S17 offers an intriguing crop of talented prospects at every position, and the defensive linemen are certainly no exception. The crop of seven players is comprised of three defensive ends and four defensive tackles, each dreaming of hearing their name called during this season's draft. Although it figures to be a challenge to rank these seven, none of whom have even set foot on an NSFL or DSFL field (with the exception of those who participated in the Propsect Bowl), this article will attempt to do just that, starting at the rear of the field.
7. Brayden Ennis, DT, University of Wyoming: Ennis, a 6'4", 310 lb former Cowboy, has plenty of reason to be concerned about how far he might fall in this season's draft. As a nose-tackle-type player, the Wyoming native boasts strength and tackling as the strengths of his game, but he ranks last amongst defensive tackles in strength, and his tackling is not particularly impressive either. To say that Ennis lacks strength is inaccurate and entirely unfair, but his strength is not exactly on par with his style of play. Ennis's success as a nose-tackle-type is entirely dependent upon whether he can boost his strength to a point at which he can be considered among the strongest players in the league, but perhaps a better bet for him is to adjust the way he plays, or maybe even to move to a new position. Either way, Ennis figures to have a long road ahead of him if he aspires to play in the NSFL.
6. Michael Brown, DE, University of Texas: Brown, a former Longhorn standing 6'4" and weighing 295 lbs, is another player who relies heavily on his strength; the California native is a power rusher through and through, but unlike Ennis, he has the strength to match, ranking first among defensive ends and tied for first among all defensive linemen. However, Brown is what one might call a one-dimensional player, ranking last among defensive ends in agility, hands, speed, and tackling, and tied for last among all defensive linemen in endurance and intelligence. Brown undoubtedly needs to balance his game to have the bright future he hopes for in the NSFL, but uniquely among defensive linemen, he has just a touch of arm strength, so the team that elects to draft Brown may consider adding him to their playbook for trick plays if they wish.
5. Bubba Thumper, DT, University of Tennessee: I'll begin by saying that the middle of this pack is quite tight. I've placed Thumper here because of my personal connection to the player; you, especially if you're a GM, should feel free to question my judgment. Anyway, about the 6'4", 310 lb former Volunteer that is Bubba Thumper. Thumper's claim to fame is his tackling ability; he ranks first among the class in that respect, and he has enough strength to push his way to the backfield and stuff the run. However, Thumper's greatest pitfall is mobility; if and when he is matched against an offensive lineman who can match his strength, Thumper's agility and especially class-worst speed may prevent him from finding opposing backfields as often as he needs to if he wishes to excel. Also of note for Thumper: he's smart, ranking first in the class of defensive linemen in intelligence. That may be the edge he needs to overcome mobility issues and succeed in the NSFL.
4. Albert Garrett, DE, Virginia Tech: Like I said, this middle trio left me trying to split atoms ranking them, so use your best judgment. The 6'2", 270 lb former Hokie rests comfortably in the middle, in part because of his unique play style. The speed rusher is easily the smallest defensive line prospect, and the greatest strength of his game is his agility. Garrett isn't the type to push through the offensive line; he ranks last among defensive linemen in strength. However, his mobility allows him to find ways around. The question for the Ohio native is whether that mobility will be enough to get him the backfield tackles he thirsts for at the next level.
3. Balec Taylor, DT, University of Miami: I mentioned that we're splitting atoms here, right? Now, 6'4", 310 lb former Hurricane, Balec Taylor. Taylor is tied with previously-mentioned Michael Brown for highest strength rating among defensive lineman, perfect for a run-stuffing defensive tackle. Taylor also has solid speed given his position, but his agility doesn't quite match; if he can't push his way to the backfield, whether he has the mobility to find his way there is a major question mark. That means a team that bites on Taylor has to either rely on his strength, or convince him to work towards improving his agility. Despite that, the Virginia native is a promising prospect with a bright future for whatever teams chooses to bite.
2. Shane Masters, DT, University of Missouri: Masters, like Garrett, plays with a unique style relying on mobility. The 6'3", 310 lb former Tiger ranks first among defensive tackles in both agility and speed, and the interior rusher clearly plays the game differently from his fellow prospects at defensive tackle. The greatest concern for the Australian is his tackling; he is easily the worst tackler among defensive line prospects, so even if he can find his way to the backfield, he may have trouble doing damage there. Interesting to consider here is Masters's age: while the six other prospects are all at least twenty-one, Masters is only eighteen. Perhaps Masters is the first of a promising new generation of defensive linemen who play the game different, or maybe he is simply a one-time thing. Regardless, he appears to be worth the risk.
1. Dallas Decker, DE, North Carolina State University: The 6'5", 285 lb Decker, proud alum of the Wolfpack, seems by all accounts to be the most well-rounded defensive line prospect in the class, and the argument that he should be first off the board among them is almost too easy to make. The North Carolina native ranks first or tied for first among defensive linemen in endurance, hands, intelligence, and speed, and he doesn't immediately appear to have any glaring weakness; Decker is the type of player who can get the job done, one way or another. The question for whichever team takes him, is how to best make use of what he brings to the table; regardless of what they do, Decker seems bound for a successful career in the NSFL, so take note now.
7. Brayden Ennis, DT, University of Wyoming: Ennis, a 6'4", 310 lb former Cowboy, has plenty of reason to be concerned about how far he might fall in this season's draft. As a nose-tackle-type player, the Wyoming native boasts strength and tackling as the strengths of his game, but he ranks last amongst defensive tackles in strength, and his tackling is not particularly impressive either. To say that Ennis lacks strength is inaccurate and entirely unfair, but his strength is not exactly on par with his style of play. Ennis's success as a nose-tackle-type is entirely dependent upon whether he can boost his strength to a point at which he can be considered among the strongest players in the league, but perhaps a better bet for him is to adjust the way he plays, or maybe even to move to a new position. Either way, Ennis figures to have a long road ahead of him if he aspires to play in the NSFL.
6. Michael Brown, DE, University of Texas: Brown, a former Longhorn standing 6'4" and weighing 295 lbs, is another player who relies heavily on his strength; the California native is a power rusher through and through, but unlike Ennis, he has the strength to match, ranking first among defensive ends and tied for first among all defensive linemen. However, Brown is what one might call a one-dimensional player, ranking last among defensive ends in agility, hands, speed, and tackling, and tied for last among all defensive linemen in endurance and intelligence. Brown undoubtedly needs to balance his game to have the bright future he hopes for in the NSFL, but uniquely among defensive linemen, he has just a touch of arm strength, so the team that elects to draft Brown may consider adding him to their playbook for trick plays if they wish.
5. Bubba Thumper, DT, University of Tennessee: I'll begin by saying that the middle of this pack is quite tight. I've placed Thumper here because of my personal connection to the player; you, especially if you're a GM, should feel free to question my judgment. Anyway, about the 6'4", 310 lb former Volunteer that is Bubba Thumper. Thumper's claim to fame is his tackling ability; he ranks first among the class in that respect, and he has enough strength to push his way to the backfield and stuff the run. However, Thumper's greatest pitfall is mobility; if and when he is matched against an offensive lineman who can match his strength, Thumper's agility and especially class-worst speed may prevent him from finding opposing backfields as often as he needs to if he wishes to excel. Also of note for Thumper: he's smart, ranking first in the class of defensive linemen in intelligence. That may be the edge he needs to overcome mobility issues and succeed in the NSFL.
4. Albert Garrett, DE, Virginia Tech: Like I said, this middle trio left me trying to split atoms ranking them, so use your best judgment. The 6'2", 270 lb former Hokie rests comfortably in the middle, in part because of his unique play style. The speed rusher is easily the smallest defensive line prospect, and the greatest strength of his game is his agility. Garrett isn't the type to push through the offensive line; he ranks last among defensive linemen in strength. However, his mobility allows him to find ways around. The question for the Ohio native is whether that mobility will be enough to get him the backfield tackles he thirsts for at the next level.
3. Balec Taylor, DT, University of Miami: I mentioned that we're splitting atoms here, right? Now, 6'4", 310 lb former Hurricane, Balec Taylor. Taylor is tied with previously-mentioned Michael Brown for highest strength rating among defensive lineman, perfect for a run-stuffing defensive tackle. Taylor also has solid speed given his position, but his agility doesn't quite match; if he can't push his way to the backfield, whether he has the mobility to find his way there is a major question mark. That means a team that bites on Taylor has to either rely on his strength, or convince him to work towards improving his agility. Despite that, the Virginia native is a promising prospect with a bright future for whatever teams chooses to bite.
2. Shane Masters, DT, University of Missouri: Masters, like Garrett, plays with a unique style relying on mobility. The 6'3", 310 lb former Tiger ranks first among defensive tackles in both agility and speed, and the interior rusher clearly plays the game differently from his fellow prospects at defensive tackle. The greatest concern for the Australian is his tackling; he is easily the worst tackler among defensive line prospects, so even if he can find his way to the backfield, he may have trouble doing damage there. Interesting to consider here is Masters's age: while the six other prospects are all at least twenty-one, Masters is only eighteen. Perhaps Masters is the first of a promising new generation of defensive linemen who play the game different, or maybe he is simply a one-time thing. Regardless, he appears to be worth the risk.
1. Dallas Decker, DE, North Carolina State University: The 6'5", 285 lb Decker, proud alum of the Wolfpack, seems by all accounts to be the most well-rounded defensive line prospect in the class, and the argument that he should be first off the board among them is almost too easy to make. The North Carolina native ranks first or tied for first among defensive linemen in endurance, hands, intelligence, and speed, and he doesn't immediately appear to have any glaring weakness; Decker is the type of player who can get the job done, one way or another. The question for whichever team takes him, is how to best make use of what he brings to the table; regardless of what they do, Decker seems bound for a successful career in the NSFL, so take note now.