2022 NFL Draft Prospects: Defensive Tackle

4/27/22: Davis was one of the stars of the combine with a shockingly fast 40 time for such a massive defensive lineman. Along with his insanely fast 40, Davis worked out well and did well in the team interviews. Some team sources think Davis won’t get out of the top half of the first round in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Davis notched 32 tackles and two sacks in 2021. While he did not produce a big stat line, he was a monster on the inside of the line, eating up blockers and freeing up other defenders to make plays. The massive Davis is a beast at the point of attack and led the Bulldogs’ tremendous run defense. Multiple team sources have compared Davis to players like John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth.

7/10/21: Davis was a solid run stuffer for Georgia in 2020. He has some talent, but is raw and needs development. Some team sources said they gave Davis a mid-round grade for the 2021 NFL Draft, but he has the upside to rise and made a favorable impression on some advance scouts.

Davis is a heavy nose tackle who is tough to move at the point of attack. He could be a good fit as a zero-technique in a 3-4 defense. Davis showed more ability to make plays in the backfield in 2019 as a sophomore. He has upside to improve and rise as a senior.

4/27/22: During the 2021 season, team sources thought Wyatt could go in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He then further helped himself with a strong finish to the season capped off by a good week at the Senior Bowl and an excellent combine workout. Scouts said Wyatt is only a fit as a three-technique for a 4-3 defense, but he has some gap-shooting ability and could be a nice value pick if he’s drafted for that role. In 2021, Wyatt collected 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass batted. Off-the-field concerns are hurting Wyatt’s draft grade with some evaluators. Some teams have removed Wyatt from their boards because of multiple issues of domestic violence in his background.

7/10/21: Wyatt is a tough nose tackle who is adept at stuffing lanes and making stops in the ground game. As a senior, he needs to improve his pass rush in order to rise as a prospect.

4/27/22: Jones went under the radar in 2021, but he is a big nose tackle who flashed some pass-rush ability over the past two years, putting up 3.5 sacks each season. Jones also was a solid run defender with 126 tackles over the past three seasons. He then had a good week of practice at the Senior Bowl. Jones is a heavy nose tackle who could be a tough run defender in the NFL and contribute to the pass rush by creating a push. At the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, Jones continued his strong postseason with a very good workout, showing impressive speed for a large nose tackle.

4/27/22: In 2021, Leal had 58 tackles, 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two passes defended. He decided to skip the Gator Bowl to prepare for the pre-draft workouts. The Aggies played him at end and tackle, but his pass-rushing talents are most dangerous on the inside. Some in the media have even projected Leal as a high first-round pick, but in speaking to multiple team sources, they have a second-round grade on Leal.

“He’ll probably go in the second,” said a director of player personnel. “I love his ability to rush the passer, and he’s instinctive versus the run. But I have my struggles with him. I think he’s going to have issues early on playing the run inside. And he has sort of a bad body. Feels like more of a package guy early on.”

“I don’t see a high first-rounder with Leal,” said a national scout. “He’s not powerful or sudden, but he’s agile and fluid. He will struggle inside.”

7/10/21: Leal flashed for the Aggies in 2020 and 2019, but really looked like things were clicking for him at the end of the 2020 season. As a sophomore, he had 30 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and three passes defended. In 2019, he recorded 38 tackles and two sacks. Leal has a good skill set with a ton of upside.

4/27/22: Carter turned 2021 into his best season, recording 31 tackles with 11 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and eight sacks. He played well for Florida, producing consistently in the pass rush. Similar to former Gator Jonathan Bullard, Carter is a tweener end/tackle for the next level, and that hurts his grade, according to team sources. Carter’s best fit to stick in the NFL and turn into a solid player could be as a three-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense. For that role, he might need to gain weight, but he also will need to become a tougher run defender.

Team sources were impressed with Carter in 2021, and he helped himself with his performances over the season. They think he is a heavy edge defender who can bump inside to rush the quarterback in the sub package. They say that while Carter doesn’t like to grind blocks and got tossed around some as a run defender versus Alabama, they like his athleticism and speed for a defender who is around 6-foot-3, 285 pounds. They feel Carter is similar to Boogie Basham, who was a second-round pick by the Bills in the 2021 NFL Draft. Scouts believe Carter could end up in late first-round contention even though they are grading him more as a second-round talent.

7/10/21: The Gators’ defense struggled in 2020, but Carter was one of the bright spots, notching five sacks, 36 tackles and two passes defended. Carter has quality quickness and athleticism to get after the quarterback. If he can get to the quarterback more as a senior while holding up against the run, Carter could really rise.

4/27/22: In 2021, Winfrey totaled 5.5 sacks and 23 tackles. Winfrey has good speed, but he lacks instincts and is terrible in run defense as evidenced by his horrible tackle total. He decided to skip the Alamo Bowl to prepare for the pre-draft workouts.

Winfrey had an excellent week of practice at the Senior Bowl, causing havoc behind the line by using his speed to fire gaps and make plays. In the pass rush especially, Winfrey got the better of the offensive linemen. He really helped himself in Mobile. Winfrey has a lot of off-the-field issues that hurt him with teams, and some team sources are worried about Winfrey avoiding suspension and not partying his way out of the NFL.

Here is what an area scout texted me about Winfrey during the Oklahoma-Nebraska game, “Winfrey is a pure three-technique. He’ll get better usage of his skill set in the NFL. They play him as a 0 or 4i primarily in their scheme. He’s better when they let him tee off and 1-gap. His production gets hit taking so many base reps. They’re doing what they need to in order to win. It’s our job as scouts to project him properly.”

7/10/21: The junior college product Winfrey came on strong for Oklahoma late in the 2020 season. He has a really good skill set with the ability to get upfield. In 2020, he totaled 16 tackles with .5 sacks and three passes batted. Winfrey has a ton of upside to break out in 2021.

4/27/22: In 2021, Mathis recorded 53 tackles, nine sacks and one forced fumble. He has some interior pass-rush ability alongside some quickness and athleticism. Mathis has very good intangibles as a leader, worker and teammate. While he has not gotten a lot of attention, Mathis could be a sleeper steal. Some teams are eyeing him late in the second round and early in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

7/10/21: Mathis played well for Alabama in 2020, recording 31 tackles with 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and three passes defended. It was his first season of serious playing time, so he could rise in 2021 now that he has experience. Mathis has excellent size with athletic upside.

4/27/22: Ridgeway recorded 39 tackles and two sacks in 2021. He played well and impressed team evaluators. Some team sources say they think Ridgeway is really a very large defensive end akin to former Seahawk Red Bryant.

7/10/21: Ridgeway made a good impression on the advance scouts, and they have given him a favorable projection entering the season. Ridgeway has excellent size and strength at the point of attack. He could help himself in 2021 by producing more sacks and impressing at an all-star game.

4/27/22: In 2021, Garrett had 22 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He didn’t stand out at the Senior Bowl.

7/10/21: Garrett flashed during the shortened 2020 season, and he could rise in 2021, if he builds on his performance. Garrett totaled 20 tackles with two sacks, an interception and a pass defended last season. He is shorter and lacks length, but he is quick and has upside. Now that Garrett has some starting experience, the senior’s play could really jump.

4/27/22: Booker totaled 59 tackles and 1.5 sacks for Stanford in 2021. He had a solid workout at the combine.

7/10/21: Booker played solid football for Stanford in its 2020 shortened season. Over his first two seasons, Booker was a solid defender at the point of attack. He had 3.5 sacks with 29 tackles as a freshman and improved in his sophomore year with 50 tackles, four sacks and three passes batted. Booker has quality size to him with upside to develop.

4/27/22: Butler totaled 47 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble in 2021. He put together a quality year for Tennessee, but he needs to get stronger for the NFL.

7/10/21: Butler was a solid defender for the Volunteers over the past two seasons, contributing in both phases. It would help the senior to show more pass-rush ability in 2021 and to gain some strength for the NFL.

4/27/22: Ogbonnia is a heavy nose tackle who is a plugger at the point of attack. In 2021, he totaled 27 tackles and two sacks. Ogbonnia had a decent week at the Senior Bowl and could be a backup rotational nose tackle in the NFL.

4/27/22: Farrell notched 45 tackles, two sacks and two passes batted in 2021. He could be a solid heavy nose tackle rotational player, but without much pass-rush ability, he does not have a spot in the sub package to be a true three-down starter.

7/10/21: Farrell originally initially opted out of the 2020 season, but he then re-joined LSU. He had a solid game against Florida and was a quality run defender at the point of attack. Ferrell was a rotational defender for LSU with only three starts as a junior, but he flashed athletic ability with pass-rush potential and was a solid run defender. With Tyler Shelvin moving onto the NFL, Farrell should be a starter as senior. If he can increase his pass-rush production, he could rise.

4/27/22: Ray recorded 11 tackles and one sack in 2021. He never produced up to his skill set during his time at Alabama.

7/10/21: In 2020, Ray was a solid defender for Alabama, but he did not show significant progress as a pass rusher and also dealt with injuries. He was wise to return to Alabama for 2021. Ray has trimmed weight off his frame, and it will be interesting to see if emerges as a serious speed rusher as a result.

Ray recorded nine tackles with a sack and forced fumble during his 2019 season. He went out of the lineup in September because of a foot injury that required surgery. While Quinnen Williams was the star of the Alabama defensive line in 2018, Ray flashed at times for the Crimson Tide and had some nice moments that year. Ray totaled 39 tackles with six for a loss, 2.5 sacks and two passes batted for the season.

4/27/22: Otomewo recorded 30 tackles and three sacks in 2021.

7/10/21: Otomewo made modest contributions in 2020. He has a skill set with upside, including some speed to go with size. Over the past few seasons, Otomewo has done a nice job of gaining weight and filling out his frame. Otomewo flashed as a sophomore to earn a spot on NFL teams’ preseason watch list, and he has reappeared on their watch list for the 2022 NFL Draft.

4/27/22: Tagovailoa-Amosa notched 25 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble over the 2021 season. He made some clutch plays for the Fighting Irish. Tagovailoa-Amosa would be rated higher if he weren’t so undersized.

7/10/21: Tagovailoa-Amosa flashed some ability as a junior, making some big plays, and he could rise if he builds on that as a senior. Tagovailoa-Amosa, however, is very undersized and needs to gain weight for the NFL. He lacks the length to move to the edge, so he might need some developmental time in the pros.

4/27/22: McCall had nine tackles in 2021. He was injured in late September and came back to play in the final two regular-season games.

7/10/21: McCall is a thick and heavy nose tackle who has some surprising quickness for such a huge lineman. In 2020 and 2019, McCall flashed run-stuffing ability. For the NFL, he looks limited as a rotational nose tackle who won’t be a pass rusher for the sub package.

4/27/22: In 2021, Byers recorded 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

7/10/21: Byers has a decent skill set with some upside, but he needs to produce more as a run defender and pass rusher as a senior to be more than a late-round pick.