Broaddus: These Guys Suggest DT Class More Than Top-Heavy

Bryan Broaddus Football Analyst/Scout

As we continue our series on the NFL Draft, let’s take a look at the defensive tackles.

•Jesse Williams Alabama (6-3 / 325)

Plays with upper body strength….hard guy to move at the point of attack…can find the ball playing two gap…not much technique but more brute strength…could play in the one or three technique….is very nifty through trash…can be disruptive…hard guy to handle one-on-one….will come out of the game in passing situations…can read very quickly…clogs up lanes…can retrace his steps when going up field…square player…gets off the block…will work down the line and get in on screen…can push the pocket…good inside charge…did a nice job against Georgia of going up to knock the ball down with his hands…mentioned that he can play either the one or the three….I always thought of him more as the one but scouts think he has the quickness to handle the three but will need more technique work to be really good at that job….is a funny built player with a large upper body and thin lower legs…power is all in his upper body….moves very well for someone that is 325 pounds…

•John Jenkins Georgia (6-4 / 360)

Comes from a junior college background….massive man that has dropped weight to get himself in the best shape possible…plays with leverage at the point of attack…can be active at times than others he is moving too slow…for his size I didn’t always see good push in the pocket…too many personal battles along the line and not shedding blockers….had some problems with Barrett Jones of Alabama in this regard but was able to beat Chance Warmack for a sack in the same game …shows the ability to hold the point of attack…more of an arm tackler than a guy that throws his weight on the ball carrier…good get off on the goal line…played the low block well against Florida…can handle plays that are right at him…showed more of a burst in the Florida game than he did in others…was active in the Senior Bowl game but you still saw him struggling getting off blocks…really like the fact that he is working to get in shape but has a very much boom or bust feel to him…was a highly thought of player when all this started now most likely in the second round…

•Johnathan Hankins Ohio State (6-3 / 320)

Plays as a one and three technique but probably more suited to be a one….will work down the line…can hold the point…is a stay at home type of player…don’t see him getting fooled much…will get up the field but not always a bust ass guy…will be late off the block at times…doesn’t get as much push as you would like…can find the ball…didn’t always show great balance…not many pass rush moves…gets cut off at times in the running game…doesn’t really extend himself…can make a play if the ball is near…plays a little tall at times…will allow himself to get cut off…had some trouble with the low block…showed some power to split the double team against Cal….did show some better technique in that game by using a rip move…like Jenkins of Georgia, a guy that plenty of folks would be a top 20 selection but has falling some…really an up and down type of a player but if he puts it together can make some nice plays…

•Sylvester Williams North Carolina (6-3 / 320)

Along with Bennie Logan one of my favorite defensive tackles….plays as a one and three technique and can really get up the field…nice initial quickness with a good arm over swim move…showed some power and strength with a club move…keeps the blocker flat on the move…can get penetration up the field…will take on the trap…will spin back inside to free himself…fights the down block well…is a hard man to move off the ball…is very active…gets off the ground quickly if knocked down…power to push inside…aware to handle to screen…reads the play than works that way…can retrace his steps once he sees the ball…can be very physical at the point…effort player…made a sack against Virginia Tech crawling on the ground…has initial quickness to jump the gap…takes on a ton of double team blocks and handles them well…can really find the ball…

I like Sylvester Williams as well. I think he'd be a good add for us.

dbair1967 said:

I like Sylvester Williams as well. I think he'd be a good add for us.

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I also like Syl. Williams. If we were to go DT later I like Bennie Logan as an option.

Cowboysrule122 said:

I also like Syl. Williams. If we were to go DT later I like Bennie Logan as an option.

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Agree. He's a good fallback if some other higher rated guys are gone.

Just curious, what was the description of Ratliff before the draft? He obviously was not ranked very high.

Omegasupreme said:

Just curious, what was the description of Ratliff before the draft? He obviously was not ranked very high.

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We can play that game all day long. Theres dozens of prowbowlers that were found late in the draft. It isnt an exact science

Slatemosphere said:

We can play that game all day long. Theres dozens of prowbowlers that were found late in the draft. It isnt an exact science

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No. Not any game. I'm genuinely asking the question.

Omegasupreme said:

Just curious, what was the description of Ratliff before the draft? He obviously was not ranked very high.

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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/historical/419238

Overview
Positives … Has a tall, rangy frame with long arms and legs, high hips, tapered calves and thighs and good upper body muscle development … Has the straight-line speed needed to chase down the quarterback when working in-line … Tough, aggressive athlete who might lack pass rush ability, but has enough burst to collapse the pocket … When he gets low in his stance, he can stop the forward progress of the ball carrier when meeting head on … Uses his hands well to hold on and drag down the opponent … When he stays at a good pad level, he can maintain balance when in pursuit and does a nice job of getting through the trash to spot the ball … Effective knifing into the backfield to flush out the quarterback … Has developed decent rip-&-swim moves to aid him in the bull rush.

Negatives … Has major size limitations if he is to stay at tackle, but does not have the explosive burst to be effective moving outside to come off the edge … Lacks flexibility in his lower body, which prevents him from flattening and changing direction easily … He needs to do a better job of staying low in his pads, as he tends to get high in his stance, resulting in offensive linemen having success vs. him with reach blocks … when his base gets too narrow, he gets bounced around some, especially vs. double team coverage … Labors at times coming out of his stance and needs to develop a sudden initial burst in order to gain leverage due to his size limitations … Has good power, but not enough to compensate for a lack of bulk when working inside … Good effort type, but one look at his stats and you see marginal production … Adequate student, but plays with marginal instincts and awareness … Late to recognize and react, spending a lot of time getting behind the play … Runs well for his size, but shows limited change of direction agility and explosion … Soft at the point of attack, failing to use his hands