NFL Analysis
3/27/24
1 min read
2024 NFL Draft: Ranking Top 15 Defensive Tackle Prospects
Organizations around the league hope the 2024 NFL Draft will propel them to success next season and into the future. Strength and consistency in the trenches are vital for any team hoping to compete for a championship.
Here's a look at our top 15 defensive tackle prospects.
RANKING TOP 2024 DEFENSIVE TACKLE PROSPECTS
15. Gabe Hall, Baylor 
Big Board Rank: 171
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 291
Gabe Hall projects as a backup 3-tech in an even-front scheme. There are a few ways his development could go. With his quickness off the ball, he should be utilized best as a penetrator, especially early on. If that continues to improve, staying with that role makes sense.
However, he has great length and solid hand use, so if he gets stronger in his lower half, he could kick out to be the 5-tech in odd-front looks. If that were to be the case, he could still reduce down to 3-tech in order to penetrate on third downs.
Right now, Hall’s pad level is too high and he lacks anchor ability, change-of-direction skills, and agility up and down the line. If he doesn’t win with quickness and his swim move immediately, he struggles to shed. He does compete and can finish plays late, but that’ll only get him so far.
>>READ MORE: Hall's Full Scouting Report
14. Maason Smth, LSU 
Big Board Rank: 155
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 306
Maason Smith projects as a backup 3-tech who would fit best in a 4-3 defensive scheme. He has great size and raw athletic ability that projects better as a long-term project instead of an instant impact player.
He fires too upright consistently and loses the leverage battle from the start. He lacks a plan of attack and really struggles shedding blocks. Smith’s sheer size and power allow him to occasionally make splash plays, and he shows the potential to be a force in the run game.
Currently, however, he lacks the stoutness at the point of attack and is moved far too easily for a man of his size. On third down, he can reduce down to rush from over the center, but he lacks the strength and control to play there outside of obvious pass rushing situations.
>>READ MORE: Smith's Full Scouting Report
13. Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State 
Big Board Rank: 154
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 290
Michael Hall Jr. projects as a top-level backup defensive tackle in an even-front scheme that allows him to attack upfield. He has a unique and lean body type for an interior defender, but is lacking some lower-body strength.
He has a quick-twitched first step as a pass rusher and has some impressive athleticism which is a matchup problem along the interior. He knows when to turn his motor up in pass rush situations, but his stamina and motor are inconsistent as a whole.
As a run defender, he lacks some lower-body strength to consistently anchor at the POA. Although he does show some pop in his hands when striking on contact, he gets easily displaced at the LOS with poor pad level. With his pass rush upside he can provide value as a DPR on third downs to get his athleticism on the field.
>>READ MORE: Hall's Full Scouting Report
12. Justin Eboigbe, Alabama 
Big Board Rank: 118
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 297
Justin Eboigbe lines up all across the defensive front in Alabama’s multiple-front defense. He typically lined up as a strongside defensive end, but played all along the interior in pass rush sub packages. He played in 56 games for the Tide, notching 24 starts in that span.
He was sidelined for the majority of the 2022 season because of a neck injury, but there haven’t proved to be any long-term issues. Eboigbe has a stout build and with good length to match. He’s also a high motor player that plays with fearless aggression.
>>READ MORE: Eboigbe's Full Scouting Report
11. DeWayne Carter, Duke 
Big Board Rank: 117
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 302
DeWayne Carter plays on the defensive line for Duke and its hybrid defensive front. He primarily plays around the offensive guards ranging from the 2i to 3-techniques but has also seen plenty of snaps around the tackles and even as a stand-up edge in obvious passing situations.
Duke slants its DL a lot, so he’s seen slanting and stunting quite often. While he occasionally two-gaps, he’s more of a penetrator, taking on that responsibility the majority of the time.
Carter is a good athlete with a good, solid frame and longer-than-average arms for the position, who also has a strong motor and pursuit skills to finish each and every play.
>>READ MORE: Carter's Full Scouting Report
10. Brandon Dorlus, Oregon 
Big Board Rank: 115
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 283
Brandon Dorlus is a versatile defensive lineman in the Oregon multi-front defensive scheme. He has experience lining up as a strong-side defensive end in a even front, as a stand-up edge rusher, and mostly as a traditional 3-tech.
He is a five-year player for the Ducks and has started in 40 games over the last three seasons. He avoided major injury in his career at Oregon, but he did have shoulder surgery in the spring before the 2022 season.
Dorlus has a solid frame and carries his weight well while also having really good length to pair. He isn’t the most athletic along the defensive front, but he has a complimentary mix of athleticism and power at his size. He plays with a solid motor and level of competitiveness in the trenches and has been a leader for the Ducks over the past few
>>READ MORE: Dorlus' Full Scouting Report
9. Braden Fiske, Florida State 
Big Board Rank: 114
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 292
Braden Fiske is a starting defensive tackle for Florida State’s base 5-DB defense, primarily playing 3-tech, but he lines up all over. He began his career at Western Michigan and transferred after five seasons. He had a shoulder injury that limited him during Spring 2023 practices, but he did not miss any games from it.
Fiske has a good frame and plays at a good weight. He lacks a little length in his arms but has good initial quickness and moves fluidly for his size. He has enough strength to combat linemen, but does struggle against double teams.
His motor is very hot, and he makes numerous plays as the play breaks down. He rotates out frequently which could be a sign of some stamina issues, but it keeps him fresh for late in games, an area he thrives.
>>READ MORE: Fiske's Full Scouting Report
8. Kris Jenkins, Michigan 
Big Board Rank: 69
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 299
Kris Jenkins is a versatile defensive tackle for Michigan in the Wolverines' multiple-front defensive scheme. In odd-fronts, he spent most of his time working off the tackles, and off the guard and center in even-fronts.
He is an experienced prospect, starting 33 of 44 career games. His toughness was on display while battling a high-ankle sprain in 2023 that didn’t cause him to miss any time. He is the son of four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Kris Jenkins.
He is an impressive athlete highlighted by his lateral quickness and agility. He carries his weight extremely well with a solidly built lower body but has room to add weight to the upper body to get stronger. His competitiveness and toughness show up especially against high-level competition.
>>READ MORE: Jenkins' Full Scouting Report
7. Ruke Ohorhoro, Clemson 
Big Board Rank: 56
Height: 6-foot-24
Weight: 294
Ruke Orhorhoro is a defensive tackle that plays in Clemson’s multiple defensive front. While he mainly plays on the right side of center, he consistently lines up at 0, 2i, 3, and 5-tech, depending on the front. He played in 53 career games, starting 30 of them.
Orhorhoro did have to miss the majority of the 2020 season due to a meniscus tear, which may have slightly diminished his explosiveness. Growing up in Nigeria before coming to the U.S. when he was 9, he was primarily a basketball player. He didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school, so he only has seven years of football experience.
Orhorhoro’s reactive athleticism can be a fault at times, but most of the time, he is able to quickly react to what is in front of him. He possesses a strong frame and solid size for the position. While he’s a tough competitor, he can tire out quickly after many consecutive snaps.
>>READ MORE: Ohorhoro's Full Scouting Report
6. Leonard Taylor III, Miami 
Big Board Rank: 47
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 303
Leonard Taylor primarily plays as a two-gapping nose tackle in Miami's 3-3-5 look and slid out to 3-tech when the Hurricanes would switch to four-man fronts. In 2022, he did the opposite, primarily as a penetrating 3-tech in their even-front looks and coming out in odd-fronts.
Miami uses a heavy defensive line rotation, so his overall snap count is lower than it would be on most other teams. He’s been in that rotation all three seasons, playing in 31 career games. Taylor brings a unique athleticism that doesn't have him overpowering defenders but beats them with his first quick step off the line. He plays hard and competes in all facets of the game.
>>READ MORE: Taylor's Full Scouting Report
5. Darius Robinson, Missouri 
Big Board Rank: 43
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 285
Darius Robinson is a defensive lineman in Missouri’s base even-front defensive scheme, mixing in one-gapping and two-gapping responsibilities depending on the front and his alignment.
Before 2023, when he lined up more over and outside the tackle with his hand in the ground and standing up, he was mainly utilized as a 3-tech and in. He missed three games in 2020 because of an ankle injury, three games in 2021 and two games in 2023 because of a strained calf that kept nagging him.
He was primarily a basketball player growing up, not playing his first year of organized football until his junior year of high school. He has a long, strong frame and even at nearly 300 pounds, he looks more like an edge. With that, he’s a good athlete whose motor runs hot at all times, competing from snap to whistle.
>>READ MORE: Robinson's Full Scouting Report
4. Mekhi Wingo, LSU
Big Board Rank: 39
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 284
Mekhi Wingo was a 5-tech in LSU’s base 3-4 defensive scheme. He spent his freshman season at Missouri in 2021, where he started three games before transferring to LSU. He missed half of his 2023 campaign after being sidelined because of a lower-body injury that required surgery.
He is a densely built athlete with an explosive lower body and powerful hands. He is a high-motor player who shows limited signs of slowing throughout the course of a game.
>>READ MORE: Wingo's Full Scouting Report
3. T'Vondre Sweat, Texas 
Big Board Rank: 29
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 366
T’Vondre Sweat was a defensive lineman for Texas who lined up nearly all over the defensive front. He primarily stayed in a 4i and down, seeing time at nose tackle and defensive tackle, depending on if the team deployed an even or odd front.
He played a ton of football for the Longhorns, seeing action in 62 games, and he started most of the past two seasons. Sweat is a mammoth defender and is highly athletic for his size. He plays with toughness and a high motor, though he lacks some stamina and does not always finish plays the way he can.
>>READ MORE: Sweat's Full Scouting Report
2. Byron Murphy II, Texas
Big Board Rank: 20
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 297
Byron Murphy II is a defensive tackle in the Texas defensive front where he plays mostly between the guards, playing a true NT in their odd-front and alternating between nose and 3-tech in their even-front.
He has played and shown effectiveness as a one-gapper and two-gapper. Though he’s played in nearly 40 games while at Texas, he’s only a one-year starter.
Murphy is built like a bowling ball with a shorter, compact frame and plenty of strength. His motor runs hot on every play, and his relentless nature allows him to consistently get into the backfield and wreak havoc on the quarterback or ballcarriers.
>>READ MORE: Muphy's Full Scouting Report
1. Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois 
Big Board Rank: 15
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 304
Jer’Zhan Newton is a starting defensive tackle for Illinois’ base three-down defense, primarily playing a 3-tech role. Newton underwent surgery to repair a partial Jones fracture in his foot in January, missing much of the pre-Draft process.
He is a twitchy athlete who has the first step, hand quickness and agility to play at the next level. Newton has a low center of gravity and can change directions quickly. He lacks some length on the interior but is thick throughout with good upper and lower-body strength.
He plays with a hot motor, running all over the field and making an impact late in plays and games. His effort is also apparent on special teams where he blocked 4 kicks during the 2023 season.
>>READ MORE: Newton's Full Scouting Report
