Ask Farrell: Which unheralded 2020 DTs could turn into surprises?

MORE ASK FARRELL: Next unheralded DEs to emerge?

There were six defensive tackles taken in the first round of the NFL Draft last year as the position continues to prove to be one of the most important on the football field.

Alabama’s Quinnen Williams, Houston’s Ed Oliver, Clemson’s Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence, Mississippi State’s Jeffery Simmons and Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery were the players drafted and all of them were five- and four-star prospects.

That is a pretty strong statement for the rankings - especially in the first round - but a little deeper in the draft - as in the top 84 picks overall - there was a two-star taken in UCF’s Trysten Hill and Western Illinois’ Khalen Saunders, who doesn’t even show up in the Rivals database. Ohio State’s Dre’Mont Jones was also drafted in that range and he was a four-star prospect as well.

The point is this: There will be under-ranked players who go high in the NFL Draft and our focus turns to defensive tackle in today’s Ask Farrell.

Probably the most-famous three-star defensive tackle in the NFL today is Aaron Donald, who has emerged as one of the best players in the league and clearly was a rankings miss, one of the biggest in Rivals history, dating back to 2002.

There could be some three-star defensive tackles in the 2020 class who definitely outplay their ranking as well in the coming years.

At the top of the three-stars are Missouri’s Montra Edwards II, Miami’s Willie Moise, Stanford’s Tobin Phillips, Arkansas’ Andy Boykin and Virginia’s Jahmeer Carter.

We ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell to pick out a few three-star defensive tackles - or even those ranked lower - who could be huge surprises in the next few years of college football and into the NFL.

“I like Montra Edwards II for Missouri as the Tigers always seem to do a good job of finding and developing under-recruited kids along the defensive line that pan out well. I like Andy Boykin for Arkansas as well, because defensive coordinator Barry Odom has done some amazing things at Missouri and he can work his magic at Arkansas as well. And finally, I like Jahmeer Carter at Virginia because he has very good size and could be a zero-tech run stuffer down the line.”