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About midway through the college football season is a great time to take stock of defensive tackles who will be eligible for the NFL Draft. Here are two players whose stock is up, steady and down.
STOCK UP
Recruiting: Jones committed to Ohio State over Notre Dame, Michigan, Kentucky and many others in the summer before his senior season. Shortly after receiving his offer from the Buckeyes, they immediately became the team to beat.
Stats: In seven games this season, Jones has 21 tackles including 8.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks, both team highs. Jones has also recorded an interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Farrell’s take: A strongside defensive end in our 2015 rankings, Jones has grown into one of the most athletic and explosive defensive tackles in the NFL Draft. He blew out his knee playing hoops before his freshman year, which led to questions about how effective he’d be coming back, but he’s been a monster ever since. He’s always been at his best using speed and quickness off the snap and that’s one of the traits NFL scouts like. He’s having a great season and is rising on many lists.
Recruiting: After a 12-hour car ride to South Bend, Ind., for his unofficial visit, Tillery committed to Notre Dame during that weekend trip. However, his recruitment stayed dramatic throughout as he took other visits and it looked like a battle between the Irish and LSU until the end. Tillery stuck with his original pledge.
Stats: Tillery has 21 tackles including 7.5 stops for loss in seven games. He also has a team-high seven sacks along with three forced fumbles and four quarterback hurries.
Farrell’s take: Tillery worked out everywhere as an offensive lineman but we still projected him as a defensive tackle despite his height. It’s not easy for such a tall player to play with such natural leverage but Tillery has done so and lived up to his ranking. He’s been dominant at times and is pushing up the ranks at a position that is beyond loaded for the 2019 NFL Draft.
STOCK STEADY
Recruiting: In May before his senior season, Oliver committed to Houston and then-coach Tom Herman. He named the Cougars the front-runner in April. LSU, Alabama, Texas and many others were involved with the five-star prospect.
Stats: In five games, Oliver is third on the team with 40 tackles including 6.5 tackles for loss, a team high. The former five-star defensive tackle also has recorded eight quarterback hurries.
Farrell’s take: Oliver was a blocky but athletic defensive tackle when I first saw him. He grew into a stout, solid and super-quick gap shooter by the end of the rankings cycle. Oliver had such great instincts and followed the football so naturally that he was effective blowing up plays in the run game and getting after the passer. And his snap anticipation was off the charts, as well. Oliver was given his fifth star in our final 2016 rankings cycle and that was one of our better decisions, as he’s already a dominant college player and has an amazing future. Could he be the No. 1 overall pick? He has a chance.
Recruiting: Wilkins took official visits to Clemson, Stanford, Penn State, Ohio State and Boston College prior to committing to the Tigers at the Under Armour All-America Game.
Stats: In six games so far this season, Wilkins has totaled 23 tackles, 5.5 for loss including two sacks. He also has seven quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Farrell’s take: I remember the first time I saw Wilkins on film. It was after his freshman season of high school and his athletic ability was off the charts. As a Connecticut prospect, he didn’t get the national attention of many until later in his career, but I knew how good he was from the jump. Wilkins has already turned into one of the elite defensive tackles in the country and could emerge as one of the top five picks in the NFL Draft. His dominance doesn’t show in the stat sheet as much as expected, but he’s one of the top two or three defenders in the country. He has done nothing to hurt his stock at all.
STOCK DOWN
Recruiting: Originally from Ruston, La., Buggs went to Perkinston (Miss.) Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. and chose Alabama over LSU and others.
Stats: Buggs has 24 tackles including eight stops for loss and 7.5 sacks, both team highs, in seven games this season. The JUCO transfer has forced two fumbles, he has a fumble recovery and five quarterback hurries.
Farrell’s take: It’s not that Buggs has played poorly, it’s just so hard to keep up with the talent at the position in this class. There are many top players not even mentioned here that have played better, like Rashan Gary and Dexter Lawrence, . He’s a bit sawed off and is behind his own teammate, Raekown Davis, when it comes to defensive tackle prospects. He’s dominant at times, like many on this list, but needs to be more consistent. Out of JUCO he was dominant in so many ways he was impossible to stop, but he’s come down to earth a bit in college.
Recruiting: A member of the 2014 recruiting class, Christmas committed to Florida State in October 2012 and he had grown up a fan of the Seminoles. Mississippi State, Auburn, Florida and USF were some others aggressively pursuing him.
Stats: Christmas has played in five of Florida State’s six games. He’s recorded 11 tackles with two for loss.
Farrell’s take: Christmas is a talented player but has struggled at times and is falling far behind many of the top defensive tackles in this draft class. He plays a bit high at times, something that was an issue in high school, but he showed us power and the ability to work off contact out of prep school. We had him just outside our Rivals100 because of his ability to rush the passer and play the run out of high school but he’s having trouble hanging with so many great defensive tackles in this class.
