If there was ever a year for the Arizona Cardinals to overhaul their defensive line, it is 2025. While the defence showed a marked improvement during the 2024 season, they were still vulnerable against the run and didn’t have the impact players to create consistent interior pressure.

These shortcomings were most apparent in the defeats to the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks in games that derailed the Cardinals attempt to win the NFC West.

Chuba Hubbard was able to amass 152 yards for the Panthers in a game that killed off the Cardinals’ post season hopes while they couldn’t create adequate interior pressure in either of the losses against the Seahawks whose offensive line surrendered 233 pressures across the season.

The free agency signings of Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell gives the line two experienced and proven quality operators but they should both be viewed as stop-gaps rather than long-term solutions.

Thankfully, there are plenty of viable candidates available for Monti Ossenfort and Jonathan Gannon to potentially flip one of the teams’ biggest weaknesses into one of their biggest strengths.

Profiling the 2025 Defensive Tackle class has been a mammoth undertaking, not just because there are a lot of beefy boys involved, but both the quality and quantity of this class is vast. There will be opportunities to select players who have the capability to be impact, starting calibre players at the position on all three days.

Initially, I planned to deep dive on ten of my favourite prospects. That quickly became 15 and it could’ve stretched to 20 – I wanted to keep this as readable as possible without cutting back on detail and I wanted it to be relevant to the team, so there are some omissions (including Mason Graham who I don’t think will be available at any point).

Below are the 15 DTs that I think would make the best additions to the Cardinals roster.

Darius Alexander – Toledo – 6’4″ – 305 lbs – 34″ arms – 24 years old

“This time last year, Quinyon Mitchell was making himself serious money by elevating his draft stock with a sublime performance at the Senior Bowl. Darius Alexander will be hoping that he can make half the impact his former Toledo teammate made”. 

That’s what I wrote about Alexander in January. It’s safe to say he’s exceeded that, arguably boasting the biggest rise in draft stock across the entire ’25 class, not just on the defensive side of the ball as he’s shot up from being talked about in the Day 3 range to some analysts tipping him for a late Round 1 selection.

Boasting a verified wingspan of 82.28 inches (equivalent to 6ft 10 or 2.09 metres), Alexander brings an enormous presence to the defensive line, able to swallow up blockers and double teams with ease. Using powerful, violent hands, he can knock guards off kilter and create an entry point into the pocket. 

Particularly dominant in the run game, Alexander recorded at least one run stop in every game this year, with 40 run stops in the last two seasons. That was the 10th most among FBS defensive tackles during that time frame. 

With 34 inch arms, the 24-year-old is able to dictate contact, clamping onto linemen quickly while displaying good grip strength. These situations often result in Alexander using his destructive bull rush to collapse the pocket. That’s complemented by a explosive first step than allows him to shake offensive linemen out of their boots on first contact.

Initially in the process the obvious concern for Alexander was the same that was levied at Mitchell last year – level of competition – but it was his technique that concerned me most.

As can be the case for a number of big, powerful defensive tackles, Alexander can be guilty of playing with a high pad level, which can expose his anchoring ability. For such a big guy, he has thinner legs than you’d expect, so he is liable to being overwhelmed when a guard can win the leverage battle, being knocked off balance even at the smaller school level.

However, at the Senior Bowl he showed a much more concerted effort at keeping his pad level low during drills and also demonstrated some clean pass-rushing work that showed that his 12.9% pass-rush win rate in 2024 wasn’t simply through being a step above the competition.

At 24, he’s hardly the spring chicken in a DLine class overflowing with talent but something about him feels like a Monti Ossenfort pick.

Jamaree Caldwell – Oregon – 6’2″ – 332 lbs – 32″ arms – Age: Not Available at Time of Writing

Derrick Harmon was the headline maker for the Oregon defensive front last season but he has Jamaree Caldwell to thank for providing a helping hand. One of the reasons that the Oregon coaching staff had Harmon slim down in weight was because they already had an effective 330+ pound wrecking ball on their books in Caldwell.

Also a transfer to the Ducks in 2024, having previously been at Sam Houston State and the JUCO level with Independence Community College and Hutchinson Community College, Caldwell was tasked as being the teams’ primary space eating defensive tackle a role which he took to like a duck to water. (I’ll see myself out).

As common as it was to see Harmon attacking the quarterback, that was often combined with the sight of Caldwell walking the center back like a bouncer removing a troublesome customer from the bar.

Remarkably quick off the ball for a dude that weighs over 330 lbs, Caldwell wracked up 22 hurries and 4 batted passes for the Ducks, showcasing quickness in his first step and in pursuit of ball carriers.

Though he isn’t a major factor as a pass-rusher, he was more effective than other nose tackles in this class, with a 9.3% pass-rush win rate.

The main cause for concern with Caldwell is his shorter-than-desired arms which can put him in trouble both when attempting to disengage blockers and wrapping up tackles. As he struggles to get out from blocks, he will sink his knees to try and rip his arms away, which often leads to him ending up on the floor.

In spite of that, Caldwell has the skills to at least be a good rotational nose tackle early in his career and working behind Tomlinson would give him the opportunity to refine his techniques.

Alfred Collins – Texas – 6’6″ – 332 lbs – 34 5/8″ arms – 23 years old

When T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy left Texas to enter the NFL last year, they left a gaping hole in the Longhorns defensive front. The hulking frame of Alfred Collins did his best to try and fill some of that space this year. Given his physical traits and well-balanced stance, Collins took that to the extreme by filling up gaps. Not one gap, but often straddling two at a time.

Collins brings the necessary stature to play as a nose tackle in the NFL and he wears that size incredibly well. 

Primarily making an impact in the run game, in his sole season as a starter for Texas, Collins was able to showcase some devastatingly powerful hands and an incredibly strong anchor especially given his height. 

Scoring an 85 run defence grade via PFF, he was able to manhandle some quality opposition, particularly when stacking and shedding blockers. When Collins gets his hands on you, you know about it. In those instances, he also shows high football IQ to dismiss blockers at the right moment, just as the running back comes within striking distance.

At this time of the year, we’re dealing mostly in projections and opinions, but Alfred Collins produced some of his best football against some of the best teams he faced. That’s enough to grab my attention.

Though he offered Texas a lot of versatility (145 snaps in the A Gap, 299 in B Gap and 129 over the tackle), the home state defender had limited production when rushing the passer with just 1 sack and a 7.3% pass rush win rate in 2024. 

His size can also be an issue when Collins isn’t fully locked in as he offers a massive surface area to grab hold of and for opposition to get under his pads. When this happens, Collins doesn’t get out of danger quickly or consistently enough.

The size, strength and violent mindset are all there, it’s just a case of bringing that all together on a regular basis for him to reach his full potential.

Kenneth Grant – Michigan – 6’4″ – 331 lbs – 33 1/2″ arms – 21 years old

A former CFP national champion with the Michigan Wolverines, Grant is a dominant defensive tackle who puts fear into the hearts of offensive lineman.

Having been part of a star-studded Wolverines squad during his time in Ann Arbor, 2024 was the first year where Grant was a genuine starter, though he was a significant contributor in the national championship run. This past season he created 24 pressures with 3 sacks and was credited with 5 batted passes. 

That output went some way to earning him a 83 PFF grade, with a 86.3 grade against the run and a 75.4 pass rush grade. 

Grant wears his near 340 pound weight well, being in arguably the best possible shape a young man of that size and stature can be, which has aided him in having quickness that belies his size – just ask Penn State’s Kaytron Allen. 

Grant didn’t meet the lofty expectations that were put his way in his Pro Day testing – gaining a 8.68 RAS and raising some questions over his ability to move laterally – but most importantly his athleticism shows up on game day.

The 21-year-old is also aware of how to utilise his size, often swallowing up double teams and at times treating offensive linemen like toddlers when stacking and shedding. When he anchors down, it’s like a truck has been parked across the defensive line.

While Grant is more of a pocket collapser than a true penetrator, he does have a refined swim move that can get him upfield and the mere sight of him can cause quarterbacks to panic.

There are a couple of concerns with Grant, some that go hand-in-hand and others that are more questionable. There are times where his pad level is inconsistent so he can get out leveraged and as he doesn’t possess the longest arms in the world, it can be a struggle for him to shed the block.

The thing that may rule him out of consideration for the Cardinals is that Grant doesn’t have a fully switched on mind for violence. When he flashes that side of his game it’s incredibly destructive but there are too many occasions at this point of his development where there isn’t enough purpose in his hands with Grant content to win purely with his athletic traits.

Nobody can win like that every time in the NFL so Ossenfort and Gannon would have to trust that newly appointed Defensive Line Coach Winston DeLattiboudere could help Grant to unlock that fully.

Derrick Harmon – DT – Oregon – 6’4” ½ – 313lbs – 34” ⅜ arms – 21 years old

Projected to be more of a run stuffing tackle during his time at Michigan State, Harmon dropped a considerable amount of weight after transferring to Oregon in 2024 (reportedly 15 lbs) and his game improved significantly. 

Last year, Harmon recorded career-highs in tackles (45, with 10.5 TFLs), sacks (5), pass breakups (4) and forced fumbles (2) and has seen his stock rise continuously throughout the draft process. 

The 55 pressures he created in 2024, according to PFF, was the most by any FBS defensive tackle while his 86.3 pass-rushing grade from the platform tied for fourth overall. On true-pass sets, Harmon graded out at a whopping 91.2 with a 17.6% pass-rush win rate. 

That output saw him win Second-Team All-American honours. 

A tremendous block shedder, the 21-year-old possesses a push-pull move that is so sudden and expertly drilled that it can make opposing linemen look like they have simply decided not to block him on tape. 

Knowing when and how to use his hands is a primary weapon for Harmon. He simply *gets* it, when it comes to being a defensive lineman. 

He pairs that knowledge with quick feet  to cut across the face of opposing linemen with club, rip or swim moves. We often talk about pass-rushing players having explosive first steps, but Harmon has an explosive second, third and fourth step too.

A popular prospect amongst Cardinals fans, there are concerns around Harmon that have to be taken into account.

The first is that this incarnation of Derrick Harmon, production and all, has been a one year deal. Selecting him at #16 would be an investment in a work in progress player rather than a more sure fire thing (if such a thing exists), though the potential greatly outweighs that. 

Secondly, while it has made him a far more exciting and productive player, losing that amount of weight is still something that Harmon is getting used to.

There are times where his balance is an issue and you get the impression that he’s not 100% comfortable in his new frame yet both at the line of scrimmage where he can be knocked off balance or in open play where he had a 27% missed tackle rate – 10th highest amongst his peers. His tackling technique in general has been a weakness throughout college and has to improve with an 18.5% missed tackle rate in 2022 and 12.2% in ’23.

Maybe the most pressing concern for Cardinals fans who’ve set their sights on him, is that he *might* not be the best scheme fit compared to other similarly ranked tackles. Though he has the capability of excelling in a 3-4 system, Harmon’s best work looks like it’ll come as a 3-tech in a 4-3 front right now. 

Cam Horsley – Boston College – 6’3″ – 312 lbs – 33″ arms – Age: Not Available at Time of Writing

Cam Horsley is a run-stopping beast who held down the fort at the heart of the Boston College Eagles defence. 

The veteran finished his college career with 164 tackles and 18.5 TFLs over the course of 59 games in the maroon and gold. 

Notching a 14.4% run-stop rate this year, Horsley was often responsible for taking on double teams which would in turn allow highly-touted prospect Donovan Ezeiruaku to wreak havoc, with tackles left on an island against the pass-rusher. 

Utilising his imposing frame, Horsley was involved in six pass break-ups in his final two years at college, and his desire to make an impact on every play will appeal to coaches. 

At the BC Pro Day, the defensive tackle posted some impressive testing numbers that could see his stock bumped upwards. Comparing his numbers to the competition at the Combine, Horsley’s 5.04 40 time would’ve been 9th amongst DTs, the 1.73 split being worthy of joint 5th and 7.67 3-cone being 6th best in the field.

Horsley relies on his strength to win and while he posted good athletic testing numbers, it’s in that area where he most struggles.

There’s not as much pop in his first step as others in this class and he can be targeted by outside zone running schemes as he struggles to initially change direction and pursue the ball carrier.

This can also affect his pass-rushing that is mostly best executed through brute strength which might not translate as effectively at the NFL level.

Likely an early-down lineman in the NFL, if a coaching staff can help Horsley implement a couple of pass-rush moves into his weaponry, he’d be a nightmare for offences. 

Walter Nolen – Ole Miss – 6’4″ – 296 lbs – 32 1/2″ arms – 21 years old

Walter Nolen set incredibly high expectations for himself when he told The Draft Network, as part of the informative interview collaboration with the Senior Bowl, that he is “the next Aaron Donald”. 

It’s that time of year, isn’t it? 

To be fair to Nolen, he does bring a lot to the table. A top-tier athlete for the position who bursts out of his stance quickly, Nolen was a productive part of the Rebels’ front seven, delivering 6 sacks, 30 pressures and breaking up two pass attempts at the line of scrimmage. 

A player who is constantly trying to wreak havoc, Nolen acts as a defensive cannon ball, blowing holes open in offensive lines, something which offered his team mate Princely Umanmielen plenty of opportunities to terrorise the tackle on an island. 

Making an impact in both run support and against the pass, with a run stop rate of 11.9% and a pass rush win rate of 10.9%, Nolen had a career year after transferring from Texas A&M being named a consensus All-American. 

Walking straight from central casting into an NFL defensive line room this year, Nolen is immensely strong, with arguably the most destructive bull rush among the class – which isn’t faint praise in this group. Given that he hasn’t maxed out physically yet at just 21 years old, he could become even more powerful as he grows in an NFL setup.

Nolen’s strength also makes him a reliable tackler, with just a 4.3% missed tackle rate in 2024, as he clamps down on runners before flooring them.

While that will excite coaches, Nolen has plenty of areas to improve in once he is drafted. That power is a fantastic weapon but is currently the only standout string to his bow when it comes to rushing the passer. Everything comes down to power and explosion with Nolen, from initially rushing the passer to disengaging blocks, though he did show some improvement in his hand usage this past year.

To even attempt to breathe the same air as Donald, Nolen will have to develop a consistent pass-rush plan as Georgia, Oklahoma and Arkansas were all able to quieten him down to a degree as well as continuing to develop his finishing when in the backfield. There were multiple sacks left on the field. 

If Nolen continues to grow, he could have a stellar career.

There are also some character concerns surrounding the prospect, linked to his time at Texas A&M, where he was part of an unruly and immature crop of young men. There aren’t many actual details available so while it’s a concern, it doesn’t *seem* to be anywhere near the worrying level of other players in this class/other drafts.

Omarr Norman-Lott -Tennessee – 6’2″ – 291 lbs – 33 3/4″ arms – 23 years old

Normally, a defensive tackle with less than 500 snaps across the past two seasons would be an afterthought, especially when being compared to such a deep field of peer.

Omarr Norman-Lott isn’t normal.

A transfer from Arizona State, the 23 year old was part of a deep and oft rotated Tenneessee defensive line where despite the low snap count, he was arguably the man that made the most impact for the Vols.

With big 10 3/4″ hands that give him a wickedly powerful punch at the point of contact, Norman-Lott carved out a role as a pass-rush demon at the collegiate level with 13 sacks across the last 3 seasons.

In 2024, he recorded an 18.9% pass rush win rate, with PFF grades of 81.6 in pass rush and a whopping 88.3 when rushing against true pass sets – pass specific plays excluding those with quick passes, screens, play-action rollouts, or RPO i.e. those plays where an OLine is tasked with holding up against a legitimate pass rush.

Both strong and explosive, Norman-Lott transfers speed to power well and his upper body strength rivals some of the much beefier boys in the class despite being undersized compared to traditional 3-techs. The pass-rush plan is wild and inconsistent, but at least for now, it is incredibly effective.

Whether by brute force, a quick burst off the line or through sheer determination, Norman-Lott is going to create holes in an offensive line. His play style is reminiscent of the beserker Uruk-Hai who detonates the walls of Helms Deep in the Lord of the Rings.

At the next level, ONL will have to develop a cleaner, more precise and controlled pass-rush plan to succeed and will also have to tighten up his pad level, which may go hand in hand. He is prone to coming up from his stance too eagerly, leaving the inside of his chest vulnerable to being controlled.

In these instances, having some more nuanced moves to fall back on might counteract that desperation to get up so quickly.

The snap count, particularly against the run (86 in consecutive years at TEN), will be a concern for coaches and fans alike. Against the run, that lack of game day experience shows up with Norman-Lott being inconsistent and sloppy at the point of attack though he has the tools to be moulded into a decent contributor with the right coaching.

Given that his game leans so heavily on violence, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Norman-Lott has a few discipline concerns on his sheet. He averaged a penalty every 38 snaps in his time at Tennessee and was ejected and subsequently suspended for fighting during a game against Florida in 2023.

Aeneas Peebles – Virginia Tech – 6’0 1/2″ – 282 lbs – 31 3/8″ arms – 23 years old

This defensive line class is the land of the giants. Big, long, strong dudes that come right from the casting call for DTs. Then, there is Aeneas Peebles. 

When you’ve spent hours watching footage of freakishly sized human beings, watching Aeneas Peebles is a bit of culture shock. At 6ft, 289 lbs (playing weight at VT), Peebles is one of the smallest and lightest in the class, sub-10th percentile in height, weight and arm length.

He’s like a living fire hydrant, with sawn-off shotguns for arms and that’s exactly how he plays. 

Bringing violence married to good technique is what makes Peebles stand out in the crowded room, as he finished the 2024 season with 6.5 TFLs and 3 sacks while being named to the All-ACC First-Team. 

Despite his size, Peebles is able to stand his ground and fight to hold the line of scrimmage, using his low centre of gravity to remain balanced. Good instincts to diagnose pre-snap motion and to judge where the ball is going give him a competitive advantage.

When rushing the passer, the former Duke defender can rely on an elite get off, a handy spin move and world-class effort to disrupt the offensive line. His 17.7% pass rush win rate is one of the best in this class. He had more pass rush snaps (289) than Omarr Norman-Lott had overall defensive snaps last year (225).

The size is the obvious issue and plays into all of Peebles’ shortcomings. He has to initiate and dictate contact otherwise he struggles to get out of blocks and he doesn’t have the mass to counteract double teams. If you could take his overall talent and inject it Captain America style into a player with the traditionally coveted body-type, you’d have a top 5 player in any draft.

He won’t be an every down starter at the pro level but he could provide some buzz to the Cardinals DLine rotation and his attitude fits directly into the philosophy of this team. 

Sometimes it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. 

J.J. Pegues – Ole Miss – 6’2 1/2″ – 309 lbs – 32 1/2″ arms – 23 years old

J.J. Pegues scored seven touchdowns for Ole Miss last season. No, we haven’t suddenly started diving into running backs. J.J. Pegues is a defensive tackle who also happens to be a monster goal-line option.

Versatility has been the name of Pegues’ game through his entire college career. Committing to Auburn as a tight end, he moved over to the defensive side of the ball after one season, before transferring to Ole Miss in 2023. As a Rebel, Pegues lined up in every position imaginable along the defensive line from being a traditional nose tackle to operating as a 5-tech defensive end.

The Mississippi native doesn’t just bring sensational agility and footwork to the defensive line “for a big man”, he brings it full stop. His ability to get off the ball, fly at Olinemen and even show some bend when deployed out wide saw him win both inside and out for Ole Miss. There’s a couple of occasions on tape where it’s easy to mix him up with Princely Umanmielen.

That agility gives Pegues a thundering pop when he initially makes contact with the opposition, knocking players backwards both as a defensive lineman and as a blocker in the run game. He also uses it well to close down ball-carriers and finish sacks, with 10 across his last 3 college campaigns.

As a later convert to the defence and because he’s been tasked with such a variety of roles, it’s evident that the 23-year-old is still learning how to play the position. His processing of situations is noticeably slower than his peers. He’s reacting rather than anticipating and without his unique athletic profile, he would’ve struggled mightily.

Usually when we talk about pad level with prospects, we’re talking about instances rather than constant bad habits or being a touch too upright. With J.J. he sometimes is literally running at people, stood up straight like an Olympic sprinter.

Though a veteran in terms of age (he’ll be 24 in his rookie season), he’s really a baby when it comes to being a defensive player, which could be a positive or a negative depending on your viewpoint. The safest bet for him might be a career as a novelty rotational piece on defence that sees as much of the field as a fullback.

Given his lack of foundational attributes, he might not even be on the Cardinals radar going into the draft, but I can’t shake the thought of how much fun Nick Rallis and Drew Petzing could have with his particular set of skills.

Jordan Phillips – Maryland – 6’2″ – 312 lbs – 31 1/2″ arms – 20 years old

If his NFL career doesn’t pan out, Jordan Phillips could always go down the route of powerlifting or professional wrestling.

#51 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, Phillips boasts an incredible 665-pound squat, 365-pound power clean and 365-pound overhead press and is a former weightlifting phenom and wrestler.

Due to this background, the 20-year-old was a super-strong presence at the heart of Maryland’s defensive front who really saw his draft stock rise with an impressive showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl as he dominated in practices.

The power in the weight room completely translates to the field where he holds the point of attack as well as anyone in the class and the lower-body strength from squatting insane amounts of weight have given him a deep, reliable base.

Phillip doesn’t make a splash on the stat sheet – no sacks in his 3 college seasons and only 7 QB hits – and it doesn’t feel like that’s an entirely fixable issue.

It’s not that he relies too heavily on one move or that there’s an athletic issue. It’s like Phillips doesn’t care about rushing the passer or maybe less bluntly, doesn’t know HOW to rush the passer. He just wants to grab someone and stop them moving rather than bypass them. His short arms are definitely an issue but others in this class make it work.

That might make Phillips look like the wrong fit for the Cardinals, given how we’ve already spoken about the need to create interior pressure, but if Phillips is available later on in the draft he would give the team a backup nose tackle option to replace the outgoing Roy Lopez and Khyiris Tonga. At 20, you’ve got the time to figure out the pass-rush side of things.

T.J. Sanders – South Carolina – 6’4″ – 297 lbs – 33 1/8″ arms – 21 years old

T.J. Sanders might be the most underrated player in this defensive tackle class and that should speak volumes to the quality of this class.

With 10 sacks, 15 QB hits, 35 pressures and 6 batted passes over the past two seasons, Sanders was an integral part of one of the best defensive line groups in the country while at South Carolina.

Showcasing an explosive first step both upfield and laterally, allowing him to change direction and juke out offensive linemen, Sanders was a factor on all 3 downs for the Gamecocks. Utilising a range of pass-rush moves, the best of which were his swipes and crossovers, the 21-year-old has a flair for shooting gaps.

In 2024, Sanders posted PFF grades of 81.9 for pass rush, 77 for run defence and 90.3 against true pass sets which seems contradictory to his 12.6% pass-rush win rate and 8.8% run-stop rate.

He wins with his first step but doesn’t win as “cleanly” other guys in the same size bracket like Graham, Norman-Lott and Peebles. He leaves himself open to be handled by offensive linemen because he doesn’t yet have the same strength as a Norman-Lott or the precise hands of a Peebles.

Though he has long arms for the position, well above the 50th percentile, and he used them well when it came to batting passes, he does struggle to complete sacks and tackles. There were a number of sacks he left on the field in both 2023 and 2024 because he doesn’t get his arms wrapped around the target.

Shemar Turner – Texas A&M – 6’3″ -290 lbs – 33 5/8″ arms – 22 years old

I don’t like the way Texas A&M deploy their defensive linemen. That’s been a consistent theme when watching Turner, Shemar Stewart, Nic Scourton and older footage of Walter Nolen. They don’t let them express themselves and they don’t utilise their talents to the fullest. That’s the polite complaint that we’re going with. It was more expletive in my front room.

That aside, Turner had an up and down career as an Aggie that make it difficult to fully project his potential at the NFL level. In 2023 when the majority of his snaps came outside (261) and over (111) the tackle, he was quite productive with 5 sacks, 26 hurries and a pass-rush win rate of 13.3%.

However, when he moved inside in 2024 with 377 of his 532 defensive snaps came in the B Gap, that output plummeted to 2 sacks, 18 hurries and a pass-rush win rate of 6.2%. Some of that was down to learning a new job and it’s hard to say whether it suited him given the relatively small sample size.

In flashes, Turner was a game wrecker at the position. In turn, he was also easily contained by double teams or top-line linemen.

Turner brings educated and active hands to the dance as he’s constantly slapping and countering, which combined with his high motor make him a headache wherever he is lined up. It feels like Turner plays football like his life depends on it, which may be partially true given that it was the introduction of football that helped to curb some of his childhood misbehaviour due to a “hot temper and short fuse”.

Some of those past troubles were apparent in 2023 when Turner was ejected for punching Ole Miss player Micah Pettus in the groin a couple of months after being arresstted or reckless driving.

If those were mistakes rather than a pattern, his “football attitude” will be an immediate attraction to Jonathan Gannon. Then Aggies Head Coach Jimbo Fisher routinely spoke about Turner’s love of and committment to the game, saying in one interview “He loves to play, he loves to practice, he loves to work out. He loves everything associated with football and that doesn’t always happen. I love everything about what he does and the intensity that he brings. Every play in practice to him is like the National Championship”.

CJ West – DT – 6’1” – 316 lbs – 31” ½ arms – Age: Not Available at Time of Writing

As Indiana made an unlikely march to the College Football Playoffs, one of their most eye-catching prospects was a defensive tackle transfer from Kent State, by the name of CJ West. 

Having ironed out some of the more alarming holes West had shown at Kent State, specifically improving his reaction time to the ball being snapped and being more consistent with his pad level, the redshirt senior made waves against both the rush and pass. 

A PFF run defence grade of 88.1, a pass rush win rate of 10.1% and a run-stop rate of 11.4% led to West being the outlet’s #2 ranked interior defensive linemen in the Big 10. 

Predominantly lined up in the A gap, with some B gap flexibility, West was able to take the step up in competition in his stride with some of his best work coming against his best opposition in Michigan, Notre Dame and Washington. 

He brings a rabid mentality to the defensive front which could be a positive and a negative for his evaluation. Teams will love the heart and violence but it does go overboard at times leading to wild tackling attempts and overcommitting which can be countered by better players.

He shouldn’t give up the leverage battle as much as he does, given his size, though that’s a coachable issue. 

West followed up his great season with the Hoosiers by impressing at the Shrine Bowl before putting in a terrific performance at the Combine; he had the joint 5th best 40 time (4.95), 5th best split (1.73) and 6th best vertical jump (33). That earned him a 9.15 RAS out of a possible 10, the 158th best out of 1845 DTs from 1987 to 2025. 

His physical limitations in terms of arm length and height pose obstacles for him to overcome at the NFL level – his short arms don’t help his tackling technique – but a common comparison to Poona Ford who shared similar measurables gives an idea of what his ceiling could be.

West would give the Cardinals a rotational nose tackle option to develop behind Dalvin Tomlinson, with the added bonus of being able to pop up along the line. 

Tyleik Williams – Ohio State – 6’3″ – 334 lbs – 32″ arms – 22 years old

The Draft Community breathed a sigh of relief when Tyleik Williams reported that he was okay after a nasty fall during his 40 yard dash at the Ohio State Pro Day as will a number of teams who will be eyeing him in the latter stage of the first round.

What Williams brings to the table is best described in three words. Run. Game. Alterer. Teams had to change their game plan when they faced the Buckeyes. You cannot run straight at Tyleik Williams or he’ll give you the Thanos treatment.

Having ballooned to 360 lbs during the pandemic as confessed that he had “let himself go” when the season was cancelled, Williams slimmed down into a force of nature. Now a disciplined, powerful defender, Williams has a consistent and well-balanced stance that allows him to absorb impact and wobble offensive linemen at the point of contact.

Capable of sending offensive players into the stratosphere when stacking and shedding, the 22-year-old is the best pure run defender in the class for my money. He posted an 88.6 run defence per PFF in 2024 and had 74 stops across his four seasons with Ohio State before becoming a national champion this year.

Even though he hit a career-high for sacks this past year (3) and showed significant improvement in his hand usage, it would take an even bigger leap to be considered a threat to quarterbacks at the NFL level.

However, for a team that has to take their own big leap when it comes to stopping the run and Dalvin Tomlinson being more of a stop-gap than a long-term plan at tackle, Williams could be an outside bet for the Cardinals especially if they move out of the #16 spot.

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