Draft Prospect Notes: Defensive Line

The writers of Patriots Football Weekly have done their homework on all the prospects in this year's NFL Draft. Now, you can download the actual notes they took on all the top players, broken down by position for your convenience.

Download DL/DE Draft Notes PDF >>

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

Pos.	Rank	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	40	Com
DT	1	Fletcher Cox*	Mississippi State	6-4	298	4.96	4.79
Notes: [Andy Hart] Lean, athletic frame. Competitive and finishes plays. Good athlete. [Erik Scalavino] Excellent moves, great instinct to get in the backfield; Strong and quick. [Paul Perillo] Fast, aggressive, strong; Shoots gaps quickly; Finishes well.
DT	2	Michael Brockers*	LSU	6-6	322	4.95	5.36
Notes: [Andy Hart] Total physical package. Can collapse pocket and finish. [Erik Scalavino] Can knife or muscle his way into backfield; athletic for his body type [Paul Perillo] Fights through traffic; Good quickness; Penetrates well.
DT	3	Jerel Worthy*	Michigan State	6-2	308	5.04	5.08
Notes: [Andy Hart] Looks like a one-gap guy to me who gets blocked too often. [Erik Scalavino] Seems a bit slow, but uses girth to get push into backfield [Paul Perillo] Good quickness; penetrates well; tends to jump around blocks a bit too much; athletic for position and plays run effectively.
DT	4	Devon Still	Penn State	6-4	303	5.06	5.08
Notes: [Andy Hart] Active athlete with a good build. Solid but not spectacular potential. [Erik Scalavino] Athletic build, very powerful; knock is inconsistent performance [Paul Perillo] Good size, athleticism; Penetrates; short tape.
DT	5	Kendall Reyes	Connecticut	6-4	299	4.99	4.95
Notes: [Andy Hart] Good measurables and experience. But doesn't flash. Solid but not elite. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] Good speed; Pursues well; shows some power; nothing special.
THE REST:
Pos.	Rank	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	40	Com
DT		Dontari Poe*	Memphis	6-4	346	5.36/4.8	4.98
Notes: [Andy Hart] Not the player on tape his workouts suggest. Gets blocked too often. [Erik Scalavino] .Overrated by Combine performance. [Paul Perillo] Big and fast; gets stonewalled too often.
DT		Alameda Ta'amu	Washington	6-2	348	5.22	5.37
Notes: [Andy Hart] Moves well for size. Quick off snap. Collapse pocket nose tackle. [Erik Scalavino] .Very strong, but can also shoot gaps quickly; difficult to block 1-on1 [Paul Perillo] xcellent quickness; Moves fluidly; takes up space; Aggressive.
DT		Brandon Thompson	Clemson	6-2	314	5.04
Notes: [Andy Hart] Strong and smart. Likes to shoot gaps. Plays with good suddenness, but not elite. [Erik Scalavino] Deceptively quick for a big body; shoots gaps with good precision [Paul Perillo] Shows one-gap techniques; gets in backfield quickly; Good strength.
DT		Josh Chapman	Alabama	6-1	316	5.02
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino].Massive body, hard to move; plugs the interior gaps [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Mike Martin	Michigan	6-1	306	4.98	4.88
Notes: [Andy Hart] High motor, backup nose tackle type. [Erik Scalavino] Undersized nose tackle with plenty of heart and hustle. [Paul Perillo] Quick and relentless; nose tackle type.
DT		Marcus Forston*	Miami	6-1	301	4.95	5.17
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Derek Wolfe	Cincinnati	6-5	295	5.16	5.01
Notes: [Andy Hart] Powerful, athletic, strong overacheiver type player. Not a star, but a contributor for sure. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Mike Daniels	Iowa	6-0	291	4.84
Notes: [Andy Hart] Good natural pad level. Good power. Can get to the passer. Good developmental guy. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		DaJohn Harris	USC	6-3	306	5.16
Notes: [Andy Hart] Good build. Quick feet. Active and relentless at times. [Erik Scalavino] Knack for timing leaps to bat down passes; moves well for big body [Paul Perillo] Good motor; Plays run well; Clogs the interior; good quickness.
DT		Kheeston Randall	Texas	6-4	293	5.07	5
Notes: [Andy Hart] Not a rusher. Active up front. Nothing too special. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] Little more than a space eater.
DT		Brett Roy	Nevada	6-3	275	4.88	5.07
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Hegron Fangupo	BYU	6-1	323	5.08	5.18
Notes: [Andy Hart] Strong, mature, older prospect. Stout style despite size. Backup. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] Good feet; good motor.
DT		Akiem Hicks	Regina	6-5	318	4.98	5.23
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] Good speed but looked like a man among boys in Canada.
DT		Jaye Howard	Florida	6-3	301	5.02	4.82
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Nicolas Jean-Baptiste	Baylor	6-2	335	5.06
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Travian Robertson	South Carolina	6-4	302	5.08	5.32
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Vaughn Meatoga	Hawaii	6-1	294	5.02	5
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		DeAngelo Tyson	Georgia	6-2	315	5.02
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Matt Conrath	Virginia	6-7	281	4.84
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Tydreke Powell	North Carolina	6-2	311	5.22	5.36
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Markus Kuhn	North Carolina State	6-4	299	4.9	4.89
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		J.R. Sweezy	North Carolina State	6-5	298	4.95	5.01
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Ishmaa'ily Kitchen	Kent State	6-1	343	5.28
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Chas Alecxhi	Pittsburgh	6-4	296		5.41
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Dominique Hamilton	Missouri	6-5	313		5.54
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		John Hughes	Cincinnati	6-2	309
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Rennie Moore	Clemson	6-3	268		5.12
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DT		Chrisitan Tupou	USC	6-2	289		5.42
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.

DEFENSIVE ENDS

Pos.	Rank	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	40	Com
DE	1	Melvin Ingram	South Carolina	6-1	264	4.79	4.79
Notes: [Andy Hart] Great production and experience. Not elite in terms of explosion. What position?. [Erik Scalavino] Very athletic; strong and fast for his size; Can pursue and drop into coverage. [Paul Perillo] Extremely versatile but where does he fit? Great athlete; good pursuit; good tackler.
DE	2	Whitney Mercilus*	Illinois	6-3	261	4.68	4.68
Notes: [Andy Hart] Good speed and quickness. Gets corner and finishes. 1-year wonder. Huge upside. [Erik Scalavino] Good speed and power combination; patiently reads run plays (doesn’t overpursue); Hustles well in backside pursuit. [Paul Perillo] Good PR with speed and quickness; Love him.
DE	3	Chandler Jones*	Syracuse	6-5	266	4.78	4.87
Notes: [Andy Hart] Long and lean. Not explosive. Can play run or pass. All-around talent, but not elite rusher. [Erik Scalavino] Lanky, quick, athletic. A long-term project. [Paul Perillo] Shows good edge pressure; Great athlete; Good versatility.
DE	4	Quinton Coples	North Carolina	6-6	284	4.76	4.78
Notes: [Andy Hart] Not an elite edge guy. More interior tweener than out. Great build, though. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] Versatile but appears more suited for inside.
DE	5	Vinny Curry	Marshall	6-3	266	4.74	4.98
Notes: [Andy Hart] Very productive. Great effort. Closes and finishes. OK in space. Not elite. [Erik Scalavino] Cheap shots after the play; uses hands, arms effectively to shed blockers. [Paul Perillo] Not a true edge threat but closes well against run; shows good pursuit against the screen; Intriguing.
THE REST:
Pos.	Rank	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	40	Com
DE		Nick Perry*	USC	6-3	271	4.64	4.64
Notes: [Andy Hart] Gets the edge, but also a one-trick pony in that way. Wants to be DE. [Erik Scalavino] Can line up on either side; Uses leverage well against taller blockers; . [Paul Perillo] Good quickness; runs well; Aggressive; Reminds me of Chris Slade - always goes wide.
DE		Andre Branch	Clemson	6-4	259	4.77	4.7
Notes: [Andy Hart] Not super quick. Some coverage experience and playing in space. Finds a way to get there. [Erik Scalavino] Willie McGinest-type build; good size/speed/power combo; might be able to go from 4-3 DE to 3-4 OLB. [Paul Perillo] Good size; moves well; good off edge; versatile; plays screen well.
DE		Olivier Vernon*	Miami	6-2	261	4.73	4.8
Notes: [Andy Hart] Not a lot of action. Potential. All-around OLB talent. Not elite as a rusher. Darkhorse Patriots pick. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Jared Crick	Nebraska	6-4	279	4.82	4.99
Notes: [Andy Hart] Plays too high at times. Finishes. Solid, relentless athlete. [Erik Scalavino] Reminds of Mike Wright; looks better suited as 4-3 end [Paul Perillo] Good motor; fast; finds ball quickly; Quick feet; stays with it and uses strength well.
DE		Cam Johnson	Virginia	6-3	268	4.76	4.81
Notes: [Andy Hart] Experience at DE and OLB. But not speedy or quick as rusher. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] Not an edge rusher but has experience as 3-4 OLB; can drop into coverage.
DE		Billy Winn	Boise State	6-3	294	4.89	5
Notes: [Andy Hart] Good power and build. Finishes. Good pursuit and decent burst. [Erik Scalavino] Nothing spectacular, but seems to be in the mix on every play. [Paul Perillo] Quick; penetrates, makes plays; Plays run better than he rushes the passer.
DE		Tyrone Crawford	Boise State	6-4	285	4.85	4.89
Notes: [Andy Hart] 3-4 DE. Moves well for size. Good athlete. Mike Wright but better. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] Good motor; good PR; gets pressure.
DE		Jake Bequette	Arkansas	6-4	274	4.62	4.82
Notes: [Andy Hart] Could be OLB. Not elite speed or quickness. Effort guy. Finishes. [Erik Scalavino] Can play left or right side; nose for the QB. [Paul Perillo] High motor but gets blocked too often; Possible OLB skills; Not overly impressive other than his motor.
DE		Trevor Guyton	California	6-3	285	4.86	5.07
Notes: [Andy Hart] 3-4 DE project. Nothing special. Can stunt. [Erik Scalavino] 3-tech; good inside push; can move laterally, too [Paul Perillo] Good pursuit; good strength; good size; Slow feet.
DE		Malik Jackson	Tennessee	6-5	284	4.82	4.91
Notes: [Andy Hart] Plays too high. Not elite in any one area.. [Erik Scalavino] Tough to move; fairly athletic; sheds blockers well [Paul Perillo] Active; Good off edge; Stays home; Sets edge well and chases well from backside.
DE		Jack Crawford	Penn State	6-5	274	4.79	4.85
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Jacquies Smith	Missouri	6-3	253	4.62	4.81
Notes: [Andy Hart] Small. Doesn't play with elite football speed or quickness. Lacks explosion. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] Made some plays coming off left side; Not elite but could be PR project in later rounds.
DE		Donte Paige-Moss*	North Carolina	6-3	268	4.67
Notes: [Andy Hart] ACL. Hasn't lived up to hype/potential. Project.. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Julian Miller	West Virginia	6-3	256	4.76
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Derrick Shelby	Utah	6-3	266	4.86	4.96
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Scott Solomon	Rice	6-3	262	4.79	5
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Taylor Thompson	Southern Methodist	6-6	266	4.93
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Justin Francis	Rutgers	6-2	268	4.84
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Frank Alexander	Oklahoma	6-3	270	4.82
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Ryan Van Bergen	Michigan	6-6	288	4.84
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Jamie Blatnick	Oklahoma State	6-3	263	4.92	4.9
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Brian McNally	New Hampshire	6-3	264	4.86
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Ernest Owusu	California	6-4	270	4.87
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Broderick Binns	Iowa	6-1	261	4.79
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Jamaar Jarrett	Arizona State	6-1	265		5.02
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.
DE		Kentrell Lockett	Mississippi	6-5	243
Notes: [Andy Hart] No Comments. [Erik Scalavino] No Comments. [Paul Perillo] No Comments.