The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the interior defensive tackle position.
The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dale's First Look
1. Walter Nolen, Mississippi, 6-3 3/4, 296 lbs.
2. Kenneth Grant, Michigan, 6-3 5/8, 331 lbs.
3. Mason Graham, Michigan, 6-3 ½, 296 lbs.
4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon, 6-4 1/2, 310 lbs.
5.Darius Alexander, Toledo, 6-3 ⅞, 305 lbs.
Dale's Second Look
1. Kenneth Grant, Michigan, 6-3 5/8, 331 lbs.
2. Derrick Harmon, Oregon, 6-4 1/2, 310 lbs.
3. Walter Nolen, Mississippi, 6-3 3/4, 296 lbs.
4. Mason Graham, Michigan, 6-3 ½, 296 lbs.
5. Tyleik Williams, Ohio State, 6-2 ⅞, 336 lbs.
Dale's Thoughts: My rankings don't look the same as the "consensus," because I'm looking at this through the lens of how these players would fit into a 3-4 defense. Graham is widely considered the No. 1 defensive tackle in this draft, but at a shade over 6-foot-3 and 296 pounds with 32-inch arms, he's not long enough to play defensive end in a 3-4 and he doesn't have the anchor to play on the nose. That said, he can rush the passer as an interior defender, but he's better suited to be a 4-3 defender. … Nolan's arm length (32 ½ inches) isn't ideal, either, but like Graham, he's very disruptive. He also brings more juice as a pass rusher than Graham. … Tyleik Williams of Ohio State bumps into my top 5 over Darius Alexander, not because of anything Alexander did or did not do, but because Williams has more upside. He's a fireplug run stopper with more pass rush juice than I initially gave him credit for having. … This draft is littered with underrated defensive tackles, including Nebraska's Ty Robinson, Vernon Broughton of Texas and Yahya Black of Iowa. All have the length to be solid 3-4 defensive end prospects but are pushed down a bit in this draft because of the depth of the position this year. … Even more plentiful are nose tackle prospects such as J.J. Pegues of Ole Miss, Jamaree Caldwell of Oregon, Cam Jackson of Florida C.J. West of Indiana and Tim Smith of Alabama. Once players such as Grant, Nolen, Williams and Alfred Collins of Texas are selected, that group should become very popular for teams looking to improve their run-stuffing ability.
Matt's First Look
1. Kenneth Grant, Michigan, 6-3 5/8, 331 lbs.
2. Mason Graham, Michigan, 6-3 1/2, 296 lbs.
3. Walter Nolen, Mississippi, 6-3 3/4, 296 lbs.
4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon, 6-4 1/2, 313 lbs.
5. Darius Alexander, Toledo, 6-3 7/8, 305 lbs.
Matt's Second Look
1. Kenneth Grant, Michigan, 6-3 5/8, 331 lbs.
2. Mason Graham, Michigan, 6-3 1/2, 296 lbs.
3. Walter Nolen, Mississippi, 6-3 3/4, 296 lbs.
4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon, 6-4 1/2, 313 lbs.
5. Tyleik Williams, Ohio State, 6-2 7/8, 334 lbs.
Matt's Thoughts: Bumping Alexander out of the top five isn't a knock on him, although Alexander is a bit overaged. More the case, it is just being very impressed with Williams and what he still might become. Williams currently is an elite old school middle-of-the-formation space eating nose tackle that destroys interior run games. But can he develop into more, particularly as a pass-rusher? Maybe. Williams has continued to put on good weight at Ohio State without losing his quickness or agility-and he has very impressive light feet for such a big man. ... Another "Just missed" defensive tackle was Alfred Collins from Texas. Collins is huge man with very long arms and big hands. He too is a work in progress as a pass-rusher, but much of that can be blamed on being stuck behind two very highly drafted Texas defensive tackles up until this season. Collins also has rare athletic traits and plays with tremendous effort. ... This is a loaded class for nose tackle types, a position not every NFL defense currently is seeking. Therefore, the end of day two and well into day three could provide great value for teams in search of this position. Names to know in that area of the draft include Florida State's Joshua Farmer, Florida's Cam Jackson, Mississippi's JJ Pegues, Oregon's Jamaree Caldwell, Alabama's Tim Smith, Indiana's CJ West, Maryland's Jordan Phillips, and Iowa's Yahya Black. As noted, there is obviously an abundance of quality nose tackles to pick from. ... Defensive tackle, Edge, and Running Back are the strongest positions in this draft class and this group of interior defensive linemen offer a wide variety of skill sets. Expect the NFL to eat that up all through the three days of the draft.
Mike's First Look
1. Mason Graham, Michigan, 6-3 1/2, 296 lbs.
2. Walter Nolen, Mississippi 6-3 3/4, 296 lbs.
3. Kenneth Grant, Michigan, 6-3 5/8, 331 lbs.
4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon, 6-4 1/2, 310 lbs.
5. Joshua Farmer, Florida State, 6-3, 305 lbs.
Mike's Second Look
1. Mason Graham, Michigan, 6-3 1/2, 296 lbs.
2. Walter Nolen, Mississippi 6-3 3/4, 296 lbs.
3. Kenneth Grant, Michigan, 6-3 5/8, 331 lbs.
4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon, 6-4 1/2, 310 lbs.
5. Joshua Farmer, Florida State, 6-3, 305 lbs.
Mike's Thoughts: The song remains the same, after further review, although Harmon seems a little more intriguing with each peek into his background and performance. The original "sleeper," Toledo's Darius Alexander (6-37/8, 305 lbs.), is awake and in play … Texas' Alfred Collins (6-5, 320 lbs.) is next in line in a procession out of Austin that sent Byron Murphy (16th overall, Seattle, 2024) and T'Vondre Sweat (second round, Tennessee, 2024) to the NFL. Hook 'em … Georgia's Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (6-4 3/8, 280 lbs.) had a breakout 2024 in his first year as a starter and then lit up the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "I'm buying Ingram-Dawkins stock," NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah gushed … Nebraska's Ty Robinson (6-51/8, 288 lbs.) is another prospect who stood out in Indianapolis, running, jumping and constantly revving his high motor. Robinson plays a bull-in-a-china-shop type of game and he can run … Mississippi's J.J. Pegues (6-2 1/2, 309 lbs.) is a former Auburn tight end who was deployed with great success as a "Wild Cat" QB by the Rebels (seven rushing touchdowns). He's definitely fullback capable, but he's also effective at his more traditional role. "His No. 1 job is to play defense, and he does that quite well," NFL Network analyst Charles Davis maintained … South Carolina's T.J. Sanders (6-3 3/4, 284 lbs.) has a basketball background and the athleticism such a resume would suggest. He can move around up front, come off the ball and find the ball … Tennessee's Elijah Simmons (6-1, 334 lbs.) is more about disruption than production, but he's good at the former. He can stuff the run and pressure the pocket … Maryland's Jordan Phillips (6-1 1/4, 318 lbs.) is a former high school wrestler and power lifter who possesses freakish athletic ability. Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic assessed Phillips' performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl as "dominating." … Florida's Cam'Ron Jackson (6-6 1/2, 339 lbs.) moves well for a man of his massive size. And there's power in Jackson's bull rush … Kentucky's Deone Walker (6-71/4, 331 lbs.) also stands out because he stands out. "It's hard to look big on an SEC field," Jeremiah offered. "He looks enormous. It looks like it's 'Bring Your Kids to Work Day' when he's standing next to these other guys" … Indiana's C.J. West (6-1 1/8, 316 lbs.) helped author a remarkably resurgent season for the Hoosiers after transferring from Kent State. He's been described as a "knock-back guy." … Ohio State's Tyleik Williams (6-3, 334 lbs.) is another big guy who can move but one who might need to move a little faster a little more often. "He has a lot of ability," Jeremiah insisted. "I wanna see him play with just a tiny bit more effort."
