2017 class · 20 prospects

Defensive tackle DT

Sacks + TFLs + Senior Bowl. Athletic testing weighted higher for IDL than EDGE.

Likeliest career, by the outcome model.

How many defensive tackles land in each career bucket as the model's single most likely finish. This is a different question from the board grades below — a prospect can be a Day 3 grade and still have “starter” as his likeliest outcome. The tails (elite, bust) are where the model separates; the middle two buckets sit close to a coin flip.

Elite
0
None in this class — the top is thin
Starter
6
Multi-year NFL starter
Role
14
Rotational / depth
Bust
0
Nobody here busts as his likeliest outcome — individual risk still varies, see the rows below
Likeliest career across the DT class
Elite
0
Starter
6
Role
14
Bust
0

The board.

All 20 defensive tackles with a draftable grade on Draftanomics's 2017 board, tier by tier.

Blue Chip0 players

No blue-chip defensive tackle this cycle — Malik McDowell is the class's best, and he carries the next grade down.

1st Round0 players

An empty tier, honestly labeled — no defensive tackle earns a first-round grade this cycle.

Day 26 players

The Day 2 tier runs 6 deep, opening with Malik McDowell out of Michigan St. at No. 41 and closing with Dalvin Tomlinson at No. 104. No cliff at the bottom, either: Eddie Vanderdoes is 6 projected picks behind Tomlinson. Inside the tier, the model's fight is Larry Ogunjobi: it says No. 86, the room says No. 124.

41
Malik McDowell
Michigan St.· 6'6" · 295 lb· consensus #28
A Day 2 grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 28.
Day 2
bust risk 22%
77
D.J. Jones
Mississippi
A Day 2 grade, No. 77 on our board.
Day 2
bust risk 26%
79
Caleb Brantley
Florida· 6'3" · 307 lb· consensus #52
A Day 2 grade, though the room is higher on him — consensus No. 52.
Day 2
bust risk 24%
86
Larry Ogunjobi
Charlotte· consensus #124
A Day 2 grade the room hasn't caught up to — consensus No. 124.
Day 2
bust risk 35%
95
Nazair Jones
North Carolina· 6'5" · 304 lb· consensus #60
A Day 2 grade, though the room is higher on him — consensus No. 60.
Day 2
bust risk 40%
104
Dalvin Tomlinson
Alabama· 6'3" · 310 lb· consensus #81
A Day 2 grade, though the room is higher on him — consensus No. 81.
Day 2
bust risk 27%
Day 314 players

This is where the class lives: 14 defensive tackles carry a Day 3 grade, with Eddie Vanderdoes out of UCLA at the front of the line at No. 110 overall. The risk in the group is Montravius Adams: 43 percent by a bust model that has earned trust at defensive tackle.

110
Eddie Vanderdoes
UCLA· 6'3" · 305 lb· consensus #143
A Day 3 grade the room hasn't caught up to — consensus No. 143.
Day 3
bust risk 40%
114
Tanzel Smart
Tulane· 6'1" · 296 lb· consensus #108
A Day 3 grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 108.
Day 3
bust risk 32%
118
Stevie Tu'ikolovatu
USC· 6'1" · 331 lb
A Day 3 grade, No. 118 on our board.
Day 3
bust risk 41%
125
Vincent Taylor
Oklahoma St.· 6'3" · 304 lb· consensus #67
A Day 3 grade, though the room is higher on him — consensus No. 67.
Day 3
bust risk 28%