On Tuesday, the Felger & Mazz Big Board moved to the defensive line. That includes defensive tackles and defensive ends, and an outside linebacker may have snuck into the group as well.
Defensive line is almost always a target for the Patriots in the draft, and not a position they’re afraid to take high. Since 2012 they’ve used 10 top-100 picks on linemen (and took Trey Flowers 101st in 2015). Two years ago they used two such picks at the position, taking Christian Barmore in the second round and Ronnie Perkins in the third.
DT Zacch Pickens, South Carolina
Sep 4, 2021; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive lineman Zacch Pickens (6) celebrates a sack against the Eastern Illinois Panthers in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
So, all three defensive tackles the Big Board picked play the same style, just at different levels and with different ceilings. They’re all on the smaller side for the position, but win with athleticism and high motors.
The Patriots have targeted such defensive tackles in recent years. Christian Barmore is the top example, but others include Daniel Ekuale and Jeremiah Pharms.
At 6-foot-4, 291 pounds, Pickens isn’t quite as disruptive as Barmore right now but certainly is a lot to handle for opposing offensive linemen with his ability to get off the line quickly and continuously counter moves from blockers. He’s also the kind of player who can impact plays in his area even when he’s not the one making the tackle or registering any other stat – another thing we often see from Patriots defensive tackles. He could be a target for them on Day 2.
DT Byron Young, Alabama
Sep 10, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Byron Young (47) rushes during the second half against the Texas Longhorns quarterback Hudson Card (1) during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
As mentioned above, Christian Barmore is in the mold of a new-age, athletic defensive tackle. That kind of player has become popular at Alabama. LaBryan Ray took over when Barmore left Tuscaloosa, then was signed as a UDFA by the Patriots last year. Could the Patriots now bring in Ray’s replacement in Young?
Young has over 50 games of experience under his belt from his time at Alabama, mainly playing against the run. He’s a bit undersized to play the run in the NFL at 6-foot-3, 294 pounds, and doesn’t quite have the quickness to be an interior pass rusher. He could certainly develop one of those skills but for now he’s a project player expected to go early on Day 3.
DT DJ Dale, Alabama
Nov 26, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) fumbles as he is hit by Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman DJ Dale (94) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 49-27. Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
Dale’s scouting report reads similar to Young’s, expect he has less upside as a pass rusher. He’s still a bit undersized as a run defender, but could get a look from the Patriots as a UDFA given the tenacity he plays with when on the field.
DE Keion White, Georgia Tech
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 01: Kedon Slovis #9 of the Pittsburgh Panthers is hit as he throws by Keion White #6 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter of the game at Acrisure Stadium on October 1, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
White is very much the Patriots’ kind of defensive lineman. The 6-foot-5, 285 pound converted tight end is still learning the finer points of the position but can win with power against tackles in the running and passing game. If he can develop a full pass rush toolbox, he could be a three-down threat at the next level.
Last year was White’s first full season since 2019. While at Old Dominion, the school didn’t play a season during the COVID year in 2020. He transferred to Georgia Tech in 2021 but missed most of the year due to injury. Back as a redshirt senior in 2022, he had 54 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks in 12 games.
Currently, White is expected to go at some point in the second round. If the Patriots want an edge rusher with the 46th pick, there’s a good chance he’ll be the best player on the board at the position when they’re on the clock.
DE/OLB Andre Carter II, Army
Nov 5, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Army Black Knights outside linebacker Andre Carter II (34) during the second half against the Air Force Falcons at the Commanders’ Classic at Globe Life Field. Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
First off, no. He is not related to former Patriots defensive end Andre Carter.
Now that we’ve cleared that up we can really get into one of the most interesting players in this year’s draft. As a junior and in his first full season as a contributor, Carter broke out in 2021 with 17.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and an interception in 12 games. His sack total was second only to Alabama’s Will Anderson, who should be a top-five pick this year.
With that performance, the hype for Carter was high entering the 2022 season. However he failed to match his 2021 production, with just 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 10 games. Still, off the upside he showed in 2021 many expected Carter to be the first top-100 pick from a service academy in the modern era of the NFL Draft.
However, Carter continued to struggle through both the Senior Bowl and Combine. While he has tremendous size (6-foot-6, 256 pounds), athleticism, and explosiveness for the position, Carter’s functional strength his holding him back right now. In particular, he struggled against many of the bigger, mauling tackles at the Senior Bowl.
Right now, Carter projects as a sub-rusher in a matchup-based role, while not offering much against the run. He’ll need to build significant strength and add mass to hold up on the edge while playing more regular snaps. If he can do that while maintaining his movement ability, his upside as a rusher is tremendous. The question is, do the Patriots believe he can make that transition? If so, they (or any team that believes so) could take him as high as late in the second round. If not, he’s still projected to go off the board somewhere by the end of the fourth round, and could still get within that top-100 pick mark.
