they are blocking him. His get off is below average and although he engages his hands his feet don’t seem to go anywhere He is unassuming in the run game and seems to struggle to hold ground against double teams.

Larrell Murchison NC St 6’2” 297 - Stout at eating up blocks, but struggles to consistently get off block and put himself in position to be a disruption to offenses. His best asset is his charge and keeping decent to good leverage. His overall lack of length will be something he needs to overcome at the next level for him to be successful, he needs to engage his hands faster especially when recognizing pass sets because once he gets engulfed he can’t disengage and he it’s like he is in cement. So he obviously needs to work on getting his hands and feet to work together. It’s like he knows what to do he is just a second or two too late.

Jason Strowbridge North Carolina 6’4” 275 - Strowbridge is a tweener in terms of size and athleticism with very little positive. He timed relatively decent at the combine, but you don’t see the suddenness and flash off the snap that you would like to see out of someone that is only 275 pounds. He looks to be more of a 4-3 end, as his best matchup would be as 6 tech or 6i on Tight ends, he doesn’t have the skill as an outside pass rusher. He could add 25 to 35 pounds and his responsibilities as a run stopper could improve. He does work with a good punch and strong hands, if he would play with even better leverage he could control the line of scrimmage.

Brayvvion Roy Baylor 6’1” 320 - When he is a ble to choose a side and shoot a gap with swim, or a slap move he can cause disruption in the backfield. If he is asked to play the point of attack his lack of length can be worrisome, as he isn’t flexible enough in the lower half to keep a lower pad level to create the needed leverage to create chaios. He could impact a roster as a rotational player as an inside pass rusher. He could be drafted as a late round project.

Benito Jones Ole’ Miss 6’1” 316 - His measurables aren’t there, his combine numbers are questionable, but his tape will show a guy looking to hand fight and cause disruption on the line of scrimmage. He may simply not have the length to play nose in a 3-4 but if he lands to a team that asks him to be a true one gapper he could add value as a penetrator.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Tier 2 - These linemen can all be first round draft picks or at the very worst early day 2 picks. They are not overly big linemen but these guys get their numbers through their athleticism.

Ross Blacklock TCU 6’3” 290 - I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he is undersized but he might not have the length or weight to fit in every scheme. Blacklock jumps off the snap and if he can beat the offensive linemen into the gap he usually can be disruptive. If he gets cut off or engaged he struggles to get off blocks or even extend his undersized arms. He has good lateral quickness and foot speed, but he can get overwhelmed and stonewalled if offensive linemen square up on him. He needs to gain some mass and keep his lateral quickness and his jump off the ball.

Justin Mudubuike Texas A&M 6’3” 293 - High motor kid that is built with a thick torso and lower body. Sort of looks like a linebacker. He doesn’t have the first step that Blacklock has but you could make a lot of comparisons to their style of play. Mudubuike seems to have the ability to be in the right place at the right time as he can bat balls down on what seems like a regular basis. He needs to improve his interior pass rushing as it is non existent unless he is running a stunt or is long stemming a gap. He needs to learn to attack first with hands and add more pass rushing moves to his rep. He also needs to keep his feet moving at contact. His recognition is pretty good.

Neville Gallimore Oklahoma 6’2” 304 - Probably has the most active hands and bangs the drums better than many on this list. He does a nice job of getting skinny in the gap, but struggles at times to square up the line of scrimmage and hold his gap in the run game. High motor kid that will chase plays away from him. His biggest knock on him is consistency and one thing he can’t control is height, most scouts would like another inch or two. Similar build to Mudubuike and Blacklock. Gallimore probably offers more in terms of pass rush than anyone else in this tier.

Watched these three guys, and I think I'd go 1) Gallimore, 2) Blacklock, 3) Madubuike. I think he's a bit better than the other two guys in both pass rush potential and as a run defender. I expected to like the pass rush potential of the other two guys more because they are a little more athletic and smaller than Gallimore--but Gallimore is skilled. Good hand usage, power, and quickness. Plus, he's a high effort guy.

I'd be okay with taking Gallimore late 1st round.

[HarveyWallbangers]

My man from NDSU getting some love from Steelers Depot (a really solid site). Late day 2 is their protection.

Just not sure he can play as a 3-4 OLB. 4-3 DE most likely.

https://steelersdepot.com/2020/04/2020-nfl-draft-player-profiles-north-dakota-st-olb-derrek-tuszka/

[Joemailman]

Blacklock weighed in at 305 at the Combine. Don't know if that was his playing weight or if he bulked up for the Combine after his season was over. At any rate, he ran well at that weight.

[Deputy Nutz]

The NFL Combine listed him at 290
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/ross-b...2-94c97f8f8038

[Joemailman]

The NFL Combine listed him at 290
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/ross-b...2-94c97f8f8038

Okay, looks like the 305 was his weight at TCU before he hurt his achilles which cost him the 2018 season. He lost the weight after that.

[wist43]

I've looked at most of these guys, and my ranking of them has been somewhat fluid.

I know the good and bad tape on Elliot... just depends on which guy you think you're getting. That will depend on the face to face meeting they had and the recommendation/review from the Missouri coaching staff. If he checks those boxes, I'm okay with him at 30.

I have Madubuike in the 3rd-4th round range.

Davidson and Gallimore in the 2nd round.

Blacklock at 30.

Don't like Fotu at all.

Hoping to see a big jump from Keke this year, but we definitely need to add some bodies on the DL in this draft.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Nutz, what are your thoughts on James Lynch, Khalil Davis, and Raequan Williams? Lynch was productive, tested relatively well in the agility drills, not so much in explosiveness. He has short arms. Those traits remind me of Dean Lowry. Davis has good athleticism, and he looks like he could be a good rotational inside rusher as a 4-3 DT. He doesn't have enough power to be an early down player. Williams has some good moments on film. Not a great athlete and gets a little high. He played mostly DT, but any chance he could transition to 3-4 DE?

[HarveyWallbangers]

I've looked at most of these guys, and my ranking of them has been somewhat fluid.

I know the good and bad tape on Elliot... just depends on which guy you think you're getting. That will depend on the face to face meeting they had and the recommendation/review from the Missouri coaching staff. If he checks those boxes, I'm okay with him at 30.

I have Madubuike in the 3rd-4th round range.

Davidson and Gallimore in the 2nd round.

Blacklock at 30.

Don't like Fotu at all.

Hoping to see a big jump from Keke this year, but we definitely need to add some bodies on the DL in this draft.

I kind of like Fotu. He's a massive, powerful dude--and looks to have a bit of pass rush ability.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I was underwhelmed by Elliott and Coe. Agim is intriguing. I expected to see a big run stuffing NT before I watched Roy. Just the opposite. He has a bit of pass rush potential, but he doesn't anchor well for somebody that's 333lbs.

[Deputy Nutz]

Nutz, what are your thoughts on James Lynch, Khalil Davis, and Raequan Williams? Lynch was productive, tested relatively well in the agility drills, not so much in explosiveness. He has short arms. Those traits remind me of Dean Lowry. Davis has good athleticism, and he looks like he could be a good rotational inside rusher as a 4-3 DT. He doesn't have enough power to be an early down player. Williams has some good moments on film. Not a great athlete and gets a little high. He played mostly DT, but any chance he could transition to 3-4 DE?

Here is my take on those three guys
Lynch - Very much a Dean Lowry clone - He doesn't win on athleticism paired with technique, he just outworks the offensive lineman to get to the QB or the ball. Oklahoma killed him on zone read don't know if it was scheme or if he just didn't do his job, but one play he would go to the QB, next he would go to the RB, then he would attack the mesh and was a second late at that as well. I don't see him as a fit for an NFL 3-4.

K. Davis - Sort of a fire plug with a great combine for a defensive lineman. He sort of gets mauled against a power running game. Watch the first couple series against Wisconsin in 2018 and he got blown up. If you can't hold the point and shed in college the next level is going to be difficult. Doesn't get off the ball quick enough for someone that is undersized, poor play with his hands and pad level.

Raequan Williams - If this guy would just play consistently he would by talked about in the upper tiers of DLs. He comes off the ball with good drive and extension and he can demonstrate how to get extension and release from offensive linemen, he has a quick little swim move to jump a gap. Unfortunately he doesn't like to get double teamed and gets blown out almost every time, fighting a double team is effort with a lot of technique thrown in, he doesn't have either. The potential is really good for Williams, I like his length a lot

[GB-Brandon]

We’re good on pass rush finally. Need a “Plugger”. Devon Hamilton would be the safe pick for me with R. Davis being the high ceiling guy.

Either would be an upgrade over “Team Northwestern”