Mike's Second Take on the DL position ...
Who's stock has risen and why?
Milton Williams, Lousiana Tech (6-3, 284 lbs.) - Milton got the attention of Pro Football Focus and, presumably, other evaluators, as well, at Louisiana Tech's Pro Day. His registered historical percentiles at the defensive line position as reported by PFF included a vertical leap of 381/2" (99th), a broad jump of 12'1" (97th), 34 bench press reps at 225 pounds (91st) and a three-cone drill of 6.87 seconds (100th).
PFF characterized Williams' rise as meteoric: "A year ago, Williams wasn't even in the draft conversation. After the 2020 season, it looked like he could be a good pick in the middle of Day 3. Now, he could be the second interior defensive lineman off the board in the late second or early third round. It's safe to buy into the hype with Williams."
Willians had 19.5 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks in three seasons at Louisiana Tech (10 and 4.5 in 10 games in 2020).
Other Notes: The numbers at Pitt's Pro Day, one of them, at least, suggested Jaylen Twyman's 10.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss in 13 games in 2019 weren't a fluke. Twyman (6-1, 301 lbs.) became the first defensive lineman to lead Pitt in sacks since Aaron Donald that season. "He's not Aaron Donald, but nobody's Aaron Donald," Jeremiah clarified. "You look at the 40 time, it's not gonna wow you (5.39), but the number I thought was curious was the vertical jump, 321/2" which shows you some of the explosiveness you see on tape which led to all of that production." PFF listed Twyman at 5.51 in the 40 and 33" in the vertical, but Jeremiah's point is nonetheless made. The final assessment from Jeremiah was "intriguing," and he projected Twyman to go "maybe at the end of Day 2 or early on Day 3." … Jeremiah classified defensive tackle as the weakest position group of the upcoming draft and said there might not be a first-round selection in the bunch. Brooks agreed.
Mike's First Take on the DL position ...
#5 - Jaylen Twyman, Pitt (6-2, 290 lbs.) - He's relatively under-sized and there's only a two-year sample size to analyze since Twyman opted out of the 2020 season. But in the second of his two seasons at Pitt, Twyman had 10.5 sacks in 13 games as a sophomore in 2019. That was 10 more than he'd managed as a freshman in 2018. There's a lot of developing to do and a lot of work to be done toward that end. But that could be said about a lot of players who will end up getting drafted, and a lot of those players don't have 10.5 sacks on their resumes. Reach for the stars.
#4 - Jay Tufele, USC (6-2, 305 lbs.) - Tufele only played two seasons at USC but that was enough for him to consistently display an attention-getting combination of size and athleticism. He accounted for three sacks in 2018 and three-and-a-half in 2019 and was named USC's Defensive Lineman of the Year in both seasons, even though he wasn't a full-time starter in '18. Tufele's explosion coming off the ball and his motor are particularly intriguing qualities for a player who is still on the rise and seemingly has the desire to keep rising.
#3 - Daviyon Nixon, Iowa (6-3, 305 lbs.) - Ever see a 304-pound defensive tackle make a leaping interception and then run 71 yards for a touchdown? Nixon pulled that off against Penn State in November on a play that was unfolding in front of him after starting to rush the passer as one of two down linemen in a sub-package. He read the running back running past him into the flat and reacted to a pass that was thrown above his head from 4 yards away. Nixon caught the ball, took off and, one cut later he was gone. Nixon had five-and-a-half sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss in eight games overall in 2020, none of which were as spectacular as what transpired at Penn State.
#2 - Levi Onwuzurike, Washington (6-3, 294 lbs.) - Onwuzurike opted out in 2020 and only practiced once at the Senior Bowl due to an injury, but that one practice made a statement in terms of showing the scouts what they needed to see. "He retired when he was on top," NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks declared during coverage of Senior Bowl week. "He had a great day on Tuesday, showed everything that you wanted to see. He's a fantastic athlete inside at defensive tackle. His first-step quickness, his hand-placement, and his ability to work on and off blockers is impressive." Onwuzurike had seven sacks in his three seasons at Washington.
#1 - Christian Barmore, Alabama (6-5, 310 lbs.) - Barmore is another product of an Alabama program at which players often have to wait their turn and then make the most of their opportunity in the spotlight when it finally arrives. He did both in 2020, and finished with eight sacks, nine-and-a-half tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and three passes defensed in 11 games. The Alabama store, it seems, never runs out of merchandise.
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The Triple Take: DL Take Two - Steelers.com - Steelers.com
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