2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Tim Settle

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Tim Settle, 6-3/329 Defensive Tackle Virginia Tech

Tim Settle Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Tough run defender

Very strong

Surprising athleticism for a big, thick nose tackle

Rare explosion at the point of attack for a nose tackle

Can contribute in the pass rush

Can fire by guards with speed

Collapses the pocket

Active hands

Perfect fit as a 3-4 nose tackle

Good fit as a 4-3 nose tackle

Can eat up double teams

Closes well for a heavy tackle

Impressive ability to shed blocks

Frees up edge rushers, linebackers

Weaknesses:

Won’t play every snap in the NFL

Will be a rotational player

Will have to monitor his conditioning

Limited to nose tackle role

Lacks length to be a five-technique

Not a fit as a three-technique

One-year wonder

Summary: Virginia Tech has been known as prodigous source of defensive backs, and over the past few years, the stars of the program have been the Edmunds brothers. The Hokies, however, have also produced some quality defensive linemen, and Settle will keep that tradition alive in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Settle did not do much in the early going of his career at Virginia Tech. In 2016, he had 17 tackles and no sacks. Thus, he wasn’t on the draft radar entering his junior year, but he quickly changed that by being a force at the point of attack. The big nose tackle totaled 36 tackles with 12.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks and one pass batted for the year. He was impossible to miss when watching the Hokies, causing a lot of havoc behind the line of scrimmage.



Settle is shockingly explosive and agile for a big defender. The heavy nose tackle uses his burst to get into the chest of blockers and reset the line of scrimmage. As a run defender, Settle is a load. He stuffs his gap, and it is very difficult to move him. Even double teams are ineffective as Settle’s upper body strength and ability to anchor holds his ground well at the point of attack. With his power and explosion, Settle will shed blocks and flow down the line to make tackles on backs.

In the pass rush, Settle can run over guards, and he uses his surprising explosion to collapse the pocket. When Settle gets free, he charges down the pocket in a blur, closing on the quarterback with surprising speed for a heavy nose tackle. Settle has active hands and continues to fight to shed blocks from offensive linemen. He will never produce big sack totals as a pro, but he could be a functional contributor to a team’s pass rush with his ability to collapse the pocket.

For the NFL, Settle projects as an impact-making nose tackle for either a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. Being a nose tackle pushes Settle lower in the 2018 NFL Draft since he does not have the flexibility to be a three-technique in a 4-3 or a five-technique in a 3-4. Settle is expected to go on the second day of the 2018 NFL Draft, and I think he could become one of the top nose tackles in the league.





Player Comparison: D.J. Reader. Settle reminds me of Reader coming out of Clemson. Both of them were late bloomers who closed out their collegiate careers with a bang. They are thick-bodied nose tackles with surprising explosion at the point of attack. They are also almost identical in size and have similar limitations. Reader (6-3, 335) is turning into one of the top nose tackles in the NFL, and I think Settle could become a similar-caliber pro. The Texans outsmarted the league when they took Reader in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Settle should go on the second day of the 2018 NFL Draft, and Reader should have been a second-day pick as well.

NFL Matches: San Francisco, Oakland, Washington, Arizona, Oakland, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit, Buffalo, Atlanta and New Orleans

Settle should have a number of teams that give him consideration on the second day of the 2018 NFL Draft. San Francisco could consider Settle as an upgrade over Earl Mitchell. Oakland needs a lot of help in its front seven, and Settle could be an instant upgrade to the Raiders’ run defense while helping to collapse the pocket for Khalil Mack. Settle makes a lot of sense for Oakland on Day 2 if the team doesn’t take a defensive tackle in the first round.

The Redskins could use more defensive line talent next to Jonathan Allen. Settle would give them an impact-making nose tackle who could form an elite tandem with Allen. If Washington doesn’t get Da’Ron Payne or Vita Vea in the first round, Settle would make ton of sense in Round 2. Arizona, meanwhile, missed Calais Campbell in 2017, so Settle could be in play for the Cardinals as a disruptor at the point of attack.

The Lions need an interior presence to go with A’Shawn Robinson, and Settle would give Detroit a powerful interior tandem with Robinson. Buffalo could use an interior defender to replace Kyle Williams, and Settle could fit the Bills’ defensive scheme next to Star Lotulelei.

Atlanta also could use more interior defensive line talent, and Settle would be a fit as a replacement for Dontari Poe. Staying in the NFC South, Settle could give the Saints a replacement for Nick Fairley and a tackle to team up with Sheldon Rankins.

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

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