2025 Draft Pre-Season Defensive Line Prospects

[JustPlainNasty]

2025 Draft Pre-Season Defensive Line Prospects

I viewed this film and made these notes a couple days after the draft. I wanted to get get a good snapshot of next years D-Line talent as it will likely be one of the if not the highest area of need for this team in the form of starters and depth. All I did was about a half or 3 quarters of each, just to see who they are and what they look like. Going off tape from season before their final year has only ever seemed like looking at a circular before you go grocery shopping, you're still not gonna know until you buy it and try it (see the pre-requiste amount of final year tape).  1/2 or 3/4 of a game is nothing, but it is better than watching highlight tape as you get to see the good and the bad but its never wise to put your flag in the ground based off of it cause it could just have been a bad day , situation , health issue or whatever or the opposite could be true might be their greatest game ever , a one off , a fortuitous matchup vs freshman OT / OL, etc. Anyway , I just made a simple one or two line note on each, somewhat raw notes as usual. 

Some of these D-Lines couldve been or could be crazy.. Take notice to the names from Houston, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Georgia, Michigan and of course Georgia & Bama. 

 

TOOK NOTICE / JUMPED OUT 

Shemar Turner - Texas A&M - 6'4 290 (Sr.) 31 games played in -  Wow fast and fearless disruptive ball of axes off DE. Top 10 potential . Explosive !

 

Very Intrigued

Bear Alexander - USC - 6'3 313 (Jr.) 25 games played in - Some suddenness & quickness getting off blocks. Hasnt timed snap well thus far. Little bit of umph and his pop and shed. Some violence speed to power ability, can take on two blockers well.

Jordan Burch - Oregon (5th yr) 48 games played in- Thick and stout, bull rush. Athletic for size but wouldbt label as explosive. Stood up Fuaga. Disruptor.

Tyler Batty - BYU - 6'5 273 (RS-Sr.) 40 games played in (Age has to be about 24, mission in Spain 17-19)- Quick off snap, strong hands, grip and rip, stout enough. Reminds of TJ Watt.  (Did this whole thing a while ago and hadnt sorted Batty, I recall seeing some impressive stuff but not sure if I had him at this level or the one below or if there were any other concerns, I had just made notes but no sort of notation for rating..considering the age Id probably drop him below but he's a nice player)

 

Definitely a Possibility to Look For

Mason Graham  - Michigan -6'3 318 (Jr.) - Played in 27 games-  Quickness, motor, stays low reminds of Bradon Fiske..didnt realize hes  going to be a true junior.. Most likely he should be in category above.

Rylie Mills - Notre Dame - 6'5 297 (5th yr) - Played in 44 games ? - Active hands, long arms, keeps coming / fighting to the ball.

Nazir Stackhouse - Georgia - 6'3 320 (5th yr) - 45 games played in -  Lot to like good size. Lot of UGA guys look good

Sean Martin - West Virginia - 6'5 295 (5th yr) -43 games played in-  Nice size, comes off low and hard, hes a handful. Gets push.

Warren Brinson - Georgia (4-3) - 6'4 305 (5th yr) - 47 games played in  Interesting good get off and quickness

Hakeem Ajijolaiya - Houston 6'2 320 -(RS 5th yr)  40 games played in-  Lots of power and pop gets underneath and low pads gets off blocks to ball ++ ; Pretty stout plays a lot of snaps. Can pursue.

 

Keep Tabs on Need to See More to be Impressed they can NFL succeed

James Pearce Jr - Tennessee- 6'5 242 (Jr) - 26 games played in - So far not impressing on line, sack on stunt and pursuit, not hands or power, not even edge burst tbh. Good athleticism , timing was key.

Tyler Baron - Tenn / Louisville - 6'5 260 (5th yr) - 48 games played in -  Power displayed

Bryson Eason - Tennessee - 6'3 300 (RS-Sr) - 35 games played in - Quick off snap, couple big plays blowing up center. Timing vs Tex a&m

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins - Georgia -6'5 280 (Rs-Jr) - 23 games played in-  Nice size, lateral good, good low burst

Marcus Burris Jr - Indiana - 6'5 286 (Rs-Jr) - 20 games played (redshirt 2021 achilles)-Violent hands some push and some fight. + sustains pretty decent +

Jaheim Oatis - Alabama - 6'5 320 (Jr) - 23 games played in - Length but not nasty, good stretch out maybe a lil better ok sustain

Dontay Corleone - Cincinnati - 6'1 320 (RS-Jr) - 23 games played in - Can move , has some suddenness,  good light feet , can get off & showed punch 1x. Get stronger and fire out lower

Kenneth Grant - Michigan - 6'3 339 (Jr) - 29 games played in- Up and down but has potential to be much better

Landon Jackson - Arkansas - 6'7 282 (Sr) - 30 games played in - Long 4-3 DE type could be something in this years draft.

Chidozie Nwankwo - Houston / Colorado- 5'11 290 (5th yr) - 41 games played in - Smaller good quickness.

 

Others I viewed but have concerns.

Deone Walker - Kentucky - Looks like a penetrator not a sustainer skinny ankles. Comes off the ball high. Does this wiggle with arms to freak out shake out blocker. Has good pursuit in short area for size. Cut weight but not cut.

JT Tuimoloau - Ohio State - Timing ok but appears to be firing upward..Coming off high. 

Nic Scourton - Purdue / Texas A&M  - Athletic DE/OLB drops in coverage doesnt get to the ball- not a playmaker?

Tyliek Williams - Ohio State - Has some suddenness but gets upright and gets pushed around doesnt really have any moves

Walter Nolen - Texas A&M / Ole Miss - Can smack and push but not elite athleticism or strength bit like Leal

Jamaree Caldwell - Houston / Oregon - Did not play a lot seemed like 3rd string. Was ok but 92 better

Alfred Collins - Texas - Big long guy did not play a lot of snaps. Did not show up much. Kind of mehh but have to recheck .

Keeshawn Silver - Kentucky -  Comes off high / in consistent ,mehh

 

No real opinion yet 

TJ Sanders - South Carolina - Long arms decent leverage and quickness, penetrates.

Thor Griffith - Harvard - Hes worth a look next year but not outstanding. Stout, not super athletic. Gets doubled a lot .

Tim Smith - Alabama - Has some get off and force, ummm, lil tight in shoulders

Damon Payne - Alabama - Length but not nasty (he might be in the have concerns category, I did same thing with him as Batty)

 

 

Edited May 28 by JustPlainNasty

[rlon]

Of that list, I love Graham at NT and to allow Benton to move to 5 tech more often. Burch would be another target, who at 6-6 is a perfect fit at the 5 and inside in nickel situations. Benton could move all over the place, be on the field the most…I like the idea of double dipping and moving on from guys that are injury prone and or long in the tooth. 
 

Steelers 2025 DL possibility? 

Benton DT

Lowry DE

Lee DE

Graham NT

Burch DE

Loudermilk DE

Adams DT

[JustPlainNasty]

I was impressed by Burch. Oregon seems to get those long guys that dont amount to much. He plays different.

[jebrick]

7 hours ago, rlon said:

Of that list, I love Graham at NT and to allow Benton to move to 5 tech more often. Burch would be another target, who at 6-6 is a perfect fit at the 5 and inside in nickel situations. Benton could move all over the place, be on the field the most…I like the idea of double dipping and moving on from guys that are injury prone and or long in the tooth. 
 

Steelers 2025 DL possibility? 

Benton DT

Lowry DE

Lee DE

Graham NT

Burch DE

Loudermilk DE

Adams DT

Unless Benton has grown some sand in his pants, he is a 3-tech.  He can't play 1 or zero tech in college or pros as he can't hold his position.  5 tech needs to play 2-gap in the Steeler system.  Last year the problem was that was Cam and or his replacement.  If every Dlineman can't play 2 gap then the LBs will not be clean.

[jebrick]

Jorden Burch is my choice for 5 tech.  Has the size and the skills.

Mason Graham is a top 10 3 tech.

Deone Walker is top 5 3 tech.

Kenneth Grant would be a good NT/1 tech.  He will fall as he is a 2 down lineman.

Edited May 28 by jebrick

[rlon]

3 hours ago, jebrick said:

Unless Benton has grown some sand in his pants, he is a 3-tech.  He can't play 1 or zero tech in college or pros as he can't hold his position.  5 tech needs to play 2-gap in the Steeler system.  Last year the problem was that was Cam and or his replacement.  If every Dlineman can't play 2 gap then the LBs will not be clean.

So, Benton is a 0 or 1 tech currently, and he can’t play that or 5 tech? He can play all of those positions IMO. 

[rlon]

3 hours ago, jebrick said:

Jorden Burch is my choice for 5 tech.  Has the size and the skills.

Mason Graham is a top 10 3 tech.

Deone Walker is top 5 3 tech.

Kenneth Grant would be a good NT/1 tech.  He will fall as he is a 2 down lineman.

Burch and Grant would work for me…

[jebrick]

2 hours ago, rlon said:

So, Benton is a 0 or 1 tech currently, and he can’t play that or 5 tech? He can play all of those positions IMO. 

He is a one gap 3 tech.  He disrupts the middle.  Unless he has gotten a lot stronger in the off season, I do not see him playing 2 gap.

[JustPlainNasty]

The guys that intrigued me as far as potential value and perhaps under the radar were Sean Martin and that Hakeem Ajijolaiya. They are both 5th years but thats fine, they do what they do "grown man strength" type stuff. 

[3rivers]

On 5/28/2024 at 6:11 AM, rlon said:

Of that list, I love Graham at NT and to allow Benton to move to 5 tech more often. Burch would be another target, who at 6-6 is a perfect fit at the 5 and inside in nickel situations. Benton could move all over the place, be on the field the most…I like the idea of double dipping and moving on from guys that are injury prone and or long in the tooth. 
 

Steelers 2025 DL possibility? 

Benton DT

Lowry DE

Lee DE

Graham NT

Burch DE

Loudermilk DE

Adams DT

if loudermilk and adams are here next year, then the FO needs to get new people to evaluate the DL. They shouldn't be here this year but there was so much to fix everywhere on this team that DL will be in 2025

I thought Heyward was going to get a new deal as well, and I don't see him on your list? or did I miss the announcement or hint that they aren't keeping Heyward?

12 hours ago, jebrick said:

He is a one gap 3 tech.  He disrupts the middle.  Unless he has gotten a lot stronger in the off season, I do not see him playing 2 gap.

neither Benton or Adams are true NT's , so why even ask them to try? Adjust scheme to suit the DL they have or so lets hope?

 

7 hours ago, JustPlainNasty said:

The guys that intrigued me as far as potential value and perhaps under the radar were Sean Martin and that Hakeem Ajijolaiya. They are both 5th years but thats fine, they do what they do "grown man strength" type stuff. 

the DL here has less sand than it used to have and to the point where teams can run too easily if the 2nd string unit in the famed rotation is out there.  New legit  players should help, but to add to this thread, what does UFA look like for getting new DL in 25?

[warfelg]

On 5/27/2024 at 11:31 PM, JustPlainNasty said:

Bear Alexander - USC - 6'3 313 (Jr.) 25 games played in - Some suddenness & quickness getting off blocks. Hasnt timed snap well thus far. Little bit of umph and his pop and shed. Some violence speed to power ability, can take on two blockers well.

I'm intrigued by him as well. Fits where I think our defense is going, and I heard this from a Navy coach and can't get it out of my head. He's a 1.5T like Benton. He can 2 gap at times but he won't be doing that every down. He's apt at splitting the gap and being a 1 gap penetrator but you don't want him doing it all the time. 

To me it was so interesting hearing a coach call someone that. So you are looking for someone with shades of 3T and 5T abilities and then constantly changing what they do. It's such a fantastic way of keeping IOL's off balance without having to rely on stunts, twists, A-gap blitzes, or the occasional short hook zone (remember when Casey Hampton dropped into coverage and got a PD on a running back? Good times). I feel like defensive "innovations" like this will get defensive coaches back en vouge with the hiring cycle.

[mwalker]

I love M.Graham for us. 
Next to K.Benton, could be great. 

I'm fascinated by the freak of nature that is D.Walker.
Curious to see if he can dominate, as he should.

I also think D.Corleone and K.Grant are interesting.

5 tech wise, Martin and Burch, both ones to watch.

[3rivers]

will Cam and or Ogunjobi return next year?

[mwalker]

9 hours ago, 3rivers said:

will Cam and or Ogunjobi return next year?

I bet both don't. I think this could be Larry O's last season with us unless he just blows up.