Sports

/

ArcaMax

2024 NFL draft prospect rankings: Defensive tackles

Eddie Brown, The San Diego Union-Tribune on

Published in Football

— 10. McKinnley Jackson (Sr., Texas A&M, 6-1, 326)

Jackson is a stout, powerful, surprisingly athletic interior defender. He's a natural fit as a nose tackle and was a standout during Senior Bowl practices. The two-time team captain is a bulldozer who thrives on hustle plays, but he'll need to develop go-to counter moves as a pass-rusher if he wants to stay on the field for third downs in the pros. Projected: Rounds 4-5

— BONUS: Leonard Taylor (So., Miami, 6-4, 303)

Taylor was one of the top recruits at his position coming out of high school. He's an explosive interior defender who can overwhelm opponents when he's on his game. He has a pro-ready build, but needs to play with more discipline and awareness to unlock superstar mode. Projected: Rounds 3-4

— BONUS: Maason Smith (So., LSU, 6-5, 306)

Smith is a physically gifted prospect who leans more on athleticism (No. 17 on Feldman's list) than fundamentals or technique. The former five-star recruit was a freshman All-American in 2021 before tearing his ACL at the beginning of the 2022 season. There's a lot of upside here, but it may take time to develop. Projected: Rounds 3-4

— BONUS: DeWayne Carter (Sr., Duke, 6-3, 305)

Carter was a three-time team captain who saw a dip in pass-rush production as a fifth-year senior for the Blue Devils. He's an anchor against the run though and consistently won his one-on-one matchups throughout the week of practices in Mobile. Projected: Rounds 3-5

— BONUS: Mekhi Wingo (Jr., LSU, 6-1, 295)

 

Scouts are concerned with his length, but Wingo has used his quickness and low center of gravity to his benefit for three seasons as a starter in the SEC — with LSU and Missouri. Projected: Rounds 3-5

— BONUS: Tyler Davis (Sr., Clemson, 6-2, 301)

There are durability concerns after suffering biceps, knee and ankle injuries in college, but the former four-star recruit is an anchor against the run and capable of pressuring the quarterback when healthy. Projected: Rounds 4-5

— BONUS: Jordan Jefferson (Sr., LSU, 6-4, 317)

The West Virginia transfer is a solid run defender with an NFL-caliber spin move. Jefferson plays too tall at times, which causes him to struggle with leverage off the snap as a pass-rusher. This could limit him to an early-down role if he doesn't fine-tune his technique. Projected: Rounds 6-7

— BONUS: Khristian Boyd (Sr., Northern Iowa, 6-4, 317)

Boyd dominated the Shrine Bowl and his impressive 38 bench press reps at his pro day would've been second-best at the combine. These are the types of things an FCS/small-school prospect needs to do during the draft process to get noticed. He features an explosive first step and has proven disruptive against the run. There's a lot to work with here. Projected: Rounds 6-7


©2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus