Introduction
My first positional group rankings of this draft cycle, the IOL rankings, landed earlier this month and the response from the community has been so great to see with plenty of pushback, a few surprises and a comment thread that ran longer than I expected with a whole month to go until Draft Day. This positional group rankings is for the DL group and if you’ve already read the IOL post you’ll know how this works, so I’ll keep the preamble short and get you straight to the board.
For those arriving at the positional rankings series for the first time: every player in the scouted section has been evaluated from film, independent of PFF grades or any external evaluations. Medical concerns and off-field issues do not affect my assessment process either, that’s a guessing game for anyone outside of the NFL evaluation process so I don’t let it affect my review of the prospects’ tape. My numeric grade maps to a projected draft round, and I write full profiles for the top 10-ish graded prospects in each group, linked directly from the board via the arrow icon next to their name. Those profiles are also posted to Stormcloud which are accessible from the homepage. A big board is coming later in the season so be on the lookout for that too!
One thing to preface is that I have split my defensive front rankings into two groups; Defensive Line, which is any player I see lining up inside the Tackle box (5t and inwards) and Edge, which is any player who is responsible for the outside rush lane, be that from a 2-point or 3-point stance. This Defensive Line board carries a few extra labels specific to the position: an alignment column indicating where each player primarily lines up across 1t, 3t and 5t, and a primary type tag describing their dominant approach to the game across Hybrid, Attack, Resist and React. The secondary tag reflects their rush lane tendency across Speed, Power, Both and Neither. The RAS scores here will be updated after the final relevant Pro Day results on April 1st.
Our Numeric Grades map to a projected draft round. This is based on the NFL Standard Scouting Grade used by NFL.com.
- 7.20–8.00 = Top 10
- 6.90–7.19 = Round 1
- 6.60–6.89 = Round 2
- 6.30–6.59 = Round 3
- 6.10–6.29 = Round 4
- 5.90–6.09 = Round 5
- 5.70–5.89 = Rounds 6–7
- 5.50–5.69 = Priority UDFA
| RK | Player | Aln. | Class | Physical | Grade | RAS | Conf. | CF | Type | Cons. | SB Stock |
|---|
The most notable divergence in this group is Keldric Faulk. The Auburn pass rusher sits at consensus #7, which on most boards puts him in the borderline top-10 conversation, and yet my evaluation has him in Round 3 territory at 6.40. There is genuine burst and length there, and the testing profile and highlight reel make the industry interest understandable. The alignment is the issue though: Faulk is a 5-technique React rusher, and his anchor and hand usage against quality interior competition have not been consistent enough to justify where he is likely to go. Christen Miller out of Georgia is in a similar position, sitting at #26 on aggregate boards while grading in Round 3 on mine at 6.50. The tools are real and the ceiling is not hard to see, but the finishing rate and consistency on film are not yet where you would want them for a player going inside the top 30.
The player with the largest gap between my grade and the consensus is Caleb Banks from Florida, who grades as a Round 1 prospect on this board at 6.93 despite sitting at #46 in the aggregate. His surge stock reflects a player whose profile is starting to get more attention, and his combination of size, athleticism and two-way utility in both gap and zone schemes is backed up by a 9.86 RAS. Lee Hunter out of Texas Tech will probably draw the most questions. A consensus rank of #92 against a Round 2 grade is a meaningful gap, but his pass rush production against Big 12 competition has been repeatable in a way that I think the consensus has not fully accounted for yet. Keanu Tanuvasa from BYU is also worth keeping an eye on. He carries a low confidence tag at this stage given he only has one game of film from me, but his profile fits what the Chargers ask of interior players well enough that it felt wrong to leave him off the radar entirely.
For the Chargers, the DL picture heading into the draft is more straightforward than the IOL conversation, at least at the top end. Peter Woods grades at 7.25 on this board and carries a perfect CF-A rating which reflects his Hybrid abilities as a pass rusher who can win with quickness or power, and his prowess as a gap shooter in the run game. He fits the kind of three-technique profile the Chargers want next to their new Nose Tackle; Dalvin Tomlinson. He is unlikely to be available at 22 but if the board moves in an unexpected direction he would be the clear target. If he goes early, Caleb Banks is the name to follow given his athleticism and scheme fit relative to where he is likely to be drafted. Further down the board, Kayden McDonald at Ohio State grades in the mid-second while sitting at #37 in the consensus, and while the gap is not dramatic the fit is solid and there is not much wrong with his floor as a prospect. One prospect that frustrates me is Zxavian Harris, his tape is so great and he would be a fit in Chris O’Leary’s scheme, but the red flags on his profile are impossible to ignore so I doubt an organization like the Chargers would take the risk on him.
Let me know what you all think, I’m always keen to read your responses even if I don’t get around to responding to them so keep them coming!
It doesn’t seem like there’s going to be anyone at DL worth drafting after the first round that is still likely to be there at #55 .
Banks is so intriguing but his inconsistency and injury issues are red flags to me, and doesn’t make me want to spend a 1st rounder on him. Maybe if they can grab him in the 2nd but that seems unlikely.
That only leaves Woods (top choice) and McDonald as targets at #22 and even with McDonald, even though I really like him as a player, I feel like he could be a little redundant on the Chargers’ current depth chart. I wouldn’t be upset if they drafted him though.
I feel like I’m higher on Banks than a lot of analysts because to me his flashes are worth the risks of his injury issues. If we could trade back and take him in the 30s then that would be a major win as we can use the other pick gained to add another impact player to reduce the risk.
Another DL question for you – Do you think Caldwell and McDonald could co-exist? I guess playing Caldwell more at the 3T? I am expecting him to progress more this year and be a more impactful player so no sense in drafting a guy like McDonald that high if they can’t be on the field at the same time.
I think there is a world where any of McDonald, Orange, Hunter, Jackson could all exist with what we have on the DL now. We could still use another NT type to backup Tomlinson and just to rotate in to the keep the guys fresh. Having another NT type DT could let Caldwell and Tart stay at the 3T. If we don’t take McDonald, Hunter or especially Woods at 1.22, I don’t see any way they are available at 2.55. If that’s the case and they still wanted to add that type of player, Orange would be a good selection.
I guess that’s what I am wondering — whether they would play Caldwell more at the 3T. I know he took some snaps there, but he was drafted as a NT and if that is his role (which I expect him to continue to develop), then between him and Tomlinson, it doesn’t make much sense to draft another NT. They need more depth at 3T right now, unless they’re shifting Caldwell.
Remember Tomlinson is only on a one year deal, so adding some stock to the position for the future is not a bad idea. I would love Woods because I think he is the pass rushing 3T this team hasn’t had, but I really loved McDonald’s tape. he is just technically sound and consistent. I am a big Orange fan also, but he is a traditional NT type that comes in and clogs the interior and eats blocks. Any day 1 or day 2 addition to the DL will really give the unit some depth.
I’d agree with finding more of a true NT to supplant Tomlinson in the future but with Mike Elston on board I’d rather push that need to Day 3 in the shape of someone like Tim Keenan III, Albert Regis or Keanu Tanuvasa. I think if we take Woods or Banks it takes pressure off of finding an elite DPR with the way those two can generate their own pass rush.
Also to answer the earlier discussion about Caldwell; he’s a 1T body type but he’s light on his feet so he suited sliding out to the 2i in Minter’s G-front which he used Vs zone heavy teams. I think he’ll play between both roles again this season as O’Leary likes to mix things up a bit more in terms of alignment and run stunts but tbh it’s so hard to project with an incomplete picture.
Ryan,
I am out on Banks unless it is at 2.55 which I guess you can sell me is worth the risk, but I wouldn’t be in love with it. The injury combined with the tape really has me off of him. I am more of a production and fundamentals guy as far as evaluating and his tape was so inconsistent. It’s probably why I am so high on McDonald.
As of right now I think Edge is the biggest need. Mack is year to year and Dupree and Kennard offered little to nothing last year. At worst a Rd1 Edge would give us a DPR in Nascar packages and an eventual successor to Mack.