Hello! Agent Tesla here with the inside scoop on the S22 defensive tackles. I'm going to be doing one of these for each defensive position group, and maybe the offensive position groups too. Depends on my mood and how much work it takes to get my client interviews out of the way as well. Without any further ado we'll get to my measurement system for these recruits.
I will group these prospects into four tiers. The top tier is elite and they should be the first off the board for their position. Second is solid starter and they should be high quality starters, but have one or two knocks keeping them from elite status. Third is diamond in the rough because I believe that any of these youths could turn it around, but they have not put in the work necessary just yet. While the last group is the question marks for those recruits that I just do not know enough about to endorse.
Elite
Phat Boi - Interior Rusher
Not just strong, but stronger; not just fast, but faster. What is not to love about Phat Boi? They are the ideal pass rushing tackle as they play with that wild abandon that you need to have to throw yourself at a fifteen hundred pound wall of flesh with the intent of killing the man standing behind it. My second favorite defensive tackle in this draft class and a surefire first rounder. You do not want to miss out on this prospect.
Magnus Rikiya - Nose Tackle
You want strength then you want Magnus Rikiya. The man on a quest to become nothing short of the world's strongest. Best work ethic of any client I have ever had and an attitude that can get along in just about any locker room in the league. He's coming off injury, but he's done so with a tenacity that is downright superhuman and deserving of respect. His work on his speed and smarts leading into his senior year of college should make him a useful all around talent to lock down a defensive line. If you want a wholesome work ethic tackle you won't find one better than Magnus.
Mo "Mamba" Magic - Balanced
Strength everlasting is the best way to describe the strange man that goes by the nickname of Mamba. The definition of an all around tackle who you can count on in just about any given situation. There are not a lot of all around type tackles in this draft class and so if that is your preference as a GM I would snap up Mamba as early as possible. He might be a bit wild when it comes to off the field decisions, but his strong work ethic more than makes up for it.
Deshun Jones - Balanced
All around tackles are hard to come by in this class, and you might even say they are hard to come by in general. Deshun Jones proves that they are not extinct though with a rare combination of strength, speed, and stamina. Combined with his dexterous movements and tackling form and Deshun will provide you a quality component to shore up your defensive line. Draft this kid early and enjoy the energy he brings to the locker room. Could end up making the rest of your rookie class even better.
Solid Starters
Tristan Gronlie - Nose Tackle
Tristan is the definition of a two-gap nose tackle with the strength to match. He is just a mountain of a man that will clog up the middle to free up the rest of your defense to make plays. Not fast enough to produce a pass rush on his own, but his strength should more than make up for that knock. Pair him with a better rush tackle and you should have a defensive line that can handle anything a DSFL offense can throw at it.
Clayton Jones - Interior Rusher
Possesses a combination of strength and speed that is rarely seen at the defensive tackle position. A big boy from Berkeley who can get after the quarterback with the best of them. One of the better pass rushers in this class and should be a reliable option for those teams in need of line help. His strength and size should allow him to contribute in the run, but with his endurance he would work better in a deep defensive line as a rotational pass rusher.
Octavio Clemente - Interior Rusher
Octavio is the definition of an athletic dream. Comes from the Dominican Republic where he grew up playing baseball before he made the switch to the best sport of all gridiron football. You may have seen that viral video a few years ago demonstrating his superb combination of speed and size. Tons of untapped potential for this kid that I am sure any decent coach is going to love to tap into on the field. Surefire starter and a solid prospect all around.
Lucas Faucher - Nose Tackle
Lucas is an interesting prospect out of Oregon who has strength befitting his size and position as nose tackle. Surprising speed makes him a better prospect than most and should allow him to get to the ball carrier. Motor that won't quit will let him stay in longer than most of the pass rushers in his class at least. His tackling form is damned good for a tackle and could almost be used to study the art. Needs to put in a bit more effort off the field, but is definitely on the right track.
Nuniq Annastesia - Interior Rusher
First off just look at that name! You look at the list of football players with names that good and it is a very short list indeed. Going along with that unique name is a unique hip situation that they got going on that lets them maneuver better than some professional tackles that I have seen. You would think that much hip rotation would be bad for their strength or their speed, but it really has not impeded their athleticism that much. I would love to see a bit more from them, but I trust they will be a solid contributor.
Godrick Fallstrum - Nose Tackle
With a name like Godrick you know you are getting a quality contender to clog up the middle of the field. Befitting his name he is more than strong enough to command the line of scrimmage as needed to make things easier for the rest of the defense. Smarter than most and experienced enough to not make mistakes. Combined with good tackling form and you can trust him not to draw unnecessary penalties. Would like to a bit more film on him before I give him a full endorsement, but he could be a great steal in the later rounds.
Diamond in the Rough
Denarius Krackle - Balanced
Big and strong is exactly what you want to see from a defensive tackle and that is what Denarius brings to the table. He's got an excellent motor that will last from the first down of the game to the last down of the game. Solid speed and smarts will keep him involved in plays away from him. His high energy attitude is the exact kind you love to see in a locker room. The only question mark that keeps him here is how much time he'll spend in that locker room. If you can rope him in he could be a great steal in the later rounds.
Big Edd - Interior Rusher
Big Edd has a befitting name as a big man that will work the middle of the line for you. Slow by pass rush tackle standards, but with strength and smarts to make up for it at least a bit. Could stand to spend more time in the gym working on speed and stamina. I need to see more from Big Edd before I can say they will make it in this league, but I like their style well enough to say that I could see them going the distance. Just a matter of them putting in the work.
Hank Steel - Run Stuffer
Two traits that you want out of just about any defensive tackle are size and strength. Standing six foot five this kid has got size down, and if you watch him in the weight room you can bet your bottom dollar on his strength too. He's also got some surprising speed to go with it and you can see it on the tape. However his skill needs a lot of polishing before I give him a five star rating. He could be a solid candidate, but don't expect him to be off the board too quickly.
Kade Hines - Interior Rusher
One of the best tacklers available in this draft among the interior rushers. It does make up a bit for his lack of athleticism relative to this talented draft class. The kid has a solid head on their shoulders and seems friendly enough from what I have seen. Would love to see just a bit more of that fire inside that drives a player to be great. Could still be a great steal in the later rounds of the draft, and especially if your coaching staff can figure out how to get them motivated.
Joe Montania - Interior Rusher
The purest speed rusher in this entire draft class. If you want someone to just run full sprint at the quarterback then you are not going to find a better candidate than Joe Montania. He's got a bit better about using his head to navigate when that speed leads him astray. Along with working in the weight room to get the strength to make a hole for himself. Could use a bit more work to make himself better, but I think he is solidly on the right path to being a good player.
Question Marks
John Nesbitt - Interior Rusher
He has decent strength and speed for his position, but nothing exceptional compared to the other pass rushers in this class. Solid motor player that can last through all four quarters of a game. His dedication to the craft is not to the level of the elite prospects which leads me to place him in the question marks category. All the potential for the kid is there it is just a matter of whether he wants to put the effort in to tap that potential or not.
Leland Breeland - Interior Rusher
Leland Breeland the big Boston bruiser has surprising strength for a pass rush tackle and can crush the line of scrimmage with it. Lacks the speed that marks the rest of the rushers of this class, but his strength could make up for it. Don't expect him to be a top tier contributor out of the gate. A bit of time with a good strength and conditioning coach though and he's got the physical tools to go the distance. Just have to get him involved in taking that next step as a pass rusher.
Chad Zhao - Interior Rusher
Chad Zhao has the kind of strength and speed that can excite you in a prospect. Especially one with as unusual of circumstances as Chad Zhao. Sadly I think he's gone missing as I have not heard a word about him since he boarded a plane over a week ago. If your team can track him down and get him into the locker room he could be a good prospect. However I would be hesitant to draft him without getting a face to face meeting first.
Swlane Train - Interior Rusher
A strong surefire tackler with great hustle. Check this kid out on the bench press and you'll know he can do his work up the gut. Watch the tape of him making perfect form tackles game after game and you can trust that he'll handle his side of the line with skill. While you are watching pay attention to how long it takes for him to run out of breath cause the kid has got a motor. He's got all the talent, but I've seen no work ethic from him off the field. Without that he goes clear into the question marks tier.
Cam "Burrito" Burto - Interior Rusher
He's got the kind of strength and build that you love to see in a defensive tackle prospect. Not quite the speed that you would like from a pass rush prospect, but I do think that can be fixed with a good strength and conditioning coach. That and you can tell from his nickname that the kid has a great personality that a locker room would love. The biggest knock on him is effort as he has a long way to go to become a star in this league. I believe he could turn it around and prove my doubts wrong, but as it stands buyer beware.
Matthew Curran - Nose Tackle
Matthew Curran is a smart player out of Boston. Easily one of the better tackling nose tackles in recent years. Surprising swift for his size and combined with his tackling makes for a nightmare to line up against. All of his talent though is wasted with a lack of effort off the field. If you can get him into a productive locker room and keep his mind focused on becoming the best that he can be he might be a good prospect. You have to be sure you can do that unless you just want to take a chance on him.
Tony Baloney - Nose Tackle
A nose tackle that came straight from the weight room for their weigh in. Strong as all get out and easily one of the strongest in the class. Solid speed allows them to bring that strength to bare in game situations. Combined with better than average tackling and you can trust them to be a decent presence on the field for your team. If you can get them to show up on the field for your team and not just spend all day in the weight room. Work needs to be done on tapping that talent.
Lee Jordan - Run Stuffer
A big body to clog up the running lanes and free up edge rushers to get to the quarterback. Strong enough to control the line of scrimmage to make things easier on the rest of the defense. Combined with a good enough motor to keep that pace up all game long and even down after down. He has the potential befitting a pro player, but it seems his effort has dropped off since declaring for the draft. Unless he steps it up he's just going to be another wasted talent.
Paul Novotny - Interior Rusher
A strongman masquerading as a pass rush tackle. Bullies opposing offensive lineman with a reliable bull rush that can get past even the quality offensive linemen he went up against when played for Iowa. Could afford to develop a more well rounded skill set and especially spend time working on his speed and stamina. Needs a lot of polish to shine like the diamond he can, but as of now he has not put in the effort necessary.
Archideld Bonzales - Nose Tackle
Honestly how can you not like a man named Archideld? Especially when he has the kind of strength that every teams look for in their starting nose tackle. This kid can eat up double teams with the best of them and push the pocket as well as any prospect in this class. That is all you can ask them to do though as they seem more a weight room junkie than a football player. The work needed to round out their skill set would be considerable and I have not seen them put in the effort to do it.
Bucky Laurence - Interior Rusher
Yet another bull rush interior rush specialist for this draft class that seems loaded down with them. What sets Bucky apart from most though is that he combines his strong bull rush move with a surprising amount of stamina. He won't need to come off the field on a long drive and can contribute from the first quarter to the fourth quarter. Needs to put in more work on his speed and especially on his presence off the field.
David Banner - Balanced
Solid all around tackle when it comes to talent. Strength that you want to see in your big man. Enough speed to keep up with most plays at the line of scrimmage. Surprisingly good tackling form that makes him stand out a bit in a loaded draft class. Better hip wiggle than just about any other DT in the class is what really sets him out though. Lack of effort off the field though leaves it a question mark of whether he will ever reach his potential.
Anthony DiNapoli - Interior Rusher
An impressive athletic specimen playing at the rush tackle position. Better than average strength will allow him to bull rush past guards. Solid speed allows him to run around centers to get to the QB. The best part about him to me is that he has a motor that will not give out early in the game. Almost invisible when it comes to pre-draft work though and that lack of effort off the field leaves me wary. The talent is there if you can get him to tap it, but without that not worth an early pick.
Summary
The totals are four elite prospects, six solid starters, five potential diamonds in the rough, and thirteen question marks. A solid draft class when it comes to top end talent, and a decent enough depth that every team should be able to draft at least one contributor. Plus a few players with the opportunity to rise above their initial perception. Best of luck to the defensive tackles of S22 and may all of you outperform your draft position.
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I will group these prospects into four tiers. The top tier is elite and they should be the first off the board for their position. Second is solid starter and they should be high quality starters, but have one or two knocks keeping them from elite status. Third is diamond in the rough because I believe that any of these youths could turn it around, but they have not put in the work necessary just yet. While the last group is the question marks for those recruits that I just do not know enough about to endorse.
Elite
Phat Boi - Interior Rusher
Not just strong, but stronger; not just fast, but faster. What is not to love about Phat Boi? They are the ideal pass rushing tackle as they play with that wild abandon that you need to have to throw yourself at a fifteen hundred pound wall of flesh with the intent of killing the man standing behind it. My second favorite defensive tackle in this draft class and a surefire first rounder. You do not want to miss out on this prospect.
Magnus Rikiya - Nose Tackle
You want strength then you want Magnus Rikiya. The man on a quest to become nothing short of the world's strongest. Best work ethic of any client I have ever had and an attitude that can get along in just about any locker room in the league. He's coming off injury, but he's done so with a tenacity that is downright superhuman and deserving of respect. His work on his speed and smarts leading into his senior year of college should make him a useful all around talent to lock down a defensive line. If you want a wholesome work ethic tackle you won't find one better than Magnus.
Mo "Mamba" Magic - Balanced
Strength everlasting is the best way to describe the strange man that goes by the nickname of Mamba. The definition of an all around tackle who you can count on in just about any given situation. There are not a lot of all around type tackles in this draft class and so if that is your preference as a GM I would snap up Mamba as early as possible. He might be a bit wild when it comes to off the field decisions, but his strong work ethic more than makes up for it.
Deshun Jones - Balanced
All around tackles are hard to come by in this class, and you might even say they are hard to come by in general. Deshun Jones proves that they are not extinct though with a rare combination of strength, speed, and stamina. Combined with his dexterous movements and tackling form and Deshun will provide you a quality component to shore up your defensive line. Draft this kid early and enjoy the energy he brings to the locker room. Could end up making the rest of your rookie class even better.
Solid Starters
Tristan Gronlie - Nose Tackle
Tristan is the definition of a two-gap nose tackle with the strength to match. He is just a mountain of a man that will clog up the middle to free up the rest of your defense to make plays. Not fast enough to produce a pass rush on his own, but his strength should more than make up for that knock. Pair him with a better rush tackle and you should have a defensive line that can handle anything a DSFL offense can throw at it.
Clayton Jones - Interior Rusher
Possesses a combination of strength and speed that is rarely seen at the defensive tackle position. A big boy from Berkeley who can get after the quarterback with the best of them. One of the better pass rushers in this class and should be a reliable option for those teams in need of line help. His strength and size should allow him to contribute in the run, but with his endurance he would work better in a deep defensive line as a rotational pass rusher.
Octavio Clemente - Interior Rusher
Octavio is the definition of an athletic dream. Comes from the Dominican Republic where he grew up playing baseball before he made the switch to the best sport of all gridiron football. You may have seen that viral video a few years ago demonstrating his superb combination of speed and size. Tons of untapped potential for this kid that I am sure any decent coach is going to love to tap into on the field. Surefire starter and a solid prospect all around.
Lucas Faucher - Nose Tackle
Lucas is an interesting prospect out of Oregon who has strength befitting his size and position as nose tackle. Surprising speed makes him a better prospect than most and should allow him to get to the ball carrier. Motor that won't quit will let him stay in longer than most of the pass rushers in his class at least. His tackling form is damned good for a tackle and could almost be used to study the art. Needs to put in a bit more effort off the field, but is definitely on the right track.
Nuniq Annastesia - Interior Rusher
First off just look at that name! You look at the list of football players with names that good and it is a very short list indeed. Going along with that unique name is a unique hip situation that they got going on that lets them maneuver better than some professional tackles that I have seen. You would think that much hip rotation would be bad for their strength or their speed, but it really has not impeded their athleticism that much. I would love to see a bit more from them, but I trust they will be a solid contributor.
Godrick Fallstrum - Nose Tackle
With a name like Godrick you know you are getting a quality contender to clog up the middle of the field. Befitting his name he is more than strong enough to command the line of scrimmage as needed to make things easier for the rest of the defense. Smarter than most and experienced enough to not make mistakes. Combined with good tackling form and you can trust him not to draw unnecessary penalties. Would like to a bit more film on him before I give him a full endorsement, but he could be a great steal in the later rounds.
Diamond in the Rough
Denarius Krackle - Balanced
Big and strong is exactly what you want to see from a defensive tackle and that is what Denarius brings to the table. He's got an excellent motor that will last from the first down of the game to the last down of the game. Solid speed and smarts will keep him involved in plays away from him. His high energy attitude is the exact kind you love to see in a locker room. The only question mark that keeps him here is how much time he'll spend in that locker room. If you can rope him in he could be a great steal in the later rounds.
Big Edd - Interior Rusher
Big Edd has a befitting name as a big man that will work the middle of the line for you. Slow by pass rush tackle standards, but with strength and smarts to make up for it at least a bit. Could stand to spend more time in the gym working on speed and stamina. I need to see more from Big Edd before I can say they will make it in this league, but I like their style well enough to say that I could see them going the distance. Just a matter of them putting in the work.
Hank Steel - Run Stuffer
Two traits that you want out of just about any defensive tackle are size and strength. Standing six foot five this kid has got size down, and if you watch him in the weight room you can bet your bottom dollar on his strength too. He's also got some surprising speed to go with it and you can see it on the tape. However his skill needs a lot of polishing before I give him a five star rating. He could be a solid candidate, but don't expect him to be off the board too quickly.
Kade Hines - Interior Rusher
One of the best tacklers available in this draft among the interior rushers. It does make up a bit for his lack of athleticism relative to this talented draft class. The kid has a solid head on their shoulders and seems friendly enough from what I have seen. Would love to see just a bit more of that fire inside that drives a player to be great. Could still be a great steal in the later rounds of the draft, and especially if your coaching staff can figure out how to get them motivated.
Joe Montania - Interior Rusher
The purest speed rusher in this entire draft class. If you want someone to just run full sprint at the quarterback then you are not going to find a better candidate than Joe Montania. He's got a bit better about using his head to navigate when that speed leads him astray. Along with working in the weight room to get the strength to make a hole for himself. Could use a bit more work to make himself better, but I think he is solidly on the right path to being a good player.
Question Marks
John Nesbitt - Interior Rusher
He has decent strength and speed for his position, but nothing exceptional compared to the other pass rushers in this class. Solid motor player that can last through all four quarters of a game. His dedication to the craft is not to the level of the elite prospects which leads me to place him in the question marks category. All the potential for the kid is there it is just a matter of whether he wants to put the effort in to tap that potential or not.
Leland Breeland - Interior Rusher
Leland Breeland the big Boston bruiser has surprising strength for a pass rush tackle and can crush the line of scrimmage with it. Lacks the speed that marks the rest of the rushers of this class, but his strength could make up for it. Don't expect him to be a top tier contributor out of the gate. A bit of time with a good strength and conditioning coach though and he's got the physical tools to go the distance. Just have to get him involved in taking that next step as a pass rusher.
Chad Zhao - Interior Rusher
Chad Zhao has the kind of strength and speed that can excite you in a prospect. Especially one with as unusual of circumstances as Chad Zhao. Sadly I think he's gone missing as I have not heard a word about him since he boarded a plane over a week ago. If your team can track him down and get him into the locker room he could be a good prospect. However I would be hesitant to draft him without getting a face to face meeting first.
Swlane Train - Interior Rusher
A strong surefire tackler with great hustle. Check this kid out on the bench press and you'll know he can do his work up the gut. Watch the tape of him making perfect form tackles game after game and you can trust that he'll handle his side of the line with skill. While you are watching pay attention to how long it takes for him to run out of breath cause the kid has got a motor. He's got all the talent, but I've seen no work ethic from him off the field. Without that he goes clear into the question marks tier.
Cam "Burrito" Burto - Interior Rusher
He's got the kind of strength and build that you love to see in a defensive tackle prospect. Not quite the speed that you would like from a pass rush prospect, but I do think that can be fixed with a good strength and conditioning coach. That and you can tell from his nickname that the kid has a great personality that a locker room would love. The biggest knock on him is effort as he has a long way to go to become a star in this league. I believe he could turn it around and prove my doubts wrong, but as it stands buyer beware.
Matthew Curran - Nose Tackle
Matthew Curran is a smart player out of Boston. Easily one of the better tackling nose tackles in recent years. Surprising swift for his size and combined with his tackling makes for a nightmare to line up against. All of his talent though is wasted with a lack of effort off the field. If you can get him into a productive locker room and keep his mind focused on becoming the best that he can be he might be a good prospect. You have to be sure you can do that unless you just want to take a chance on him.
Tony Baloney - Nose Tackle
A nose tackle that came straight from the weight room for their weigh in. Strong as all get out and easily one of the strongest in the class. Solid speed allows them to bring that strength to bare in game situations. Combined with better than average tackling and you can trust them to be a decent presence on the field for your team. If you can get them to show up on the field for your team and not just spend all day in the weight room. Work needs to be done on tapping that talent.
Lee Jordan - Run Stuffer
A big body to clog up the running lanes and free up edge rushers to get to the quarterback. Strong enough to control the line of scrimmage to make things easier on the rest of the defense. Combined with a good enough motor to keep that pace up all game long and even down after down. He has the potential befitting a pro player, but it seems his effort has dropped off since declaring for the draft. Unless he steps it up he's just going to be another wasted talent.
Paul Novotny - Interior Rusher
A strongman masquerading as a pass rush tackle. Bullies opposing offensive lineman with a reliable bull rush that can get past even the quality offensive linemen he went up against when played for Iowa. Could afford to develop a more well rounded skill set and especially spend time working on his speed and stamina. Needs a lot of polish to shine like the diamond he can, but as of now he has not put in the effort necessary.
Archideld Bonzales - Nose Tackle
Honestly how can you not like a man named Archideld? Especially when he has the kind of strength that every teams look for in their starting nose tackle. This kid can eat up double teams with the best of them and push the pocket as well as any prospect in this class. That is all you can ask them to do though as they seem more a weight room junkie than a football player. The work needed to round out their skill set would be considerable and I have not seen them put in the effort to do it.
Bucky Laurence - Interior Rusher
Yet another bull rush interior rush specialist for this draft class that seems loaded down with them. What sets Bucky apart from most though is that he combines his strong bull rush move with a surprising amount of stamina. He won't need to come off the field on a long drive and can contribute from the first quarter to the fourth quarter. Needs to put in more work on his speed and especially on his presence off the field.
David Banner - Balanced
Solid all around tackle when it comes to talent. Strength that you want to see in your big man. Enough speed to keep up with most plays at the line of scrimmage. Surprisingly good tackling form that makes him stand out a bit in a loaded draft class. Better hip wiggle than just about any other DT in the class is what really sets him out though. Lack of effort off the field though leaves it a question mark of whether he will ever reach his potential.
Anthony DiNapoli - Interior Rusher
An impressive athletic specimen playing at the rush tackle position. Better than average strength will allow him to bull rush past guards. Solid speed allows him to run around centers to get to the QB. The best part about him to me is that he has a motor that will not give out early in the game. Almost invisible when it comes to pre-draft work though and that lack of effort off the field leaves me wary. The talent is there if you can get him to tap it, but without that not worth an early pick.
Summary
The totals are four elite prospects, six solid starters, five potential diamonds in the rough, and thirteen question marks. A solid draft class when it comes to top end talent, and a decent enough depth that every team should be able to draft at least one contributor. Plus a few players with the opportunity to rise above their initial perception. Best of luck to the defensive tackles of S22 and may all of you outperform your draft position.
Word Count: 2845