Defensive Tackle Class
Early-round talent: AMid-round: A
Late-round: A-
Overall grade: A
Merging the 2024 and 2025 prospects
Mason GrahamByron Murphy II
Kenneth Grant
Alfred Collins
Shemar Turner
Josh Farmer
Ruke Orhorhoro
Johnny Newton
T’Vondre Sweat
Braden Fiske
Just to be clear, this article and series are all my opinion. I base my evaluation on my own film study and also on information I’ve gotten from general managers, directors of college scouting, national scouts, area scouts, and NFL coaches who know way more than I do.
Last year was a good class of defensive tackle talent as a very talented group went in the second round of the draft. This year is even better. Mason Graham, Byron Murphy, and Kenneth Grant are all about equal as mid-first-rounders. There are a bunch of other good prospects this year that are on a par with last year’s second-round group of Orhorhoro, Newton, Sweat, and Fiske. Along with Alfred Collins, Shemar Turner, and Josh Farmer, there are other excellent round two prospects like Tyleik Williams, Omarr Norman-Lott, T.J. Sanders, Walter Nolen, Darius Alexander, Derrick Harmon, and more.
Safest Pick: Mason Graham, Michigan 
Previous Picks:2024 Byron Murphy II
2023 Jalen Carter
2022 Jordan Davis
2021 Christian Barmore
2020 Derrick Brown
2019 Christian Wilkins
2018 Vita Vea
2017 Jonathan Allen
2016 Jarran Reed
2015 Leonard Williams
2014 Louis Nix
2013 Star Lotulelei
Graham is not an elite defensive tackle prospect like say a Quinnen Williams or Aaron Donald, but Graham is a safe pick to be a quality starter in the NFL. Graham is a stout run defender that plays with good leverage and is very tough at the point of attack. He has an excellent motor and never quits. While Graham may not be prolific in the NFL, he should be a quality starter.
Biggest Bust Potential: Walter Nolen, Ole Miss 
Previous Picks:2024 Brandon Dorlus
2023 Siaki Ika
2022 Perrion Winfrey
2021 Marvin Wilson
2020 Ross Blacklock
2019 Jerry Tillery
2018 Maurice Hurst
2017 Malik McDowell
2016 Robert Nkemdiche
2015 Mario Edwards Jr
2014 Anthony Johnson
2013 Jesse Williams
This was a difficult selection, but Nolen stood out as being a risky pick. At Texas A&M in 2023 and 2022, Nolen had some terrible tape. He had ugly moments and even scouts that like him based off 2024 acknowledge the previous tape was bad. Nolen did flash at times and looked better in 2024, but on top of the inconsistent career, Nolen has some character concerns. I think he is the riskiest of the early-round defensive tackle prospects.
Defensive Tackle Rankings by Attributes
Pass Rush:
NFL prototype: Quinnen Williams, Jets
- Mason Graham
- Shemar Turner
- Kenneth Grant
- Alfred Collins
- Josh Farmer
Recap: The NFL is always searching for interior linemen who can get after the quarterback. They are a hard commodity to find, and one can make a massive impact on a team’s ability to rush the passer. Tackles who can rush the quarterback set up a lot of sacks for edge rushers via disruption and double-teams. The fastest way to get to a quarterback is from up the middle, and even just forcing quarterbacks to get off their drop spot hurts the passing game. Pass rush up the middle is more disruptive for quarterbacks than edge rushing.
As a pass rusher, Graham is very capable of getting penetration, and he is dangerous to collapse the pocket. Graham has heavy hands to rock back guards. He can bullrush his way down the pocket or toss blockers to the side to get free. Graham shows more developed moves than typical interior rusher prospects, as he will use a club move and a swim move to go along with his bull rush. When Graham gets free, he has a burst to close. Graham will fire to the quarterback to get pressure and disrupt the timing of plays. As a pro, Graham may not become a prolific sack producer like Donald, Sapp, or Randle. Still, Graham could be a good contributor with comparable sack production to a player like Grady Jarrett.
As a pass rusher, Turner is a twitchy athlete who ran rush as a power end or move inside to tackle. He has solid quickness for a big end and can close quickly when he breaks free. Turner flashes some strength as a rusher with a nice rip move to get leverage on blockers when he gets on their edges. While Turner has a nice combination of height, weight, speed, and length, he lacks pass rushing moves. He needs to build up a repertoire of moves as Turner is predictable with speed or power rushes. Turner’s small sack total reflects a lack of finish to his plays as he was prone to missing some tackles in the pocket. Turner is too twitched up to miss quarterbacks as much as he does, and he needs to improve at adjusting to moving quarterbacks in order to get more effective and productive.
In the pass rush, Grant shows an excellent skill set of power, quickness, athleticism, and natural size at the point of attack. Grant has serious strength where he can manhandle blockers at the point of attack. He has natural leverage to go with his strong build to get into the chest of blockers and roll them back into the pocket. With active hands and a variety of moves, Grant sheds blocks and has the quickness to close on the quarterback. Grant has a lot of upside so his pass rush ability should improve as he gains experience.
As a pass rusher, Collins is a contributor and has upside even though he did not have big sack totals in college. Collins is a power rusher that can get penetration into the backfield with a serious bull rush. He does a nice job of getting into the chest and under the pads of guard to push them backwards. With his strength, Collins is a power rusher that consistently generates a push to take away space for quarterbacks to step up in the pocket. Collins won’t be a big sack producer in the NFL, but he can be a contributor to a team’s pass rush and is not limited to being just a run down defender.
In the pass rush, Farmer has a strong bull rush with some serious power off the ball. He has a barrell chest with developed upper body strength. That allows Farmer to rock guards back and knock them off balance. He can rock and blast guards backwards with his shear power. Farmer lacks some instincts and has issues finding the ball. does not use his hands well to shed to get in on sacks. When Farmer gets free on stunts or other games, he flashes some quickness to close, but he has some lower body tightness that hurts his ability to redirect. Farmer will probably never produce big sack numbers in the NFL, but he can contribute to the rush by generating a push to help take away space for the quarterback to step up in the pocket and he could have some five or six sacks during his career.
Run Defense:
NFL prototype: D.J. Reader, Lions
- Kenneth Grant
- Alfred Collins
- Mason Graham
- Josh Farmer
- Shemar Turner
Recap: In run defense, Grant is already an elite defender. He is a load at the point of attack. He can push through blockers and stuff running lanes at the point of attack. He has no problems anchoring to hold his gap and keep offenses from getting a push. Grant uses his quickness and athleticism to pursue down the line, as he is not just a plugger at the point of attack. With a strong lateral anchor, Grant can absorb double teams and bump blocks without getting pushed out of his gap. Grant should be an asset as a run defender immediately in his pro career.
In the ground game, Collins is a dynamite defender with instincts that lead him to make tackles and cause disruption. Over the past two seasons, Collins has been one of the best run-defending defensive linemen in college football. He is extremely stout at the point of attack. When runs come downhill at him, he is able to anchor and hold his ground. He also shows the strength to shed and tackle. Routinely, Collins pushes his way into the backfield to disrupt runs and reset the line of scrimmage. His lateral anchor is advanced for a college player, as he is tough to move at the point of attack, even when taking on double teams. Collins is very strong to take on double-team bump blocks and hold his ground when getting hit from the side. Entering the NFL, Collins is a very good run defender, and he has the potential to be a huge asset as a run defender at the pro level.
In the ground game, Graham is tough as nails. He plays with outstanding leverage and strength. Graham is nearly impossible to move backward and is very reliable in standing up his blocker to hold his gap at the point of attack. Graham not only holds his ground, but he is capable of shedding the block and pursuing outside of his gap to get in on tackles. Graham will be an asset to his NFL team in terms of run defense.
In the ground game, Farmer is generally stout to hold his gape at the point of attack. He has the power to hold his ground and defend downhill runs coming straight at him. Farmer does not use his hands well and that limits his ability to shed blocks and make tackles. Farmer lacks some instincts to anticipate and struggles to find the ball. Those weaknesses keep him from making more tackles near the line of scrimmage.
In the ground game, Turner can set a physical edge as he will scrap and fight at the point of attack. He has length and size to hold his ground when blockers try to go downhill straight at him. Some 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.
Three-Technique:
NFL prototype: Chris Jones, Chiefs
- Mason Graham
- Shemar Turner
- Kenneth Grant
- Alfred Collins
- Josh Farmer
Recap: Good three-techniques can be hard to find, and this class has a few players who can do some work as a three-technique. Graham and Turner have the ability to be three techniques in the NFL. They have enough quickness to fire a gap and get penetration into the backfield. Grant has the ability to do it but will need some work and grooming to be a three-technique. Collins and Farmer are not good fits to be three techniques in the NFL.
3-4 Defensive End:
NFL prototype: Justin Simmons, Titans
- Mason Graham
- Kenneth Grant
- Alfred Collins
- Shemar Turner
- Josh Farmer
Recap: This group has some natural fits for 3-4 ends. Graham could be an excellent 3-4 end that also offers pass rush ability for a five-technique. Grant and Collins could be good fits as five-technique ends. Collins is a great nose tackle, but he has enough length and height to play five-technique as well. Turner could play five technique as he has the length and strength. Farmer is a nose tackle and not a good fit to be a five-technique.
Nose Tackle:
NFL prototype: Vita Vea, Buccaneers
- Kenneth Grant
- Alfred Collins
- Mason Graham
- Josh Farmer
- Shemar Turner
Recap: A good nose tackle in a 3-4 defense is a tough commodity to find. Someone like Vince Wilfork or Casey Hampton in their prime sets the tone for the pass rush and the run defense by blasting the center into the backfield. An effective zero-technique stuffs the run and occupies interior blockers to open up lanes for blitzes up the middle. Grant has that ability, and he could be a Wilfork or Hampton-caliber defender during his career. Collins, Graham, and Farmer are well suited to play nose tackle as well. They have the strength, length, and burst to be tough to move out of their gap. Turner is not a good fit to be a nose tackle.
