2011 NFL Draft - Top 5 DTs

The-Mainboard.com 2011 NFL Draft Initial Top 5 DTs

List is from NFL Draft aficionado, Neal Olson.

1. DT Jurrell Casey, Southern California
-Casey is the fastest riser on my board after looking at everyone more closely. Casey is one of the best put together defensive tackles entering the year at 6'1 and 305 pounds. Casey has outstanding fundamentals and doesn't rely solely on his athletic ability and sheer power, however he stays low to the ground and has quick, active hands as well. Casey shows an explosiveness off of the line that few defensive tackles showed last year. He is able to quickly penetrate into the backfield and although he goes a tad high doesn't just go for the big hit but wraps up. So even if he can't get the QB down, he slows the opposing player down enough for his teammates to get there. In addition he has displayed the ability to shed blockers against a double team and hold the point of attack. This wasn't always the case and something he needs to do more consistently but there is no doubt all the talent is there for him to solidify himself as a top 10-15 pick.

2. DT Jerrell Powe, Mississippi
-Powe's story is well documented and most know the difficulties he has had to even play college football. On the field, Powe shined in his first real season last year for the Rebels. At 320 pounds I was expecting a much heavier and less athletic big body, but Powe proved me wrong on that front. He is very active with his hands and has an excellent motor for a guy his size. I think he is easily the best nose tackle prospect heading into the year and would be surprised if he fell out of the middle of the second round unless he fell flat on his face during the 2010 season. He is very disruptive in the games that I saw him and reminds me a bit of Vince Wilfork from Miami. Both very big guys who are extremely athletic and quick for their size. Even though Powe is the best nose tackle prospect, with the agility he shows it wouldn't surprise me if he was able to perform in a 4-3 defensive scheme. Powe shows a great ability in driving through tackles and not letting to many guys get away from his grasp. Overall I think the biggest thing he has to prove coming into the year is work ethic and consistency. I don't see any reason why he can't be like a B.J. Raji who is a mammoth nose tackle who is also disruptive in addition to being able to hold the point of attack. I think Powe could be one of the biggest risers if he is able to build on the 2009 season he had and becoming a regular disruptive tackle during the season.

3. DT Lawrence Guy, Arizona State
-Guy may be a bit of an unknown to most outside of the Pac-10 region, however he is very impressive. He isn't the pass rusher that a lot of the guys on the list are, however is very good at using proper leverage and clogging up holes. Guy is more than capable of playing a 4-3 defensive tackle but I don't think that is what suits him best. He is a terrific player at holding his ground at the point of attack and not being ridden out of the play by opposing offensive linemen. He has active hands that allows him to disengage opposing offensive linemen. He seems terrific to play a five technique in a 3-4 defensive scheme and the attributes he used during his 2009 season should translate well for him at the next level. He also has a terrific motor, which allows him to never lose sight of a play and always a threat to break up a play even if it is on the other side of the field. Guy does have a tendency of getting out of his stance to quickly leading to him losing initial leverage, however he does do a good job to recover but will need to work on consistently keeping a low center of gravity. Guy is bunched in with a lot of other prospects with similar skill sets but like him a tad better than others on the outset of the season.

4. DT Jared Crick, Nebraska
-There have been many questions in regards to Jared Crick on how he would fare in the 2010 season without Suh by his side. I don't think those issues are as big and it isn't like Crick is going to fall big time without Crick. This is due to the fact that Crick's game doesn't rely on rushing the passer which would have been aided the most by having Suh by his side. He did have a breakout game against Baylor, however that certainly wasn't the norm. Crick reminds me former Nebraska DE Adam Carriker. Carriker was a highly regarded defensive lineman coming out of Nebraska's program and was taken highly by the St. Louis Rams. Carriker didn't pan out, however was used completely wrong. Like Carriker, Crick isn't going to be an ideal 4-3 defensive tackle at the next level. He is a guy that has extremely active hands and most of the time uses great pad level to occupy blockers and clog up potential holes. He is well suited for the 3-4 end position, which is the same position that Carriker should have been used for. Outside of this Crick does have one issue and that is popping up on occasion. When he uses proper pad level, Crick commands double teams. However when he pops up to quickly, guards are able to get their hands on the inside of him and make him a non factor during the play which will be taken advantage of even more at the next level.

5. DT Jerel Worthy, Michigan State
-Many draft pundits believe that Greg Jones is the top pro prospect for the Spartans entering the season. I do not agree with that assessment although it is very close. To me Worthy is the better prospect and certainly has a higher ceiling going into the season. His biggest asset his is explosive jump off of the line of scrimmage. He is outstanding at getting penetration and blowing up plays in the backfield either in the run game or attacking the opposing quarterback. Towards the end of the last season, Worthy garnered enough credit to start being double teamed against opposing teams. When faced with this, he held his ground and maintained good leverage in not being blown off of the ball. He has a good motor in not giving up on plays that are to the edge, he fights through blockers in order to make a play on either side of the field. Although Worthy's potential is through the roof, he still has plenty of work to do. He does tend to jump to easily and is susceptible to being pulled offsides against experienced quarterbacks. He is an unknown to many and needs to follow up on what was a very good coming out party during the 2009 season and show the necessary adjustments to garner the national consideration he deserves.