The "Triple Take" team takes a deeper dive into the interior defensive linemen in their second look at the position. In this installment of this draft prospect preview by position, the Steelers Radio Network trio of Matt Williamson, Dale Lolley and Mike Prisuta give their takes on the top prospects. If you want to hear the audio version of "The Triple Take" click here.
The opinions of these Steelers Radio Network personalities do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
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Dale's Take ...
First Draft
5 - Keanu Benton, Wisconsin (6-4, 309 lbs.)
4 - Calijah Kancey, Pitt (6-1, 281 lbs.)
3 - Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern (6-2, 282 lbs.)
2 - Bryan Bresee, Clemson (6-5 ½, 298 lbs.)
1 - Jalen Carter, Georgia (6-3, 314 lbs.)
Upon Further Review
5 - Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern (6-2, 282 lbs.)
4 - Calijah Kancey, Pitt (6-1, 281 lbs.)
3 - Keanu Benton, Wisconsin (6-4, 309 lbs.)
2 - Bryan Bresee, Clemson (6-5 ½, 298 lbs.)
1 - Jalen Carter, Georgia (6-3, 314 lbs.)
Analysis: This is one of the more shallow positions in this draft, with just a handful of prospects expected to be selected in the first two days of the draft. That being said, big men tend to get overdrafted, so it's also one of the more volatile positions in the draft.
ALSO WORTH CONSIDERING
Mazi Smith of Michigan just missed making my top five since I counted Adebawore as an interior defensive linemen despite him playing on the edge at Northwestern. Smith (6-3, 324) is a massive nose tackle and did 34 reps on the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine, the best at the position, but didn't do anything else. In four seasons at Michigan, he had six tackles for a loss. But he does eat up double teams. … Florida's Gervin Dexter Sr. had a great combine at 6-6, 310 pounds. He posted a 4.88-second 40-yard dash and certainly looks the part. He had five sacks and two interceptions in three seasons at Florida, starting games as a true freshman. … Like Smith, Siaki Ika of Baylor is a true nose tackle at 6-3, 335 pounds, who doesn't offer much as a pass rusher. He had 4.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss in 37 career games. But he's a load in the middle. … LSU's Jaquelin Roy isn't quite as big as some of the other nose tackle prospects, but he is pretty stout. He had four sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss in 31 career games. He has a good first step and uses his hands well. … At 6-3, 303 pounds, Karl Brooks of Bowling Green played defensive end in college. He could be a nice fit as a 3-4 defensive end in the NFL, though 4-3 teams might look at him as a defensive tackle. Brooks had 27.5 sacks and 46 tackles for a loss in college. But he did play five seasons, getting an extra year thanks to COVID-19, which limited his 2020 season to three games.
Mike's Take ...
First Draft
5 - Calijah Kancey, Pitt (6-1, 281 lbs.)
4 - Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin (6-4, 309 lbs.)
3 - Gervon Dexter Sr., Florida (6-6, 310)
2 - Bryan Bresee, Clemson (6-5 1/2, 298)
1 -Jalen Carter, Georgia (6-3, 314 lbs.)
After Further Review
5 - Calijah Kancey, Pitt (6-1, 281 lbs.)
4 - Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin (6-4, 309 lbs.)
3 - Gervon Dexter Sr., Florida (6-6, 310)
2 - Bryan Bresee, Clemson (6-5 1/2, 298)
1 -Jalen Carter, Georgia (6-3, 314 lbs.)
ALSO WORTH CONSIDERING
Baylor's Siaki Ika is an old school-type nose tackle at 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds. But he's also athletic and has even been described as nimble. Ika played in 11 games as a freshman for LSU's national championship team in 2019 and was a First-Team All-Big XII selection at Baylor in 2022 … Penn State's P.J. Mustipher was a captain for the Nittany Lions in 2022. His brother Sam is an offensive lineman for the Bears. NFL Network reporter Cynthia Frelund said Penn State head coach James Franklin considers P.J. Mustipher impactful beyond the stat sheet as a run stuffer. "No one is going to run by this guy," Franklin maintained … Boise State's Scott Matlock didn't get an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine but he was the most dominant player at the NFLPA Bowl according to NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew. Matlock showed athleticism as a pass rusher and dominance in 1-on-1 opportunities … Jalen Redmond of Oklahoma ran an official 4.81 40-yard dash at the Combine, the second-fastest time among interior defensive linemen, and also posted a 9'8" broad jump and a 341/2" vertical leap at 291 pounds. Redmond played on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage enough to register 14 sacks and 31.5 tackles for a loss in 32 games for the Sooners … Alabama's Byron Young excelled as an interior pass rusher in 2022 (nine quarterback hits, 28 quarterback pressures) and had 20 tackles for a loss and seven sacks in his 45-game career at Alabama … West Virginia's Dante Stills demonstrated quickness and penetration for the Mountaineers and ran a 4.85 40 at the Combine. His father Gary played in the NFL, as did his uncle Ken and as does his cousin Kenny … Coastal Carolina's Jerrod Clark is a former tight end who got the attention of Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy. "This guy, in his stance he looks like an athlete," Nagy assessed. "He's explosive, he's got some up-field pass rush ability. He's not just one of those plugger, big bodies. The guy's got some upside as a third-down player." … Michigan's Mazi Smith executed 34 reps at 225 pounds in the bench press at the Combine. Smith had a legal issue that was resolved via a plea bargain in December.
Matt's Take ...
First Draft
5 – Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin (6-4, 309 lbs.)
4 – Calijah Kancey, Pitt (6-1, 281 lbs.)
3 – Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern (6-2, 282 lbs.)
2 – Bryan Bresee, Clemson (6-5 1/2, 298 lbs.)
1 – Jalen Carter, Georgia (6-3, 314 lbs.)
After Further Review
5 – Mazi Smith, Michigan (6-3, 323 lbs.)
4 – Calijah Kancey, Pitt (6-1, 281 lbs.)
3 – Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern (6-2, 282 lbs.)
2 – Bryan Bresee, Clemson (6-5 1/2, 298 lbs.)
1 – Jalen Carter, Georgia (6-3, 314 lbs.)
Analysis: _The only change is swapping out Benton for Smith, who was left off the original list because he doesn't make enough plays behind the line of scrimmage. Some of that is because of what he was asked to do at Michigan in his nose tackle role. But you see Smith's pure power, get off, overall quickness and flat-out rare athletic ability and you can't wonder what this player might become with great coaching. _
ALSO WORTH CONSIDERING
When factoring in their size, the true Combine standouts at this position were Bresee, Adebawore, and Florida's Gervin Dexter. Dexter has all kinds of upside. He is 6-6 and 310 pounds and can use that height to create major problems against interior offensive linemen. He only played two years of high school football and is a work in progress. His 40-yard dash (4.88) and 10-yard split (1.81) were strong, and he displayed his explosiveness with his jumps, with a 31-inch vertical and 9-2 broad jump. ... Putting up good numbers in the 10-yard split can be difficult for tall prospects like Dexter. The 10-yard split is very important at this position and the best at the Combine were Kancey (1.64), Bresee (1.71), Oklahoma's Jalen Redmond (1.71), West Virginia's Dante Stills (1.72), and South Carolina's Zacch Pickens (1.74).
