Top 10 D-Linemen in the NFL Draft

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Apr 15, 2010

Top 10 D-Linemen in the NFL Draft

Ndamukong Suh

After nearly coming away with the Heisman trophy last season with Nebraska, Suh enters the draft a powerful combination of size, strength and athleticism (12 sacks in '09 as a defensive tackle). Suh is versatile enough to excel in either a 4-3 or 3-4 defense, and will often draw double teams from opposing offensive lines. Widely touted as the best defensive player in the draft, Suh should have an immediate impact regardless of what team selects him.

Gerald McCoy

McCoy proved to be Oklahoma's scariest, most active defensive player in his junior season, using his blend of size and strength to penetrate and wreak havoc on opposing backfields. The case can be made for McCoy over Suh, and the Sooners' stud certainly has the skills to be an impact player in his rookie year on the inside of a 4-3 defensive line.

Jason Pierre-Paul

For a kid who didn't play football until his junior year in high school, Pierre-Paul has come a long way. A junior college transfer to USF, Pierre-Paul was able to dominate in the Big East based on pure ability. In his only season of D-I college ball, he racked up six sacks and 42 tackles. Pierre-Paul is raw, but NFL scouts love his frame and sky-high potential.

Derrick Morgan

The ACC's Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 racked up 52 tackles and 12 sacks in his junior season at Georgia Tech. While not a freakish athlete like other highly touted linemen in this year's draft class, Morgan's production in college projects well to the pro level. Morgan is an above average tackler and pursues the ball in the backfield, while playing with a high football IQ.

Dan Williams

Projected as a mid-round pick heading into the 2009 season, Williams broke out to the tune of 62 tackles -- tops among SEC linemen. Now Williams is being pegged as a mid-first rounder. His mean streak and his 327-pound help him collapse the pocket and bring pressure in the backfield. And if he gets an opportunity for a tackle, he will punish ball carriers.

Brandon Graham

Despite a disappointing season for Michigan, Graham stood out by leading the nation in tackles for loss (26) and registering 10.5 sacks. Projected as a mid- to late-first round pick, Graham has the versatility to move to outside linebacker in the right defensive scheme, and his good instincts will likely land him on the field early into the 2010 season.

Carlos Dunlap

After two straight seasons with at least nine sacks, Dunlap appears ready to step in at defensive end at the next level. His great size (6-foot-6 frame) and speed (4.71 40-yard dash) make Dunlap an intriguing prospect, but character issues and questions about his effort have soured his draft status, and threaten to bounce him out of the first round.

Everson Griffen

A Trojan workhorse, Griffen has natural strength and good size for a defensive end. But scouts worry about his intensity and potential for immediate impact. Griffen projects as a back-end first round pick who could slide into the second round depending on team needs.

Jared Odrick

At 6-foot-5, 304 pounds, Jared Odrick is a large human, and he uses his great size to stuff the run. Odrick was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 by the conference's coaches, who witnessed him tear through the conference for 43 tackles and 11 sacks. If there is room to improve for the former Nittany Lion, it's in his lateral footwork.

Brian Price

Price, the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in '09, totaled 43 tackles and 7 sacks in his junior season at UCLA. And though Price lacks prototypical height for the defensive tackle spot, his productivity has proven he has a high motor and he plays with the intensity needed for success in the pro ranks.