2022 Draft Board: Defensive Tackles

Go check out my 2022 Quarterback Draft Board article if you want to get more background information on how this all works.

TOP FIVE

1) Jordan Davis (Georgia)

Analysis: A 4.78 forty at 341 pounds is insane, that cannot be understated, nor can the impact he had for the national champs this past season. He's an uber intriguing talent that would be difficult to pass over if you have a need in the middle of your D-Line.

2) Devonte Wyatt (Georgia)

Analysis: I've said before that I'm not high on this Defensive Tackle class and it progressively got worse as the pre-draft season wore on culminating in only eight DTs left on my draft board. Up until I did my review yesterday and discovered Hall is a better fit as a DT, Wyatt and Davis were the only ones I would have considered in the first or second rounds. In case you forgot since he's been sitting in the massive shadow of his former college teammate, Wyatt ran a 4.77 forty which is also an incredible feat at 304 pounds. Wyatt also offers more pass rush prowess than Davis.

3) Logan Hall (Houston)

Analysis: Finding Hall had a factor that removed him from my Edge Rusher board was the best thing that could have happened for me at this position. I think he'll need to pack on some more weight, hopefully of the muscle variety, and he definitely has the frame to do so at 6'6". That's why I'm leaning more toward second round with him. Regardless, whoever takes him is getting a high upside player.

4) Phidarian Mathis (Alabama)

Analysis: Mathis' value basically falls squarely in the third round. I would've liked to see him at least run the forty, but working off what I know he did a solid job against both the run and pass, and he seems athletic enough. I think the third round is the safest place to take him because he has the potential to be a first round type of talent, but he could also be just an average starter.

5) DJ Davidson (Arizona State)

Analysis: Decent athleticism for a big man, but he's definitely more of a run stuffer. Although, he did make good improvements in both areas of his game this past season.

Sleeper: Perrion Winfrey (Oklahoma)

Analysis: Does it count as a sleeper if he's higher on everyone else's board? Personally, I think they all have him ranked too high. He has intriguing athleticism and should have value rotating in as a pass rush specialist early in his career, but he needs to improve against the run. Ergo he's not a day one or day two pick, but he has long-term sleeper potential as a day three pick.

SURPRISINGLY LEFT OFF

DeMarvin Leal and Travis Jones were removed from my board entirely, once you get past them there aren't any surprises. I am incredibly low on this Defensive Tackle class and like I said above, beyond Davis, Wyatt and Hall I don't know that I'd use a first or second round pick on a player from this position.

DRAFT BOARD

Note: Since the Defensive Tackles are split into two categories (those that weigh 320 pounds or more and those that weigh under 320) you will notice a significant difference in PSR between players, such as Logan Hall who has a 21.8 with a 1st-2nd round grade, and Jordan Davis who has a 29.3 with a 2nd-3rd round grade.

My Draft Board

REMOVED FROM DRAFT BOARD

For each position there are players who either had a red flag in their college production or athletic testing (or both) that led to them being removed from my draft board. These are referred to as negative factors and can lead to one of two labels: Depleted or Empty. In order for a player to receive a Depleted label, they had to have a negative factor that significantly decreased the chances of success in players who had that same factor from 2010-2019. In order for a player to receive an Empty label, they had to have a negative factor that led to zero successful players who had that same factor from 2010-2019. There were 15 Defensive Tackles removed from my board.

Christopher Hinton (Michigan) - Depleted

DeMarvin Leal (Texas A&M) - Depleted

Esezi Otomewo (Minnesota) - Depleted

Eyioma Uwazurike (Iowa State) - Depleted

Jayden Peevy (Texas A&M) - Depleted

John Ridgeway (Arkansas) - Depleted

Jonathan Ford (Miami) - Depleted

Kalia Davis (UCF) - Depleted

LaBryan Ray (Alabama) - Depleted

Marquan McCall (Kentucky) - Depleted

Noah Ellis (Idaho) - Depleted

Thomas Booker (Stanford) - Depleted

Travis Jones (UCONN) - Depleted

Jordan Jackson (Air Force) - Empty

Matthew Butler (Tennessee) - Empty

Neil Farrell (LSU) - Empty

Zachary Carter (Florida) - Empty