2025 NFL Free Agency and Draft: DT

TJ Sanders is a pure athlete at defensive tackle.

He’s a twitchy, explosive DT at 6’4, 284lbs and wreaks havoc against both the run and pass. 60 pressures, 10 sacks, and 54 stops in the last two seasons at South Carolina.

Top 50 player for me right now. pic.twitter.com/f4zVSQsarB

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 3, 2025

In a 2 round post Senior and Shrine Bowl mock draft, @nfldraftscout has the @Vikings selecting DT Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss with the No. 24 overall pick.

“Filling gaps on both lines will be a major focus of the Vikings' offseason regardless of their decision at quarterback,… pic.twitter.com/wnAI3WeLlO

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) February 3, 2025

purplefaithful wrote:
https://x.com/TPPSkol/status/1886436341484859477

Nolen would be a great fit for us. I'd take him over Kenneth Grant.

MaroonBells wrote:

Nolen would be a great fit for us. I'd take him over Kenneth Grant.

Nolen is less than 300 pounds & I'm concerned that he'll be a liability in the run defense. For that reason, I would prefer Grant or the Oregon IDL, Derrick Harmon.

Knucklehead wrote:

Nolen is less than 300 pounds & I'm concerned that he'll be a liability in the run defense. For that reason, I would prefer Grant or the Oregon IDL, Derrick Harmon.

I agree with both of you. I think Nolen fits what Flores wants up front, but IMO we need to get bigger and more physical along both our lines. Grant isn't just a big space eater, but he's also a guy who can move, collapse the pocket and get after the quarterback a little. I think the Vikings would draft Nolen given the choice between the two players. I'd probably give the nod to Grant.

Knucklehead wrote:

Nolen is less than 300 pounds & I'm concerned that he'll be a liability in the run defense. For that reason, I would prefer Grant or the Oregon IDL, Derrick Harmon.

I like Harmon just as much as Nolen. I think Grant might be too big to be an every down player. Inside pass rush is our biggest weakness IMO, while we ranked 2nd in run defense. 

I could be wrong, but if you look at the Eagles defensive line as a model, I think we more want Jalen Carter or Milton Williams (also under 300) than Jordan Davis (336). In the playoffs, not counting the Super Bowl, Davis averaged 14 snaps a game. An NFL defense averages roughly 63 snaps per game. I think that's Grant's future. I want more bang from a 1st rounder than a guy who plays less than 25% of the time.

Ideally, you'd add a Davis type player AFTER you have that good push player on the IDL on the roster. It'll be interesting to see how the board falls, we sure wont know how they stacked em.

StickierBuns wrote:
DT depth is crazy good in the upcoming Draft: read one guy said there's as many as 24 starter worthy DTs. That doesn't mean 1st round picks, that means guys that either are currently or could in the near future project to starting caliber DTs in the NFL. That's deep.

Yep, just read that. 

Daniel Jeremiah@MoveTheSticks
Last year at this time, I had potential starter grades on 12 DT's. This year I have 24 of them. Ridiculous amount of depth at the position in this draft class.

StickierBuns wrote:
DT depth is crazy good in the upcoming Draft: read one guy said there's as many as 24 starter worthy DTs. That doesn't mean 1st round picks, that means guys that either are currently or could in the near future project to starting caliber DTs in the NFL. That's deep.

Kentis wrote:
Which screams for a trade down, unless we can catch a falling stud in another position of need…

We need a CB as well out of this draft. I would like a trade down because we could get both.

Darius Alexander does EVERYTHING for the Toledo defense.

He’s posted 11 sacks and 83 pressures in the last two seasons along with a 90.3 run defense grade and a 58-yard pick 6 (6’4 304lbs btw) in 2024.

He’s my IDL4 in a STACKED class and I’d take him in the 1st round. pic.twitter.com/QiJWaEkKMQ

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 11, 2025

Kentis wrote:
Which screams for a trade down, unless we can catch a falling stud in another position of need…

We're going to need a slider at WR, OT or TE to induce KC to come up. KC will be pretty desperate for all 3 positions. Veech is a damn savvy guy but his roster is massively top heavy. 

Buffalo might want to double down at WR after a tepid return on Keon Coleman and Shakir playing out of his mind. 

Detroit might need any defender other than S.

Definitely want to accumulate picks in the top 60. Kwesi has shown no hesitation to do so. Buckle up, its gonna be a wild ride.

JustInTime wrote:

We're going to need a slider at WR, OT or TE to induce KC to come up. KC will be pretty desperate for all 3 positions. Veech is a damn savvy guy but his roster is massively top heavy. 

Buffalo might want to double down at WR after a tepid return on Keon Coleman and Shakir playing out of his mind. 

Detroit might need any defender other than S.

Definitely want to accumulate picks in the top 60. Kwesi has shown no hesitation to do so. Buckle up, its gonna be a wild ride.

I have KC as the team that will trade up to our spot. I hope there have already been talks between the two teams about scenarios. If we can get a pick in the 60's, we can grab a DT there. Walker, Collins (My preference), Sanders, Alexander (My second choice) or Turner. All gives toughness and pass rushing ability up the middle. Something we desperately need.

Canthony wrote:

I have KC as the team that will trade up to our spot. I hope there have already been talks between the two teams about scenarios. If we can get a pick in the 60's, we can grab a DT there. Walker, Collins (My preference), Sanders, Alexander (My second choice) or Turner. All gives toughness and pass rushing ability up the middle. Something we desperately need.

Buffalo is an option too. They sit at 30 and might think they're one player away. 

They also have multiple mid rounders. If the Vikings like how day-two stacks up (and it is a very deep 2nd round), they could trade 24 for Buffalo's two 2nds and their two 4ths and rebuild their draft. It's a LONG way to move down, so of course every Viking fan from Plymouth to Preston will pull out their pitchforks, but it's something to think about.

Grant was the highest-ranked Wolverine on Feldman's list, coming in at No. 3. The 6-3, 350-pound defensive tackle has run a sub-5.0 since he's been at Ann Arbor. Ahead of his junior season, Grant pressed a 115-pound dumbbell 34 times on his right side and had a 29-inch vertical jump along with doing a Turkish get-up with a 150-pound dumbbell, according to Feldman.

"Watching KG move is like a work of art," Michigan's director of strength and conditioning Justin Tress told Feldman. "He plays and trains violent and explosive."

Grant was a key part of Michigan's standout defensive tackle rotation from last season, which was a major reason why it won a national title. He had 29 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

Jordan Reid

Five of my favorite player/team scheme fits:

• Emeka Egbuka - Rams
• Kenneth Grant - Vikings
• Azareye’h Thomas - Steelers
• Kaleb Johnson - Bears
• Emery Jones Jr. - Ravens

The depth of this year’s DL class is absolutely CRAZY.

Some NFL scouts reportedly believe it’s the “best” DL class in the last 5 years and that we could see as many as TWENTY go in the first two rounds.

• Abdul Carter (Penn State)
• James Pearce (Tennessee)
• Mason Graham (Michigan)
• Mykel Williams (Georgia)
• Walter Nolan (Ole Miss)
• Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
• Deone Walker (Kentucky)
• Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M)
• Tyleik Williams (Ohio State)
• Nic Scourton (Texas A&M)
• Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss)
• Landon Jackson (Arkansas)
• Jalon Walker (Georgia)
• Jack Sawyer (Ohio State)
• JT Tuimoloau (Ohio State)
• Mike Green (Marshall)
• Jared Ivey (Ole Miss)
• TJ Sanders (South Carolina)
• Omarr Norman-Lott (Tennessee)
• Alfred Collins (Texas)
• Derrick Harmon (Oregon)

And that’s just to name a FEW

OleMiss DL JJ Pegues is one of the most fascinating prospects in the entire draft class.

He finished this season with SEVEN 7️⃣ rushing touchdowns. He also has 55 snaps in pass/run blocking, and is probably the best FB prospect in the class if he wanted to be.

And by the way, he finished top-10 in pressures among P4 IDL on a loaded Ole Miss defensive front.

Made this spin set up look easy during @ShrineBowl 1-on-1s. Had an Interception in the game too!

We need a third JJ!

You are missing Alexander from your list. Someone that is extremely versatile and consistent both against the pass and rush. Think he could very well go end of 2nd round.

J.J. Pegues is someone I really like, and I agree with you. Here are some notes I have about him that I have read and saved. Him and Jordan Phillips I like if we can't get the few I mentioned if we get a package for a pick in the 60's. Pegues, from what I have read, needs to keep working on his pass rush techniques. Also, struggles with position with double teams as of now. I think he can get there however.

In his final season at Ole Miss, Pegues showcased his development as a defensive tackle while continuing to make history on offense. His ability to contribute on both sides of the ball helped the Rebels to a successful campaign, capped off by a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State. Beyond the field, Pegues distinguished himself as a Wuerffel Trophy nominee and earned a spot on the SEC Community Service Team, demonstrating the character NFL teams covet.

Explosive first-step quickness off the snap - consistently wins the neutral zone battle and flashes dynamic penetration ability against zone concepts
Stout at the POA with natural pad level and heavy hands - consistently sets a strong edge and holds his ground against zone/duo concepts
Displays tremendous lateral COD ability for his frame, showing efficient footwork when working cross-face and executing T-E stunts effectively
Rare two-way chess piece who demonstrates plus contact balance and kinetic vision as a short-yardage back - legitimate offensive weapon at the goal line
Advanced play recognition and mental processing speed - quickly IDs trap blocks and combo schemes, maintaining gap integrity against zone flow
Exhibits natural knee bend and ankle flexion through contact, allowing him to establish leverage and reset his anchor point against drive blocks
Above-average competitive toughness shows up in pursuit - plays with consistent pad level and leverage through the whistle with plus backside effort
Displays exceptional body control and spatial awareness in tight quarters - consistently maintains balance through trash while working down the LOS