2025 NFL Draft Prospects: Defensive Tackle

11/16/24: In 2024, Grant has has 25 tackles, two sacks, and five passes batted. The 6-foot-3, 339-pounder has a rare combination of speed, athleticism, and strength. Grant has top-notch ability with a surprising ability to bend his big body. He can play strong when he wants or needs to, and Grant is fast with the ability to run plays down. Grant has a ton of upside, and he is not as dominant as he can be. He could be a better pro than college player, and Grant looks like a top half of the first-round talent for the 2025 NFL Draft.

6/24/24: It took time for Kris Jenkins to work his way onto the field behind Mazi Smith, and that is the same situation for Grant, who was playing behind Jenkins in 2023. However, Grant really flashed as a sophomore. Over 2023, Grant recorded 29 tackles, four passes batted, 3.5 sacks, and an interception in backup duty. The 6-foot-3, 339-pounder has a good skill set with big-time upside.

11/16/24: In 2024, Graham has 37 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He was a non-factor in Michigan’s loss to Texas, but was phenomenal in a narrow win over USC. Graham plays hard and is tough at the point of attack. He has a bad body composition for the NFL, and that bothers some team sources.

6/24/24: A former star recruit, Graham flashed as a freshman in 2022, collecting 28 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and a pass batted. He recorded 35 tackles, three sacks, one pass batted, and one forced fumble in 2023. Graham has good size and upside.

11/16/24: Williams has 21 tackles and 2.5 sacks thus far. Williams is quick and athletic on the inside of the line.

6/24/24: Williams flashed interior rush ability in 2021 when he put up five sacks and 16 tackles. In 2023, he played solid football while recording 54 tackles, three sacks and five passes defended. Williams had a number of impressive plays against Notre Dame, getting the better of left tackle Joe Alt. Williams decided to return to Ohio State for the 2024 season, and he could take on a bigger role with Michael Hall Jr. moving on to the NFL.

11/16/24: In 2024, he seems to be putting it all together with 25 tackles, three passes batted, one forced fumble, and six sacks thus far. Burch has played well for Oregon showing dangerous interior rush ability. He is rising and has really improved this season despite missing some time with an injury.

6/24/24: In 2023, Burch notched 34 tackles, three sacks and a pass batted. He is a physical run defender at the point of attack. After a few quiet years at South Carolina, Burch had a breakout year in 2022, recording 60 tackles with 3.5 sacks. He then transferred to Oregon for 2023. If Burch builds on last season’s performance, he could be a riser for the 2025 NFL Draft.

11/16/24: Norman-Lott is a quick gap-shooting defensive tackle capable of putting pressure on the quarterback. In 2024, he has 14 tackles and 3.5 sacks while being disruptive for the Volunteers. In 2023, Norman-Lott showed pass-rush ability with 5.5 sacks and 26 tackles with Arizona State. Norman-Lott looks more muscular and much tougher against the run with Tennessee than he did with the Sun Devils.

11/16/24: In 2024, Capehart has 15 tackles and two passes batted.. Clemson had a rotation of defensive linemen in 2023, but Capehart played well enough to impress the NFL advance scouts. In 2023, Capehart totaled 15 tackles, five tackles for a loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and one pass broken up. Capehart has a good skill set with upside. He is a bear at the point of attack in the ground game.

11/16/24: Walker has 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two passes defended thus far. He was a non-factor against South Carolina but was active against Georgia. Walker has disappointed some team evaluators in 2024. He plays like a smaller player and does not overwhelm blockers. He plays too high often.

6/24/24: Walker is a mammoth defensive tackle with surprising pass-rush ability for a heavy interior tackle. In 2023 he had 7.5 sacks with 55 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, two passes batted, and eight hurries. It was a big jump from his 2022 season when he had 40 tackles with one sack, and twp passes batted.

11/16/24: Hamilton has 30 tackles with 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

6/24/24: Team sources said they liked how Hamilton played during 2023. On the year, he totaled 38 tackles and two sacks. Hamilton was solid in run defense and stout at the point of attack. He possesses sufficient size to hold up in the ground game and flashes some quickness and athleticism on the inside of the line.

11/16/24: Sanders has three sacks and 34 tackles. He showed some dangerous interior pass rush ability against Texas A&M.

6/24/24: Sanders broke out in 2023 with 43 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four passes batted. Sanders has excellent size with upside to develop. Team sources said Sanders jumped out to them as a player to watch for the 2024 season.

11/16/24: Stackhouse has 20 tackles and zero sacks thus far.

6/24/24: In 2023, Stackhouse had 24 tackles, two sacks, an interception and a pass batted. Some team sources think Stackhouse could have been a second-day pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, while others have him projected to the early rounds of Day 3. Stackhouse decided to return to Georgia for the 2024 season, and he could rise if he shows more pass-rush ability as a senior. In 2022, Stackhouse was a solid gap plugger and run defender for the Bulldogs, recording 33 tackles but zero sacks. He needs to show more pass-rush ability in 2024 in order to rise for the 2025 NFL Draft.

11/16/24: Turner has 26 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble thus far. He has been solid but not dominant. Team sources say that Turner’s instincts are just okay, he doesn’t know how to use his hands, isn’t overly explosive, and needs to get stronger.

6/24/24: Turner has a strong 2023 season for the Aggies, recording 33 tackles with six sacks and two forced fumbles. It was a big jump from his 2022 and 2021 seasons when he had .5 and 1.5 sacks, respectively. If Turner stays consistent with his 2023 play, he could rise into being a prospect for the opening night of the draft.

11/16/24: Alexander has five tackles and zero sacks. He has been injured since late September.

6/24/24: Alexander totaled 47 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two passes batted for USC in 2023. In 2022, he played with Georgia as a backup and recorded nine tackles, two sacks, and two passes batted. Alexander has talent with the upside to produce more.

11/16/24: Jules has been a tough run stuffer and gap filler for the Gamecocks this season. In 2024, he has 12 tackles thus far. In 2023 with Pitt, he had a quality season for a nose tackle with 24 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.

11/16/24: Nolen has 31 tackles with three sacks, and one pass batted thus far. Some team sources said they gave Nolen a backup grade.

6/24/24: Nolen was a highly recruited player who was considered to have star potential. In 2023, he showed why, recording four sacks and 37 tackles while causing a lot of disruption for Texas A&M. The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder has a good skill set with a lot of upside. He entered the transfer portal after the 2023 regular season and landed with Ole Miss.

11/16/24: Harmon has been a solid defender for the Ducks in 2024 with 36 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Harmon has quality size. He had 40 tackles with 1.5 sacks in 2023. Some team sources said they had Harmon as a mid-rounder.

11/16/24: Corleone is a solid defender for the Bearcats on the inside of the line. In 2024, he has 25 tackles with 3.5 sacks. The previous two seasons Corleone had three sacks in each of those two years.

11/16/24: Toia has 20 tackles thus far.

6/24/24: Toia was a solid defender at the point of attack for the Bruins in 2023. He totaled 28 tackles with one sack and one pass defended. The previous season he had 30 tackles. Toia is a heavy nose tackle prospect. Toia started out his collegiate career at USC before transferring to UCLA.

11/16/24: Mesidor has 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He had a good game against Florida and was active behind the line of scrimmage. He also was active against Florida State and Louisville.

6/24/24: Mesidor was a consistent interior pass rusher for the Hurricanes in 2020-2022. In 2022, he had 38 tackles with seven sacks, one forced fumble, and four passes defended. The previous season he had 4.5 sacks after totaling five sacks in 2020. In 2023, Mesidor only played two games before going out for the season with an injury.

11/16/24: Smith has 23 tackles and one sack.

6/24/24: Smith collected 30 tackles and two sacks in 2023. Smith has the talent upside to rise in his final season if he can produce more for the Crimson Tide. In 2022, he notched 20 tackles and a sack.

11/16/24: Robinson has 23 tackles and five sacks. Robinson is a grinder who plays hard and tough, but he has some skill set limitations for the NFL.

6/24/24: Robinson recorded 29 tackles, one sack and three passes batted in 2023. He was a solid defender for the Cornhuskers in the previous two seasons, including 24 tackles and two sacks in 2022 and 27 tackles and two in 2021. Robinson is a late-round pick with good height and length that might stick as a backup.

11/16/24: Black has 28 tackles with one sack and two passes batted.

6/24/24: Black was a solid player for Iowa in 2023, totaling 51 tackles with five tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and five passes defended. If Black can improve his pass rush in 2024, he could be a riser for the 2025 NFL Draft.

11/16/24: Brinson has nine tackles in four games.

6/24/24: In 2023, Brinson had 21 tackles and two sacks.

8/19/23: Brinson was a rotational backup for the Bulldogs in 2022, recording 12 tackles and a sack. If Brinson produces more pass rush as a senior, he has the potential to rise as the 2024 NFL Draft nears.

11/16/24: Jackson has 26 tackles and two passes defended thus far.

6/24/24: Jackson collected 32 tackles and two passes defended in 2023. Jackson played at Memphis in 2022 with quality production for a massive nose tackle. He recorded 41 tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss. It would help Jackson to show the ability to create some push in the pass rush to be more than a run-stuffing nose tackle.

11/16/24: Thomas has 26 tackles and one pass broken up thus far.

6/24/24: Thomas has played well enough during his collegiate career to get placed on NFL team’s preseason watch list. In 2023 he had 38 tackles with one sack. The previous season he had 35 tackles with three sacks. It would help Thomas to impress at an all-star game after the 2024 season.

11/16/24: Hunter has 34 tackles with one sack thus far.

6/24/24: Gybter was a good run defender for the Knights in 2023 as he produced 69 tackles with three sacks. Hunter is a big nose tackle that needs to produce more in the pass rush to rise.

11/16/24: Gregory has 31 tackles and three sacks.

6/24/24: Gregory is a big-nose tackle at the point of attack. In 2023 he had 16 tackles and one sack. Gregory needs to be more productive as a senior.

11/16/24: Mills has 27 tackles and six sacks thus far. Mills is a good college player, but he has limitions for the next level.

6/24/24: In 2023, Mills recorded 47 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Mills flashed the previous two seasons with three sacks in 2021 and 3.5 in 2022. He improved his tackle total from 16 to 24, but he needs to produce more pass rush in his final season to rise.

11/16/24: Broughton has 18 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble thus far.

6/24/24: Broughton had 17 tackles with one sack and one pass batted in 2023. With Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat ahead of him, Broughton was a rotational backup. He has the upside to rise as a starter in 2024.

11/16/24: Hemingway has 19 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass batted.

6/24/24: Hemingway was a solid nose tackle for the Gamecocks in 2023, recording 32 tackles with 1.5 sacks and seven passes batted. The previous season he had 33 stops with four sacks. Hemingway could stand to add some weight for the NFL.

11/16/24: Barber has 30 tackles with 2.5 sacks thus far.

6/24/24: Barber had some steady sack production in 2020-2022 when he tallied four, three, and three sacks, respectively, over those three seasons. In 2023 he missed significant time with injuries.

11/16/24: Williams has 20 tackles with a pass defended thus far.

6/24/24: Williams was a solid nose tackle for Missouri in 2023, totaling 25 tackles with two forced fumbles and two passes defended. He had 28 tackles with two sacks in 2022. Williams needs to improve his pass rush production as a senior.

11/16/24: Oatis has two tackles and one pass batted. He hasn’t played since early September.

6/24/24: Oatis was a rotational player as a sophomore and freshman, so he could rise in 2024 if he breaks out while taking on a bigger role. In 2022, he had 29 tackles with one sack and recorded 26 tackles and .5 sacks in 2023.