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By Bob Sturm Feb 6, 2020
Each week during the buildup to the NFL Draft, as has been our tradition since 2012, we will take a look at five of the key prospects at a given positional group. The hope is to cover what we perceive as the very best players in this spring’s draft, as well as the Dallas Cowboys’ positions of greatest need in the first three rounds, using about 200 snaps of the most recent college tape from each of the prospects. I am certainly not an NFL scout, but I have found over the years that much can be learned from giving each player a couple of hours and really studying how he might fit at the next level. With a little luck, we will be plenty familiar with the options when the draft arrives in late April.
There is a freshness to the Dallas Cowboys draft scene in 2020, even if it is mostly perception. We believe that, for the first time in a very long time, the franchise is giving a lot of thought to rebuilding the interior of its defensive line. Before you protest this premise, we obviously must mention Trysten Hill, who is still very much in the team’s plans (we think). But his biggest advocate is no longer in the building, and this will be a massive year for Hill to demonstrate that he was worth the trouble. Most rookies get 24 to 30 months before teams consider cutting losses under normal circumstances. But, to be fair, with a new coaching administration underway and discussions of new schemes and prototypes from the old look, it could even come sooner than that.
But before we get worked up about the future of a very young and talented player, we should probably get a good handle on where this organization is at the all-important defensive tackle position. Maliek Collins, Michael Bennett and Christian Covington are unrestricted free agents, while Tyrone Crawford certainly can play a little bit at DT if you prefer (and he doesn’t need to start at DE). But, otherwise, this is it as far as defensive tackles under contract:
| 1-Tech DT | 3-Tech DT | |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 99 – Antwaun Woods | 79 – Trysten Hill |
| Bench | 93 – Daniel Ross | ????? |
| ????? | ????? |
If you want some real cause for concern, here you go. I know this team has a fair number of question marks at the moment, but they are painfully thin at defensive tackle. Antwaun Woods is an exclusive rights free agent, and he will certainly be back. Aside from his ill-timed arrest, I think he is a solid player, albeit one who generally only plays on run downs. Daniel Ross played zero snaps last year and may not even be in the plans, but by default I will list him as a restricted free agent. And then, yes, at 3-tech, is Trysten Hill, who is coming off a very uninspiring rookie year that included an awful lot of inactive game days and almost nothing else. He was only active in seven games and about 120 snaps in total.
In fact, as far as I can tell, of the normal 2,000 snaps you must account for from the DT spot, the Cowboys will return roughly 400. That is an absurd amount to attempt to replace.
Now, let’s reset a discussion that I think is certainly important to revisit each year. There are many types of defensive tackles, but almost without exception, the real value is in one who can present some level of pass rush. Interior pass rushers are extremely rare, and if you can find one, you should be willing to pay premium prices. If not, you should understand that there seems to be an endless supply of ordinary DTs further down the draft, on the waiver wire or available for minimal contracts. The only time you should be paying big money for DTs are for those who completely shut down a running game or those who can get to the passer… or both.
Here is the thing, though: Almost no defensive tackles can average even four or five sacks a year. To prove this, I have run sack totals for all defensive tackles from 2016-2019 to show you something I think might really shock you. There are only six in the entire NFL who can claim to average five sacks a season over that four-year trend. Only nine can claim to average four sacks a year for four years. And look which defensive tackle has the 11th-most sacks in the entire league since 2016? Cowboys unrestricted free agent Maliek Collins!
| Rank | Player | Sacks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Donald | 52 |
| 2 | Geno Atkins | 32.5 |
| 3 | Fletcher Cox | 26 |
| 4 | Gerald McCoy | 24 |
| 5 | Jurrell Casey | 23 |
| 6 | Grady Jarrett | 20.5 |
| 7 | Cameron Heyward | 17 |
| 8 | Kawann Short | 16.5 |
| 9 | Sheldon Rankins | 16 |
| 10 | Jarran Reed | 15.5 |
| 11 | Maliek Collins | 14.5 |
| 12 | Ndamukong Suh | 14 |
That strikes me as absolutely shocking. Collins has been decent at times and very good at others, but for the most part, he is a low priority when it comes to trying to secure a new deal with the many free agents on the roster. Yet only 10 DTs can claim to have more sacks since his draft year. In fairness, there is more to the position than sacking quarterbacks, but my overall point here is that if a backfield presence is that rare, you might as well find speed bumps on Day 3 of the draft. The top 30, 50 and even 100 picks need to be allocated on players who can be special at a position where “pretty good” is available deeper in the draft.
What do the Cowboys think about investing in defensive tackles? Well, we know what the previous staffs told us: They want to find defensive tackles off the street, practice squads and pretty much anywhere but Day 1 or 2 in the draft. Basically, since Russell Maryland, the Cowboys have not seriously invested in a defensive tackle on draft day.
Here are the last 25 years of Cowboys defensive tackle selections in Rounds 1-3 (Tyrone Crawford and Jason Hatcher were both drafted as DEs):
As you can see, the Cowboys draft edge guys 10 times as often as the big boys in the middle. What could a premium defensive tackle do for this defense at the 3-technique? We can only wonder because the Cowboys have had their chances to grab defensive tackles a number of times. If you follow my draft coverage, you know in 2012, I was screaming for a trade up to select Fletcher Cox. Dallas did ultimately trade up, but it was for cornerback Morris Claiborne instead.
Last year, they finally did it. They went to go get Hill out of Central Florida, likely as cover for when Collins’ contract expired. Instead, they likely do not feel covered at all.
Given this reality, we had better look carefully at this defensive tackle position to prepare for the draft. You could make the case that they should give strong consideration to finding a “war daddy” who can affect things inside on the defense as early as Round 1. We have seen deeper years at the position, but here is an alphabetical look at the first five names who have caught my eye.
Derrick Brown — Auburn — 6’4 — 325
Brown is a name recruiting people certainly were aware of, as a five-star prospect from the class of 2016. At no point during his four-year stay at Auburn did anyone find him to be much less than a future star on Sundays with the way he dominated the toughest conference in football. He was named the 2019 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American team member.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
Positives: Virtually everything about this player is a positive, but you simply would have to start with the staggering athleticism that a man who is 325 pounds or so can possess. He is a big, immovable man who can also move around at his own whim and destroy plays. Men this size are absolutely not supposed to be able to rush the passer and push the pocket like Brown does. He has tree-trunk legs and can hold his ground while always controlling his guy in a single-team mismatch and walks his man right back into the quarterback’s lap. The only chance SEC opponents had was to double-team him. He can be a game-changing 3-technique at a size that is rare, or he can just go way inside and control the game that way. In other words, play him wherever you want, and you should quickly have one of the very best defensive tackles in the league. He is a destroyer of worlds.
Concerns: I can’t think of any serious concerns, to be honest. I would probably like him to be better conditioned to affect games in the fourth quarter the same way he does early, but he takes a beating all game long. It would be fair, though, to hope he can extend his battery in the big games even more to prove he’s not a rotational option that needs plenty of time off. Otherwise, his size, ability, technique and everything else are close to flawless.
Overall: You had better be really sure you are sure about a defensive tackle to give someone a HIGH FIRST-ROUND grade at this position. They had better affect the run, the pass and pretty much be a “double-team target or he will wreck your gameplan” kind of guy. There is very little question that Brown is the real deal, and it has been a while since I have liked a DT prospect this much. Only two defensive tackles have gone in the top 10 in the last five years (Quinnen Williams and Ed Oliver, both in 2019), and I like Brown better than both of them. I am convinced he is a star and will go off the board very quickly.
Jordan Elliott — Missouri — 6’4 — 315
Elliott was a highly touted recruit out of Houston who originally made his way to play for Texas before transferring to Missouri to play in 2018 and 2019. The results have been spotty in those two seasons with Missouri, but he has a rare body type with even more rare athletic traits that make him one to watch.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
Positives: There are certain players – including several of our five today – who are best described as “God didn’t create too many like this guy,” and you simply see them as an outlier football body among the outlier human beings who constitute major college football. In other words, all of these body types are already extraordinary, so when you find someone who pushes those limits and appears a giant amongst giants, you really have something. Elliott is that. He has very long arms and runs like someone 30 to 40 pounds lighter. He is a disruptive and penetrating player who can slip through gaps with ease for a man his size. You don’t often say a DT is elusive and hard to get your hands on, but Elliott will make a guard or center look silly at the snap occasionally.
Concerns: I have quite a few here and seem to differ from many colleagues in my evaluation. I see very poor technique and a player who doesn’t really have much of a plan when the snap happens and he is initially accounted for. He plays way too high and gets moved right out of the way by any offensive linemen worth his salt (which obviously will be seen weekly in the NFL). He doesn’t seem to process what is happening around him and also had very poor production, considering his calling card is his pass-rushing ability. I will need more than 5.5 sacks in two full seasons. He seems like a massive project.
Overall: I want to make this clear: Jordan Elliott could become a great NFL player. But I would suggest he needs to be taught how to use his incredible body, and that requires time and patience. For me, his value is in his knack to take advantage of openings and opportunities, which is very important but those chances are given far less frequently at the next level. He needs time, and he needs building. It might be in there, but I reserve my best grades for those who can win games early in their careers. I would give Elliott a THIRD-ROUND grade and hope to even get him on Day 3.
Neville Gallimore — Oklahoma — 6’2 — 301
Gallimore has been a force in the Big 12 for the last few years and has emerged as a transformed player since he has reshaped his body and appears to be something significant heading into this draft after his best year in Norman. A native of Canada, he is the rare top prospect who has five years in the Oklahoma program from which to draw experience.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
Positives: I was incredibly impressed with the way Gallimore dominates the “get-off” portion of the play where he consistently explodes out of his stance and wins the snap almost immediately. He is a real twitched-up, penetrating 1-technique/nose tackle-type who wins with his initial strike and plays with impressive ferocity. The burst repeatedly appears as does an impressive motor and effort level. He gives you five very appealing seconds of action, plays an enormous number of snaps and looks like he is probably best as a 1-tech/NT. But he is well put-together and should give you real help versus the run and still get to the passer. There is plenty to like here.
Concerns: The biggest issues you might see with Neville would probably be a wish for more impressive statistics in the Big 12, a more convincing anchor inside on run plays where you can get some movement on him and an overall ability to not rely on arm tackles, as many of those turned into broken tackles when he tried to reach out as opposed to shedding and squaring up. His real value appears to be on passing downs; if it turns into a trench war, his upside is a bit lower. His actual moves aren’t particularly impressive; he relies mostly on ferocity and effort.
Overall: With the appearance of an ascending player who is figuring out what it takes to make a handsome living in the NFL, I think Gallimore has developed into a sure-fire top-50 prospect, and it would not shock me to see him work his way into the first round. As it stands here, I will probably list him third in this group and assign a FIRST-SECOND-ROUND grade on him, representing a value that would place him somewhere between the Cowboys picks at No. 17 and No. 51.
Javon Kinlaw — South Carolina — 6’6 — 302
There are certain players that this process introduces me to whom I have simply never heard of during their college career, only to find that to be my fault. Kinlaw is a great example of a fantastic player who was off my radar, and his tape was quite enjoyable. He is a name to know moving forward.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
Positives: Kinlaw is a force between the tackles who has absurd height and length as well as the ability to embarrass players across from him, as he controls them with his arms and walks back the player right into the QB. He is incredibly explosive, and penetration will not be a problem. He wins all day long and can just be an awesome player, as he showed against Alabama. He has a seven-foot wingspan and is active all day long. He can make his opponents panic, and his tape is absolutely legitimate. You could argue this is a true war daddy, with David Irving-type comps but a great desire for football, too.
Concerns: The biggest issue is there is some concern about his knee and whether or not the reported tendinitis that caused him to pull out of the Senior Bowl is significant. Obviously, health concerns can get you to drop someone by a letter grade or more, but beyond that, I would argue that very little troubles me about Kinlaw. He certainly is not a big run stuffer, as he is not made to do that sort of grunt work. But if you want a guy who can make plays in the passing game, here he is. I am very impressed overall.
Overall: I would say Kinlaw has it all. There is a difference between Derrick Brown and Kinlaw, as Brown is more of an every-situation player while Kinlaw would need to be used in the right way. Also, the knee situation would probably keep him from being in the high part of Round 1, but as we often say with these guys, the rarity of the body type, ability and tape is simply difficult to pass up. He is an easy FIRST-ROUND GRADE.
Justin Madubuike — Texas A&M — 6’3 — 305
McKinney North’s Madubuike had plenty of options out of high school before heading to Texas A&M and put together exceptional seasons in 2018 and 2019 to put himself in a fine spot moving into the draft. He gained plenty of weight and comes from a very athletically inclined family that suggests he has some very rare abilities, which the tape absolutely verifies.
(Statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com)
Positives: He is an active and big body who plays so much faster than the other DTs on the Aggies’ line that you almost don’t need to see his number to know which one he is. He uses his hands well to control his man and is really twitched up for his size. His upper-body strength is remarkable, and it isn’t difficult to see him abuse an isolated guard by tossing them out of his way. He doesn’t lose much and has the ability to put the OL on roller skates as he blows through the line. I think he can play 3-Tech or 5-Tech (even some 1-Tech) and hold up quite well. His effort level is quite impressive, too. This is a very fine player.
Concerns: He has to be a proper fit in your scheme, and I don’t really see much of an edge rusher here. He will get stuck on blocks and struggle to get back in the play. I thought there were times when he ran out of gas late in the game, but his effort level is beyond satisfactory. If anything, he loses his temper a bit, perhaps, and does make some “personal foul”-worthy decisions that prove to be costly. He was flagged eight times in 2019 alone, which is pretty absurd for a defensive lineman.
Overall: There is certainly a difference between the top few in this class and this particular player, but Madubuike will really help a team. Finding the value where it makes plenty of sense will be the key. I find him disruptive and a player who will be a real handful but probably not the focal point of a great defensive line. He will need players around him to generate advantageous matchups, but I like this player quite a bit. I would give him a SECOND ROUND grade and give him plenty of thought at Pick No. 51 if he’s available.
My Week 2 defensive tackle stack looks like this:
