This post is a deep dive on the defensive tackle prospects in this years’ draft, from the Ravens perspective of course. Previous position reviews are:
Cornerback prospects are here.
Edge linebacker prospects are here.
Safety prospects are here.
With the retirement of Michael Pierce the Ravens are ready for an infusion of young talent along the defensive interior. Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones are settled in as the primary tackles with Broderick Washington as the valuable third oar, but it’s time for a real improvement over Brent Urban, with another body needed. The perfect candidate for the Ravens is someone who can handle double teams and yet penetrate on pass rushing downs, i.e., a three down player. That type of player goes in the first and second rounds. A run stuffer who can handle double teams is typically found in the third round and beyond.
There’s no point looking at Mason Graham, who will be long gone before the Ravens draft. This is a very deep class of defensive tackle prospects, more than in recent years. At the top of this group my analysis is skewed because of my belief that the Ravens won’t spend any of their top-value capital on the position.
Kenneth Grant
Grant is 21.5 years old from Michigan, 6’3 and 330 pounds. Grant is an athletic man’s man who can handle two gaps and much more. He’s very thick and compact yet has outstanding first step quickness and power. Grant consistently defeats interior linemen with overpowering, explosive and quick hands. He has a very strong anchoring ability and it’s tough to uproot him. Grant brings a very good variety of pass rush moves as well, highlighting double swipes, excellent long arm attacks, and a powerful bull rush. Grant spins as well as anyone on the inside. Across 17 starts he posted 6.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss.
Grant is a hustler and chases down runners. But he can get too high, compromising his power, and when he plays high his anchoring ability diminishes. On occasion he becomes a bit too passive, and there were times on tape where he wasn’t nearly aggressive as he’s capable. Grant averaged approximately 40 snaps per game and has to demonstrate that he can handle a larger load. Now for the Ravens that’s not as critical because of the rotational approach they take for interior defensive lineman. But there are some signs that Grant is not as well conditioned as he should be.
Grant is already a dominant run defender. The challenge in drafting him is determining whether he can be a high ceiling pass rusher as well. His athletic traits are elite and the flashes he shows indicate the talent is there. But being mindful that Madubuike and Jones are likely intrenched, the issue is whether the Ravens would spend first round capital on a rotational defensive tackle. A generational tackle, maybe yes. A rotational tackle. No. Round 1. Ravens – No (but not because I don’t like the player, I do).
Walter Nolen
Nolen is 21.5 years old from Mississippi and is 6’3 and 300 pounds. Nolan is very tough at the point of attack. He has powerful hands and stacks and sheds well. He possesses a powerful punch and has surprising lateral agility and good explosiveness. Nolen is a very good athlete.
Although possessor of a solid bull rush, he hasn’t been as productive as you’d like in getting to the quarterback. He needs to improve his pass rushing bag of tricks and master the use of his hands to reach his pass rushing potential, which is high. His counters are good but need more work. Pad elevation has been a consistent bugaboo. But he showed improvement at the Senior Bowl practices and had some dominating plays.
His play on tape was inconsistent, and character concerns have apparently been raised by some teams. There were times where he was jolted off of his spot, unable to hold his anchor. Nolen has looked best when he was in space, and he’s the type of player you can stunt with because of his athleticism. He’s a gap penetrator, more of an attacker than a read and react guy.
Assuming the character questions are resolved, Nolen has high upside, albeit with some risk too. Is he worthy of a first round pick at 27? He likely won’t get there, but given some other tackle prospects in this draft if I were the Ravens I’d pass him by. Round 1-2. Ravens – No.
Derrick Harmon
Harmon is 21.75 years old from Oregon, 6’4 and 313 pounds with a huge wingspan. He’s very athletic, with good quickness and lateral agility. Harmon has initial explosiveness but is a bit challenged laterally and he can be stiff turning. He has a good if not top-end bull rush but he comes in too hot sometimes and misses his target. He led major colleges in pressures from the tackle position, but too often just didn’t finish, i.e., he’s not been as productive as he should be.
Harmon’s abilities play well for him penetrating gaps. He has powerful swatting hands, and that very good first step, but when he doesn’t fire well blockers get into him and he can be driven back. He doesn’t play as low as one might like and isn’t the dominant anchor to consistently hold up against double teams, at least not at this point in his development. But he’s a young player. He’s not the type of player to chase people consistently down.
There is more to unlock in Harmon then we’ve seen so far. I struggle to rate him as a first round prospect as some others have. Round 2. Ravens – Maybe.
Darius Alexander
Alexander is 24.7 years old from Toledo, 6’4 and 305 pounds with long arms and is an outstanding athlete. Alexander was utterly dominant at the Senior Bowl practices, and won plays in a wide variety of ways. He was very explosive out of his stance, and demonstrated a superior stack and shed ability. He can really move. Alexander had outstanding change of direction ability and surprising bend around the edge when tasked there. He has a fairly deep quiver of moves. Frankly, there was nothing at the practices that he failed to master. He should be a dominant run defender in the NFL. He has a stout anchor against double teams and excellent power behind it. Alexander utilizes excellent leverage techniques and is hard to dislodge.
Although there were times on tape when Alexander didn’t have the requisite bend, that was no so evident at the practices. Alexander has an outstanding punch. He has very good range in the run game. There’s room for improvement in his pass rush but, with better technique (for one, keeping his pads lower more consistently) he should be a penetrating rusher.
Right now, he flashes an excellent ability to cross the blockers face, and he brings tremendous power. He was a bit of an underachiever as a rusher in college, because he has the power, agility, and enough moves to be an elite pass rusher. There were too many instances on tape where he was cruising, and a more consistent hotter motor is needed in the NFL. But the talent is definitely there.
I like Alexander a great deal. Granted, he’s an older prospect and needs to grow more, but he’s the classic example of a player oozing with talent who, if he takes quickly to NFL coaching, can become a major difference maker on the defensive line. Round 2. Ravens – Yes.
Tyliek Williams
Williams is 22.2 years old from Ohio State, 6’3 and 329 pounds. Williams is a very good run stuffer. He has a quick initial step combined with strength and power at the line. He brings very heavy hands with a punch that can quickly shock blockers. Williams brings stack and shed ability, and a good football IQ. However, on occasion he has difficulty disengaging from blocks.
As a pass rusher Williams can come in too high, compromising his leg power. He lacks a sophisticated pass rush plan, and he doesn’t really offer much in the way of counters. He has a way to go to develop into a higher end rusher, if he can do it. I don’t like that Williams’ apparently was unable in college to manage his weight. This lack of discipline is a warning sign for me.
I believe Williams is a bit over-rated in this draft. He’s likely best suited as an even front run defender at this point, someone who’s not on the field in passing situations. There’s work to do from that perspective. But in all, I wouldn’t be going in Williams’ direction. Round 2-3. Ravens – Pass.
Alfred Collins
Collins is 23.5 years old, 6’5 and 332 pounds from Texas. He offers long arms and a very wide wingspan. Collins brings very powerful, violent hands to the party. He has an excellent two-hand strike ability and stacks and sheds blockers with dominance. He’s a good two-gap defender and is very quick to process information.
Collins is not blessed with great lateral agility. His first step out of the blocks is just ordinary. Given his height, his pads can come in too high leaving him unable to anchor, particularly against double teams. He has not shown much of a presence as a pass rusher, will likely only have a bull rush at that, and is likely destined to be a first and second down run stuffer in the NFL.
What Collins does bring is a good level of dominance on the interior. He will keep linebackers largely clean. He’s very strong and long, and in can play in the gaps. To the extent that the Ravens are looking for a dominant run stuffer, and they should be, Collins is right at the top of the line. But he won’t win pass rushes with a quick first step. Round 2-3. Ravens – Yes (but not in the second round).
Shemar Turner
Turner is 22.25 years old, 6’3 and 290 pounds from Texas A&M. Turner is an interesting prospect. He is blessed with an explosive pop and excellent lateral mobility. He has a tremendous punch with powerful hands. Turner keeps his feet moving and attacks to the ball. But he is not an elite talent pressing through gaps. He has a burly frame. He has a powerful punch in his hands and can shock offensive linemen backwards. Turner uses long-arm, club and rip, and arm-over moves as a pass rusher, in addition to having a very good bull rush. But his secondary moves need more development. He intentionally added quite a bit of weight last season, and he will need to maintain it to be effective in the NFL.
Turner still needs to improve keeping his pads down, as he can be redirected when they are too high. As a run defender he lacks the low body mass of some of his peers in this draft, and can’t anchor as well. He won’t be as effective against double teams. But he’s able to control the point of attack, and he’s strong in controlling the gap when he’s focused. Turner runs with a very hot and determined motor. In fact, he can play too hot past the whistle, leading to some penalties (five personal fouls last year). But he plays with fire in his belly.
Medicals will be an issue with Turner as he had a stress fracture that didn’t heal properly in 2024, a torn labrum the prior year, and shin surgery in June 2024.
Assuming the medicals are passed (not a certainty), Turner is an interesting talent. He’s certainly not a prototypical run stuffing defender that the Ravens have consistently utilized in their history. Rather, he offers interesting traits both as a run defender and as a pass rusher. Round 2-3. Ravens – Yes (if medically cleared).
T.J. Sanders
Sanders is 21.75 years old from South Carolina, 6’3 and 305 pounds. He had a very good week at the Senior Bowl practices. He showed an excellent initial burst and knock-back power, with quick hands. Turner brought excellent lateral range and an explosive first step allowing him to penetrate gaps. He was tough against the run and had one excellent bull rush example of converting speed into power.
Sanders is an excellent pass rusher from the interior, and is able to win in more than one way. He’s able to cross the face of blockers. He has the natural ability to shoot gaps with the quickness and athleticism to get through tight spaces up the field. Sanders has an arsenal that includes some good counters. Sanders is not a top-elite power provider in the run game and won’t hold double teams the way his larger peers can. He just doesn’t have that mass. But he’s capable, with those violent hands, of stacking some blocks.
For all of his pass rushing prowess (and he’s a top level prospect in that regard), Sanders is not the three-down defender at this point in his development that one cherishes on the interior. He’s actually more of a third down pass rush specialist to a certain degree, a player who can handle stunts in addition to everything else. He’s a penetrator. There’s always a demand for a defensive tackle with Sanders’ traits and abilities. The question for the Ravens is whether this is the top need for them on the interior. Sanders is not the guy at this point who will command the trenches. He’d be excellent value, though, if he lasted to the Ravens in the third round. Round 2-3. Ravens – Maybe (third round).
Omarr Norman-Lott
Norman-Lott is 23.1 years old out of Tennessee, 6’2 and 303 pounds. Norman-Lott was never a starter for Tennessee, averaging barely 17 snaps per game last season, and less than 1,000 total snaps over his five college seasons. Can he handle more? It’s very unusual to see a player with his type of pass rush ability play so little over his long career.
He’s a very athletic player with the burst to penetrate. He currently profiles as a pass rush attacker with a lot of work to do as a run defender. Norman-Lott has excellent hands and a naturally low pad level, allowing him to get underneath blockers. He has excellent power and is explosive out of the blocks. He has an elite first step. Norman-Lott transitions speed to power at a top level. He brings a bevy of moves to his game, including scissors, rip/dips and more. He plays with excellent leverage, utilizes a very strong long arm, and has excellent instincts. Norman-Lott revs a hot motor and will chase plays.
As a run defender, he’s raw and largely undeveloped. He does not maintain leverage well. His pads get high and he can get knocked off of his anchor.
Norman-Lott has not been a disciplined player, with too many penalties on his resume. He brings fire and maybe too much passion to his play.
Norman-Lott is a difficult player to gauge in this sense: he has fantastic pass rushing natural skills and ability, has done very little in the run game, and barely plays in a relative sense. That combination of facts is highly unusual, to say the least. Therefore, there’s a lot of projection to Norman-Lott. The risk/reward are both high. He’s likely to go high in the draft because of his pass rushing skills, but I can’t place him as high as others. Round 3-4. Ravens – Pass.
Joshua Farmer
Farmer is 22.25 years old from Florida State, 6’3 and 305 pounds. He has enormously long arms (over 35”) and is a thick build powerful player. Farmer has not been as a consistent of a player as you like. His pads get too high too often, compromising his ability. He’s not great with lateral agility and is more of a straight-line player.
But Farmer brings very powerful upper body strength, powerful hands, and punches very well, often taking control quickly. He has a good, but not great, first step (i.e., he isn’t the most explosive tackle). He sometimes needs a second burst. Farmer’s pass rush game includes some nice swims and chops. He is a good bull rusher. His high pad level causes him to stall out in the run game, allowing blockers to get in to his chest, but he has the power to recover and get himself back into the play. As a result, he’s not the best at stacking blocks.
Of course, his tackling radius is very wide and he is strong enough to tackle while being blocked. Farmer plays with a hot motor.
Farmer’s game needs more development and, as such, he’s probably not an immediate impact player other than situationally. He has enough to believe his best days are ahead of him if he takes to good coaching. Farmer is not an elite prospect at this point, but has the ability to be a solid contributor, especially in the run game. Round 4. Ravens – Yes (at that point in the draft).
Ty Robinson
Robinson is 24 years old from Nebraska, 6’5 and 288 pounds. Robinson is tall and built tough but has below average length. He is good athlete. In the run game Robinson’s strength is as a gap penetrator with a very good initial step. He is not the ideal interior defender to handle double teams or for dropping anchor. At 6’5 his pads can get too high, which becomes problematic, as he loses leverage. But he brings a powerful punch that he’s able to take advantage of. He’s not a zero gap player, and because he frequently has shorter arms than his opponent, he winds up having to deconstruct blocks.
Robinson is relentless and chases ball carriers down the field. He is very tough and never quits. As a pass rusher, his quickness allows him to cross the face of blockers, and he brings a nice package of counter moves. Again, his shorter arms leave him stalemated too often.
In addition, he has slide counters and he generally relies on power for his success. He is not a naturally loose athlete and he doesn’t always use his hands to maximum effect. He is a tremendous competitor but doesn’t settle down his aggressiveness for top production.
Robinson is not the perfect prospect by any means. His combination of height and lack of length make it more difficult on him than the norm. I don’t think he has any elite traits per se. I don’t see him as being a stout interior defender against the run, nor as a higher-end pass rusher. Round 4. Ravens – Pass.
Jay Toia
Toia is 21.75 years old out of UCLA, 6’2 and 341 pounds. He is the classic old-style nose tackle; the guy who drops anchor and you just can’t uproot. He’s not explosive into the backfield but has a quick first step. Toia offers a short wingspan, leaving him with a short reach. He has no real pass rushing profile or polish and will not make an impact in that game. Toia’s change of direction ability is quite limited.
Toia really shouldn’t have much appeal to the Ravens, his nose tackle ability notwithstanding. I don’t see him as having the length to handle double-teams and there’s just nothing else much there where I see him making an impact in the NFL. Round 5. Ravens – No.
Jordan Phillips
Phillips is not yet 21 years old out of Maryland, and is 6’1 and 313 pounds with an average to small wingspan. Across his 23 starts he produced no sacks and only 2.5 tackles for loss. But his meager college production has little relevance to his NFL upside. Make no mistake Phillips is an intriguing, very young prospect with significant upside, particularly in the running game.
Phillips is very powerful and well suited to play inside on the defensive line. He brings excellent leverage and punch. Those short arms don’t help him, but he has an explosive first step which he backs up with that punch to gain an advantage. When he stays low, he’s a very tough force to move. He has enough lateral agility to get over the top on rushes away from him, and he is more mobile than his frame suggests with very good feet. He handles double teams with some alacrity.
Phillips is well suited over the nose and to handle double teams. He’s a very good tackler and is a hard worker, which bodes well given his need for further growth as a player.
I like Phillips as a prospect, but one who likely needs more growth before he’s ready to provide the interior consistency that the Ravens will be looking for. But he has the tools with a strong upside. I don’t see him developing into a major pass rush contributor, so we’re looking at Phillips as more of a first and second down player. Round 3-4. Ravens – Yes.
Ty Hamilton
Hamilton is 23 years old, 6’3 and 299 pounds from Ohio State. He is a bit undersized for an interior defender. He is likely destined to be a primary run defender, but lacking the qualities and skills you need for him to be on the field on third down.
Hamilton does not really present as a player who will control gaps. He lacks a great anchor and is not that explosive out of the blocks. His hands are his calling card and he has a very powerful punch that allows him to shed and beat blockers. But because of his gap limitations, and given that he has limited upside as a pass rusher, I don’t see Hamilton as offering the skills that the Ravens generally seek. Round 4-5. Ravens – Pass.
Cam Jackson
Jackson is 22.7 years old, 6’6 and 328 pounds out of Florida with a very large wingspan. Jackson is a huge man offering better athleticism than one would expect. Unlike Ty Hamilton, he is made to be a two-gapper who can’t be dislodged and will keep linebackers clean. He offers a quick first step and gets upfield rapidly. Jackson has the strength to handle the double teams. He has good lateral agility and will chase plays down. His biggest challenge is keeping those tall pads down. His game is limited to the run as he offers little viability as a pass rusher other than as a pusher.
I don’t rate Jackson as high as others. He’s going to be a first and second down player at best, and I don’t favor him over the other run stuffers in this draft. Round 5. Ravens – Pass.
Aeneas Peebles
Peebles is 23.6 years old out of Virginia Tech, 6’ and 282 pounds with short arms. Peebles is just not well suited as a run defender. He lacks the mass and length one looks for and it’s impossible to imagine him playing two gap control in the NFL. Nor, for that matter, does he figure to be an imposing tackle over the nose. Peebles won’t bring the anchor that his larger peers possess. He could struggle against the big punchers in the NFL.
Instead, what you get in Peebles is an interesting pass rusher who explodes off the snap and has excellent feet. He gets under the pads of his opponents and offers a variety of swipes and spins to get penetration. Phillips has a well prepared bag of counters in his array. He wins more with finesses than power, and offers very good agility. Peebles’ hands are strong, and he has a solid bull rush. At the Senior Bowl practices he showed a special change of direction ability. He brings an electric motor and force on every play.
Peebles is a pash rush specialist at this point who will struggle to see the field on first and second down. I don’t believe that this combination of skills is what the Ravens are seeking on the interior. Round 4. Ravens – Pass.
Jamaree Caldwell
Caldwell is 24.7 years old out of Oregon, 6’2 and 332 pounds. He is one of the oldest prospects in the draft. Caldwell profiles as a nose tackle with a low probability of ever being a contributor to a pass rush attack. He utilizes his dense mass and drops a very strong anchor. He is well suited to handle double teams.
Caldwell’s utility is well defined in a fairly limited way. He’s not a gap penetrator at all and his primary (if not only) role is keeping linebackers clean. In this year’s draft class, I think it’s hard to see his name being called before the fifth round. The Ravens rarely if ever draft such a one-dimensional defensive tackle. I don’t see them making an exception here. Round 5. Ravens – Pass.
JJ Pegues
Pegues is 23.4 years old from Mississippi, is 6’2 and 309 pounds. Pegues is an unusual defensive tackle prospect. He’s a very good athlete. He is not the massive mauler like some of his peers, but instead offers a combination of strength, fluidity, and quickness that you usually don’t see on the inside. Pegues was originally a tight end, and was used last year on offense as a short yardage fullback. Could he be the replacement for Pat Ricard on that side of the ball?
Even at just 6’2, Pegues can find himself too high in the run game, which becomes problematic because he doesn’t have top level lower mass anchoring ability. Although Pegues has some intriguing possibilities as a pass rusher, there’s a lot of work to be done to establish him as an asset in the run game.
As of now, it’s a difficult reach to see him as a two-gapper, and he doesn’t yet have the consistent powerful punch he will need to dislodge centers at the nose. He has not yet mastered how to utilize his naturally low leverage to consistently fire into blockers with proper hand alignment. With better technique he should be able to beat double teams, but he’s not there yet. Anyone who drafts Pegues has to conclude that at age 24 this development can occur rapidly.
As a pass rusher it’s a different story. He plays with a fire lit underneath him. He has excellent initially burst, very quick feet, and surprising speed to play around the edge of blockers. Pegues has a rare change of direction ability. He has a nice group of moves, including a very good spin move, and a double-hand swipe. He showed a propensity for getting quick penetration past guards. His hands are active.
Pegues is a very interesting talent. I like him quite a bit. Round 4-5. Ravens: Yes.
Vernon Broughton
Broughton is 23.8 years old from Texas, and is 6’5 and 311 pounds and possesses a massive almost 84” wingspan. Broughton hardly played at all until last season but he made the most of it. He’s a very big man. He adds to his elite size with a surprisingly explosive first step.
Broughton’s lack of play shows as he’s challenged to diagnose blocking schemes. He has good pop in his hands and the ability to swat those of his blockers and has decent counters to keep himself free. He doesn’t consistently set a hard anchor as he can play too high and compromise his center of gravity. Broughton hasn’t mastered the craft of stacking blocks. Because a lot of his power is up high, he can lack the leg drive needed to power his way to the quarterback.
For me, there’s too much work to be done with Broughton’s game. He has a lot of the things you can’t coach. But I’m not quite sure, given his current skill level, where he would fit in for the Ravens. He’s more of a project with arguably less of a ceiling than I’d take on at almost age 24. Round 5. Ravens – Pass.
Yahya Black
Black is 23 years old from Iowa, 6’5 and 336 pounds with an incredibly long arms (35”) and wingspan (almost 84”). Black has prototypical size for the position. He’s a brute force type of player who clogs running lanes and can certainly play over the nose. He can hold his own against double teams and keep the linebackers clean. But he lacks consistent leverage and, therefore, anchor. He has very good pop in his hands, and he will handle one-on-one blocks fairly well. He’s very tough straight ahead, but has more difficulty if he has to move outside of a short area. At the Senior Bowl practices single blockers just couldn’t move him.
Black offers nothing in the pass rush game. He’s a first and second down player only. Round 6. Ravens – Maybe (as a pure run stuffer, if they haven’t come up with a run stuffer before this point in the draft).
Others
Deone Walker, Kentucky – 21 years old, 6’7 and 328 pounds. Too many holes in his game and needs more development. Not likely to help in 2025. Round 5-6. Ravens – Pass.
CJ West, Indiana – 22.9 years old, 6’1 and 316 pounds with short arms and an average wingspan. West is not a natural nose tackler, but has some penetrating ability and is tough. Round 6. Ravens – Maybe.
Rylie Mills, Notre Dame – He is 23.7 years old, 6’5 and 296 pounds. Though he had very good sack numbers, he plays very upright and is not impactful enough in the run game for my taste. Round 5. Ravens – No.
Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia – He is 23 years old, 6’3 and 327 pounds. Another pure run stuffer who is not as well equipped at this point as some of the other pure run stuffers in this draft. Round 6. Ravens – Maybe (only if they haven’t found a run stuffer before this point).
