Like a few other positions in the 2009 NFL Draft, the defensive tackle position is one that might be kind of heavy at the top then it trails off a little bit after that. This draft will feature some of the better defensive tackles to come out in a while though and so those teams that manage to land one of these guys will have a solid career and be an All-Pro someday. There are some that have a lot of upside and some of these guys will be found in the middle to later rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft. Some of these athletes will be guys that you hear about every Sunday in the NFL.
The following is a look at the top five defensive tackles in the 2009 NFL Draft.
1. B.J. Raji-Boston College-Hands down, Raji is the best defensive tackle in the 2009 NFL Draft and with some good offseason workouts he is continuing to prove to scouts that he may be worth of a top ten selection in the 2009 NFL Draft. Raji brings a lot to the table in terms of talent at the defensive tackle position. His body shape is ideal and he is quick and moves up and down the line well. He is explosive off the snap and can move up the field quickly. At the combine, Raji came in weighing 337 pounds and stood at 6’1 ½”. He ran a 5.13 40 yard dash and did 33 reps on the bench giving scouts a good impression. Raji will be able to not only fill the running lanes but also be able to rush the passer because of this ability to get up the field in a hurry. The downside to Raji is that some may question his intelligence after having struggled in school but did manage to improve himself overall. Technically he is pretty sound and should be able to fit in well with any team that drafts him.
Raji is clearly the best defensive tackle in the 2009 NFL Draft and will be selected pretty early, quite possibly in the top ten of the draft. He will also be a Pro Bowl player in the future with the skill that he has.
2. Evander Hood-Missouri-Coming out of the shadows, so to speak, is Missouri’s Evander Hood a player who has the potential to have a very good career in the NFL. The biggest strength that Hood possesses is his athletic ability. For his size, he is a very good athlete (at the combine he ran a 4.89 40 yard dash coming in at 300 pounds) and can get up the field quickly. He has remained solid and hasn’t missed too many games during his time at Missouri leaving many to think that he will be a steady and reliable player in the NFL. The downside to Hood is that he hasn’t really lived up to his full potential in college and this worries some. In the NFL, he will really have to step it up.
Hood is a great prospect and one that teams will be looking at heavily leading up to the 2009 NFL Draft and he should be the running to be the second overall defensive tackle taken in the 2009 NFL Draft and could be taken in the first round but won’t last past the first part of the second round if he isn’t taken in the first round.
3. Peria Jerry-Ole Miss-Some may argue that Jerry is the second best rated defensive lineman in the 2009 NFL Draft but he comes in a close third to Hood thanks to his problems with staying healthy during his time with Ole Miss and this has raised some questions with NFL scouts. What Jerry has to offer is the ability to not only play the run well but rush the passer also making him very valuable. He is build well for the position and has good size (at the combine he came in standing 6’ 1 ¾” and weighed 299 pounds) and should be able to play tough in the NFL. The downside, as mentioned, is his injury history and this might cause a few teams to pass on him initially in the draft. Also, while he has good size for the position, Jerry could stand to gain a few pounds. If he can do that he could be that much better in the NFL at the defensive tackle position.
Jerry is a promising prospect who has a lot to prove to NFL scouts in order to be selected at a much higher position than perhaps he should be drafted at. If he can prove that he can remain healthy, look for Jerry to go somewhere in the bottom of the first to early second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
4. Fili Moala-USC-Moala comes in as one of the most intriguing prospects at the defensive tackle position in the 2009 NFL Draft and could be one of the most promising of the tackle prospects. Coming from a program that had a strong defense last year, Moala brings great versatility along with the size that is nearly ideal for the position (at the combine, Moala came in standing 6’4” and weighed 304 pounds. He ran a 5.10 40 and had 25 reps on the bench press) although he could add some additional weight to help keep him from getting pushed around by heavier offensive linemen. Moala is also very quick off the snap and can get up the field in a hurry. The downside to Moala is that while he played in a top defense, he didn’t play as well as he quite possibly could have and wasn’t the dominating player that you would have expected him to be in such a good defense. He needs to play with a little more intensity as well.
If Moala can put all the pieces together and play more aggressively, he could have a fine career in the NFL. His size is impressive and will impress a lot of NFL scouts especially those who are looking for a bigger defensive tackle with speed. Look for Moala to go somewhere in the second to third round, most likely in the bottom of the second round and have a good NFL career.
5. Sen Derrick Marks-Auburn-Some experts think that deciding to come out a year early may not have been the best idea for Marks but he is showing his value and should be one of the more sought after defensive tackles in the 2009 NFL Draft. Marks is sized pretty well (at the combine he came in standing 6’1 ¾” and weighed 306 pounds. He also ran a 5.08 40). Marks is quick off the snap and is able to free himself of blockers quickly and effectively and has the quickness to pursue the play from sideline to sideline. He is a good run defender as well. The downside to Marks is that he is coming off what many consider to be a poor junior season leaving some to wonder why he even decided to come out a year early. He also needs to work on his mechanics and gain a little bit of weight.
Having a poor junior season didn’t help Mark’s cause that much and he won’t be a first or perhaps even a second round talent in the 2009 NFL Draft so expect Marks to go somewhere in the early part of the third round or, at the highest, the very bottom of the second round. I think that he is one of the real question marks going into the 2009 NFL Draft but could quite possibly have a fine career in the NFL.
By Bryan Dietzler
1 comment:
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