Here are the top 10 defensive tackle prospects (with height, weight, projected round in parentheses) for the NFL draft, which is set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin:
1. Mason Graham, DT, Michigan, 6-foot-3, 296 pounds (first round): Teams can just watch videotape from the game against Ohio State this past season when he shut down the Buckeyes’ vaunted rushing attack. But he didn’t test well at the NFL Scouting Combine and had poor power and strength numbers. He did bench press 225 pounds 24 times. He weighed in at 296, down from the 320 he was listed at Michigan. He had only 32-inch arms (34 inches is desirable).
2. Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss, 6-4, 296 (first): A consensus All-American who started his career at Texas A&M, he had 48 tackles, 14 tackles for loss (50 yards) and 6.5 sacks last season. He added four quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries for the Rebels.
3. Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan, 6-3, 339 (first): Traditional nose tackle for 3-4 teams. He played in all 15 games and made five starts as the Wolverines won the national title after the 2023 season. Last season, Grant had 32 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and five pass breakups.
4. Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon, 6-5, 310 (first): He started his career at Michigan State. He played in 42 games and made 116 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in his college career.
5. Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo, 6-4, 305 (first/second): He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.95 seconds at the scouting combine. He also had a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl. Last season, he has 40 tackles, 7.5. for losses, 3.5 sacks and an interception. He was a second-team All-MAC selection.
6. T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina, 6-4, 290 (Second): A stalwart along the Gamecocks’ defensive front for the past four seasons. He played in all 13 games and made nine starts in 2024. He was selected first-team All-SEC by College Football Nation. He had 50 tackles, including seven tackles for loss, and had four sacks.
7. Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee, 6-2, 291 (Second): He started his career at Arizona State and played two seasons with the Volunteers. He made 44 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and one fumble recovery in two seasons in Knoxville.
8. Alfred Collins, DT, Texas, 6-5, 320 (Second): He played in 63 games and made 26 starts for the Longhorns. He appeared in his last 40 consecutive games. He made 139 career tackles, 17.5 tackles for losses and seven sacks.
9. Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State, 6-3, 305 (Second/third): He started all 12 games and made 32 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks. He was an eight-time game captain.
10. Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State, 6-3, 327 (Third): Helped to anchor the nation’s No. 1 defense in total defense and scoring defense. He graduated with a degree in sports industry December 2024. He was a four-time letterman who played in 51 games and made 25 starts.
Local Prospects
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DL, Georgia, 6-4, 276: Played in 37 games for the Bulldogs over four seasons. He played mostly in reserve and rotational roles. Last season, after he made three tackles, including two for a combined loss of eight yards, against Kentucky in the Bulldogs’ first SEC game, he won the SEC defensive lineman of the week award.
Zeek Biggers, DT, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 325: He made 104 tackles (including nine for loss and two sacks) in four seasons as a Yellow Jacket. He played in 47 games and made 26 consecutive starts over the past two seasons. Biggers was an all-ACC honorable-mention selection in 2024.
Best of the rest: Alabama’s Tim Smith, Florida’s Cam Jackson, Maryland’s Jordan Phillips, Kentucky’s Deone Walker, Nebraska’s Ty Robinson, Texas A&M’s Shemar Turner, Mississippi’s J.J. Pegues, Texas’ Vernon Broughton, Ohio State’s Ty Hamilton and Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell.
Teams in need: Falcons, Texans, Ravens, Cardinals, Jaguars and Lions.
Need area for Falcons? Yes. The Falcons lost defensive tackle Grady Jarrett in free agency, and David Onyemata is 32 and headed into the final year of his contract.
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