Defensive Tackle Draft Board

Nose Tackle (NT)

• A 2-gap player asked to occupy and control a blocker(s).
• Skill set: A stout player that can hold his ground against interior linemen and double teams.

Weakside Tackle (WT)

• Typically 1-gap assignments -- asked to penetrate or fill.
• Differing skill sets can be used here: Can be a quicker, disruptive penetrator or a stouter gap filler that is hard to move.

Strongside End (SE)

• Typically 2-gap assignments.
• Skill set: Needs greater agility and range than the average defensive tackle to maintain contain on the edge. Doesn't have to be quite as stout at the point-of-attack as an interior lineman.  The ability to penetrate/disengage from offensive tackle once the ballcarrier commits to a path is more important, as are pass rushing skills.

Sub (not pictured above)

• A dedicated pass rusher at defensive tackle in obvious passing situations.
• Pass rush skills are a premium here. Stoutness versus the run may be sacrificed.

Grades

A grade of 7 is adequate.

Grades of 8+ are strengths.

Grades of 6- are major liabilities.

• Stoutness (st) -- Ability to hold ground versus run blocking offensive linemen.
• Penetration (pn) -- In the run game, the ability to fire through a gap and into the backfield or to fit into a gap and fill it.
• Pass Rush (pr) -- Ability to threaten pass blockers and the pocket.
• Zone (zn) -- A separate grade is assigned for players who play better or worse against zone runs than their grades would indicate. Left blank otherwise.
• Bend (bnd) -- Does the player have good knee bend to anchor vs. blockers? This can mean good upside to improve as a run defender. Reported as a plus or a minus.
• Projected Position (position) -- Where the player best fits in Coach Pettine's defensive scheme.

The DT Draft Board

The draft board below is based on where I would consider a selection to be a reasonably good value. I have grouped players according to which of the Browns' picks I would spend to draft them. For example, players listed at #77 are those that I would not draft at #43 but would somewhere between #43 and #77. Therefore, if they were available at #77 I would consider them a good value.

The round range where I value the players is also listed in parentheses.

Just to make it clear, the only defensive tackle in this draft class that I view as worth a top-12 selection is Leonard Williams. The rest start coming into the equation after #12.

	#19 (mid 1st)
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Arik Armstead	 6 10 10     +	SE9
Malcom Brown	 7 10  9     -	WT9,sub9
Danny Shelton	 7  9  9  8  -	WT9,NT8

	#43 (late 1st-2nd)
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Eddie Goldman	 7 10  8 10  -	WT9,NT8
Grady Jarrett	 7  9  8  8  +	WT9,sub8
Jordan Phillips	 8  8  9  7  +	NT8,SE9
Michael Bennett	 7 10  9     +	WT9,sub9

	#77 (2nd-3rd)
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Marcus Hardison	 7  9  9     -	WT9,sub9
Carl Davis	 7  9  9  9  -	WT9
B Richardson	 7  9  9  8  -	SE9
Xavier Cooper	 6  9 10     +	WT9,sub10

	#111 (3rd-4th)
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Gabe Wright	 6  9  9     -	WT8,sub8
Mario Edwards	 8  8  8     	SE8,sub8
David Parry 	 9  8  7     +	NT9,WT8
L Walton	 8  8  7  9  -	WT8,NT8
Xavier Williams  7  8  7  8  +	NT7,WT7
R Nunez-Roches	 7  8  7     +	WT7

	#147 (4th-5th)
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Darius Philon	 7  9  9     	sub9

	#189 (5th-6th)
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Warren Herring   8  8  7  8  +	NT8,WT8
Derrick Lott	 8  8  8     +	SE8,NT8
Henry Anderson	 8  7  7     +	SE7
Terry Williams   6  8  7  8  -	NT7,WT7
Tyeler Davison	 7  8  8  7  -	WT8,sub8

	#202 (6th)
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
L Trinca-Pasat	 6  9  7     +	WT7
Joey Mbu	 7  8  7  7  -	NT7,WT7
Ellis McCarthy	 7  7  7     +	NT7
Darius Kilgo	 6  8  8     -	sub7,WT8
BJ Dubose	 7  9  7     -	SE7,WE

	#229 (6th-7th)
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Kaleb Eulls	 7  7  8     -	WT7

	priority UDFA
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Justin Hamilton	 8  6  6     +	NT7,SE6
Thomas Teal	 7  8  7     +	WT7
Leon Orr	 7  8  7     	WT7,SE7
Angelo Blackson	 7  8  7     -	WT7,NT6
Chris Covington	 6  7  9     	sub8
Cam Botticelli	 6  8  8  7  +	sub7

	decent UDFA
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
Jeff Whitaker	 7  7  6     +	NT7
Deon Simon	 7  7  6     	NT7
Keontae Hollis	 6  8  7  7  +	WT7,sub6
Ben Bradley	 6  8  7  7  	WT7,sub6
Christian Ringo	 6  8  7     +	WT7,sub6
Chucky Hunter	 6  7  8     -	sub7

	mediocre UDFA
		st pn pr zn bnd	positions
James Castleman	 6  7  7     	NT6
Brandon Ivory	 7  6  6     	NT6
D Cummings	 6  7  7     	NT6,WT6
Mike Thornton	 6  7  7     	WT6,NT6
D Williams	 6  7  7     -	WT6
Brian Mihalik	 7  6  7     -	SE6
JT Surratt	 5  7  8     	sub7