FB Video: NFL Draft Position Preview — Defensive Line

With star power at the top in Chase Young and Derrick Brown, Utah provides valuable mid-draft options in defensive end Bradlee Anae and defensive tackle Leki Fotu

There is no questioning who some of the top pass rushers and interior defensive linemen available in the upcoming NFL draft.

Almost no one will disagree that defensive end Chase Young of Ohio State is a front runner candidate for the NFL defensive rookie of the year and the No. 1 overall prospect in the draft. 

Behind him in pass rushing skills is LSU's K'Lavon Chaisson, a raw but ultra-athletic specimen who finished with 4.5 sacks in the Tigers' final four games en route to winning the national championship. Young is widely expected to not get past the No. 3 overall pick while Chaisson should be a top-15/20 pick for sure.

Likewise, Derrick Brown of Auburn and Javon Kinlaw are both massive human beings and the top two interior defensive linemen available, with neither expected to drop past the No. 12 pick.

But what happens for teams who are looking to stockpile depth at those positions and potentially turn those mid-round draft picks into starters.

Well Utah has two of them, both all-Pac-12 first-teamers with the size, athleticism and intelligence to thrive in today's NFL.

Bradlee Anae and Leki Fotu have combined to dominate on the Utah defensive line for the last two seasons, making a devastating space-eating, pass-rushing combo that was the best in the Pac-12, if not the entire country.

As a of now, Anae is projected to be a third-to-fourth round draft pick while Fotu can go anywhere from the third round to the sixth round. Anae is without a doubt a little more polished than Fotu, and has a higher floor of being a very good backup at the very least. Fotu on the other hand is raw with tremendous upside, somebody who could blossom into a Pro-Bowler with the more experience he gets.

According to SI Rankings, following Young (1) and Chaisson (2) are:
3.) A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
4.) Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State
5.) Terrell Lewis, Alabama
6.) Julian Okwara, Notre Dame
7.) Jonathan Greenard, Florida
8.) Darrell Taylor, Tennessee
9.) Curtis Weaver, Boise State
10.) Bradlee Anae, Utah

Also According to SI Rankings, following Brown (1) and Kinley (2) are:
3.) Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma
4.) Marlon Davidson, Auburn
5.) Ross Blacklock, TCU
6.) Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
7.) Jordan Elliott, Missouri
8.) Leki Fotu, Utah
9.) Raekwon Davis, Alabama
10.) James Lynch, Baylor