2010 Defensive Tackles

No positional group this year is as good as the DT's. This group has elite talent at the top of the draft and depth in the middle rounds. It's a good year to be in the market for men in the middle. Before discussing anyone else, every discussion about this group should begin with Ndamukong Suh. Suh is one of the best prospects I have ever seen regardless of position. He has a non stop motor, elite strength, the ability to shut down a teams entire run game up the middle, he can take on and shed multiple blockers, he's blessed with the best bullrush move I've ever seen in a prospect, he tackles exceptionally well, and he is terrific in pursuit of the ball carrier. There isn't enough good things one can say about Suh. However some people like to throw some negatives out there...you usually here three things when people want to criticize Suh. I want to address each one.

1- Suh doesn't have many pass rush moves.
Well how do you know? He was the most dominant defensive player in college football in recent memory, why would he switch what he was doing in the bullrush? His upper body strength is unmatched by pretty much everyone.. why would he change what was working so well? In the NFL, yes he will have to show off some more moves, but there's no doubt he has the work ethic and ability to do so...and there's no way that his bullrush will be fully neutralized anyways. I don't see this point as a negative in any way.

2- Doesn't have an elite first step.
His first step penetration ability is not all world, but it's not bad. He has the acceleration off the snap to be successful and the first step is good enough to be a good pass rusher. No, it is not elite, but that's not really his game. If you watch his tape, you'll realize that his burst off the snap isn't exceptional but it isn't bad by any means. For a guy whose game is based on power and strength, his first step is actually quite good.

3- Injury concerns.
Now this is valid. He had knee injuries in the past and they required surgery. Now in no way has this hindered his play and there is no reason to think that it will affect him in the pros, but a team has to do its homework on those knees before drafting him because if this problem starts occurring again and again than there could be a problem.

Suh is an elite talent. He has the upside of Reggie White. He is that good and could be that dominant at the next level. He is my #1 player regardless of position in the draft by a long shot. Some people think differently though, and have fellow DT Gerald McCoy ranked higher then Suh. Now McCoy is fantastic, in fact he is my #3 player regardless of position in the draft (Eric Berry being #2), but in my opinion he isn't on the same level as Suh...he's not even close.

McCoy has the burst and penetration ability of Tommie Harris (before he started going downhill) and could be an absolute stud as a passrusher. He has all the moves you want to see out of a DT. He isn't exactly good in the run game, but he isn't bad either. At times he can get pushed out of a play rather easily but there are also times where he holds his own. He shouldn't be a liability in the run game but he won't be a difference maker by any stretch of the imagination. In one on one pass blocking situations he has shown to be an effective block shedder, but when it comes to double teams he is easily neutralized. He has a non stop motor and is a hard worker but wasn't overly productive at Oklahoma.
McCoy's technique is NFL ready and his elite first step have people drooling over his pass rush potential. He is a fantastic prospect in his own right, but when comparing him to Suh, he just doesn't compare. If he goes ahead of Suh, then a team will be making a big time mistake in my opinion because Suh is better then him in pretty much every category except than first step quickness. Suh is more scheme diverse, he has better strength, he is a better tackler, he is a better block shedder, he is proven to more productive, he has better size, he is much better against the run, and their motor and technique are on par.
McCoy is good yes. In fact he's a borderline elite prospect in his own right. But his ceiling may be Tommie Harris...not a bad thing, but Suh has potential in a DT that only comes along once in a decade or so.

Well thats enough about Suh and McCoy. One could on for hours about them. How about the top nose tackle prospect??
Dan Williams is a first round lock and should be the first NT off the board. He is an immovable force in the run game, has the ability to take on multiple blockers in the middle, and has a big 6'2 330 lb frame. What more do you want from a nose tackle!?
He doesn't have much to offer as a pass rusher, though he can push the pocket back, and he disappears sometimes in games. His conditioning and stamina have come into question. These negatives are things that pretty much every NT prospect faces though. Dan Williams is a prototypical nose, and they are always in high demand whether it be for a 34 or 43 team. He should hear his name called early on the 22nd.

Finally, I want to look at Lamarr Houston out of Texas. He is easily one ofthe most underrated DT's this year. 6'3 and 305 lbs, Houston is a big tackle who is very similar to Gerald McCoy. He has great passrushing ability, great technique, is very athletic and strong, and he never takes plays off. His problems are that he gets pushed out of the run game too often and his first step penetration isn't on an elite level. His ceiling isn't as high as McCoy because Houston doesn't possess the penetration ability that he does but other then that they are fairly similar players. A team will be extremely happy to land Houston in round 2.

Here are my rankings:
1- Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (Top 5)
2- Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma (Top 5)
3- Dan Williams, Tennessee (Round 1)
4- Brian Price, UCLA (Round 1-2)
5- Jared Odrick, Penn State (Round 1)
6- Lamarr Houston, Texas (Round 2)
7- Terrence Cody, Alabama (Round 1-2)
8- Tyson Aluala, Cal (Round 2)
9- Cam Thomas, North Carolina (Round 2)
10- Geno Atkins, Georgia (Round 2-3)