B/R CFB 250: Top 12 Defensive Tackles
Bleacher Report's CFB 250 is an annual ranking of the best players in college football, regardless of NFL potential. Brian Leigh and Kynon Codrington have studied, ranked and graded the top athletes in the country, narrowed that list to 250 and sorted by position. Today, we present the Top 12 Defensive Tackles.
Other CFB 250 Positions
Tackles are the nucleus of a defense. They are the first line of resistance to an offense, lining up front and center to make a stop.
They don't post gaudy sack numbers like their partners at defensive end and linebacker, but that's often because they face more interior double-teams or aren't asked to strictly rush the passer. They are responsible for holding multiple gaps, for doing all the dirty work, for occupying space against the run.
Before we start, please note that these players were graded as college tackles, not on how they project as NFL tackles.
Targeted skills such as run defense are important at both levels, but there is a difference between college run defense and professional run defense. If a tackle can occupy double-teams in the SEC or the Big 12, it doesn't matter that he can't occupy double-teams in the NFC North. At least not here, it doesn't.
This is all about his college performance.
Note: If two players finished with the same grade, a subjective call was made based on whom we would rather have on our team right now.
12-7. Adams, Ridgeway, Nkemdiche, Robinson, Goldman, Trinca-Pasat
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12. Montravius Adams, Auburn
Pass Rush: 30/40; Run Defense: 41/50; Motor: 6/10
Montravius Adams had a nice sophomore season, despite playing without his partner in crime, defensive end Carl Lawson, who tore his ACL during spring camp and missed the entire year. He doesn’t do the dirty work against the run but has great burst for a player his size (6’4”, 307 lbs) and is a constant source of negative plays. The introduction of defensive coordinator Will Muschamp—one of the nation’s premier motivators—should do wonders for Adams’ development.
11. Hassan Ridgeway, Texas
Pass Rush: 34/40; Run Defense: 41/50; Motor: 6/10
Hassan Ridgeway came from nowhere to become one of the best defensive players in the Big 12 this season. Only a sophomore, he has great size for the position (6’4”, 307 lbs) and enough quickness to shoot through the gap. The only thing that lacks is his motor. He doesn’t play angry enough. “If he ever gets mad...he will hurt somebody,” said defensive coordinator Vance Bedford, per Taylor Gaspar of Bleacher Report. “My man could be a beast.”
10. Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
Pass Rush: 32/40; Run Defense: 44/50; Motor: 7/10
Robert Nkemdiche outperforms his stats and might just be the most physically gifted player in college football. He has insane power for a 3-technique (R.I.P Leon Brown) but also enough speed that Ole Miss used to play him at running back. Consistency is the only thing weighing Nkemdiche down. A player with such immense physical advantages should be dominating every week—not just when the Rebels play on national TV.
9. A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama
Pass Rush: 31/40; Run Defense: 45/50; Motor: 7/10
A’Shawn Robinson is a man-child—seriously...how was this guy born in 1995?—and the key member of Alabama’s run defense. He didn’t record a sack in 2014 after logging 5.5 as a true freshman, which is troubling, but he had more to do with the role Alabama asked of him following Brandon Ivory's departure. He is versatile enough to play 0-technique, 3-technique or 5-technique and will surely land on some preseason All-America lists next season.
8. Eddie Goldman, Florida State
Pass Rush: 32/40; Run Defense: 45/50; Motor: 7/10
Eddie Goldman is a safety pin up the middle of Florida State’s defense, holding together a unit that might otherwise break apart. The Seminoles needed every ounce of Goldman’s production to run the table this regular season, relying on their massive tackle (6’4”, 314 lbs) to occupy double-teams, disengage from blockers and wreak general havoc against the run.
7. Louis Trinca-Pasat, Iowa
Pass Rush: 34/40; Run Defense: 43/50; Motor: 8/10
Carl Davis entered the season (and remains) the bigger name, but Louis Trinca-Pasat was the best player on Iowa’s defensive line. The Romanian lacks ideal size (6’3”, 290 lbs) but has quickness to spare and a motor that doesn’t quit. His blue-collar attitude makes him an easy player to fall in love with when one sits down with Iowa tape.
6. Tyeler Davison, Fresno State
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Pass Rush
Tyeler Davison is a former wrestler whose understanding of hand-to-hand combat moves has translated to the football field. The two sports are obviously different, but Davison knows how to rip a blocker’s hand away and disengage from a latch. He led Fresno State with seven sacks during the regular season, despite not being relied upon as a pass-rusher necessarily.
Run Defense
Davison is a two-gap tackle with the size (6’2”, 309 lbs) to plug holes up the middle. He is strong and uses leverage well enough to drive single blockers backward, which forces offenses to double-team him on running plays. “When you play nose guard, it’s not about getting the glory or the stats,” Davison told David White of The Fresno Bee this season. “It’s about getting the win.” He understands his role in the defense—and it shows.
Motor
There is no lack of fight in Davison, a quintessential tough guy who plays hard and enjoys getting physical. The only demerit here comes on conditioning. Davison was one of many Fresno State defenders who looked gassed against USC’s uptempo offense in Week 1. It doesn’t matter how badly he “wants it” when there is nothing left in the tank.
Overall
Davison flies under the radar but has quietly put together a nice career. He made the All-Mountain West first team in 2012 and 2014 and the second team in 2013. Fresno State took a step back as a team during his senior year, but Davison ensured that it could never fall too far.
5. Michael Bennett, Ohio State
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Pass Rush
Michael Bennett is a great interior pass-rusher who slumped at the start of the season but came on strong in the biggest moments. His numbers are not a true reflection of his productivity, as he often lines up as a 1-technique and is not asked to attack the quarterback. However, when the Buckeyes let him loose as a 3-technique, he has the quickness and hand skills to shoot past blockers, push the pocket and make plays.
Run Defense
The reason Ohio State plays Bennett as a 1-technique is because he’s so good against the run. He can occupy two gaps and free up his linebackers or slip through and make a tackle himself. Even though he isn’t the biggest defensive tackle (6’2”, 288 lbs), he is powerful enough to eat space and make larger offensive linemen work.
Motor
Starting the season slowly was not a good look for Bennett, who at times did not give max effort. When you play next to an end like Joey Bosa, it is easy to tell when you’re slacking. But the way Bennett finished the season was a testament to how hard he can play when he wants to. His performance in the Big Ten Championship Game, in which he played with a heavy heart following the death of teammate Kosta Karageorge, was one of the best and most memorable games by a defensive player all season.
Overall
Bennett gets second billing behind Bosa when people talk about Ohio State’s line. Back when Noah Spence was still eligible, he was often mentioned third. But the man in the middle has in many ways been the keystone of this defense. When he’s on, Ohio State can drop seven players into coverage and still feel good about winning the point of attack.
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4. Anthony Zettel, Penn State
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Pass Rush
Anthony Zettel is a converted defensive end with a smaller frame (6’4”, 274 lbs) than most at his new position. However, he knows how to use this to his advantage as a pass-rusher, knifing between small blocking gaps as a 3-technqiue tackle. The technical skills he learned during his time on the outside make him a difficult matchup for stone-footed guards and centers. He led Penn State with eight total sacks during the regular season, ending the year on a stretch in which he recorded one sack in five of six games.
Run Defense
Zettel does not have the mass of his former teammate, 318-pound tackle DaQuan Jones, but he does everything in his power to compensate for his size during run support. He can’t hold the point of attack against double-teams without getting moved off the ball, but he is quick enough to get into the backfield and make negative plays on his own. According to the S&P+ ratings at Football Outsiders, Penn State finished the regular season with the No. 3 run defense in the country, which speaks well to Zettel’s work up the middle.
Motor
One of the fieriest players in the Big Ten, Zettel stands out for his passion and his will to compete each down. Even when he’s overmatched by size, he uses leverage and burst to get underneath a guard or center and avoid being paved out of the gap. He is a relentless fighter who never stops scraping until the final whistle.
Overall
Zettel made the move from end to tackle look easier than he had any right to, especially given his size. He took quickly to Bob Shoop’s system and gave the Nittany Lions a rock at a position of need. The defense carried Penn State to a bowl game this season, and Zettel helped solidify the unit. Without him, the team might have lost seven or eight games.
3. Malcom Brown, Texas
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Pass Rush
Malcom Brown is a big-bodied tackle with impressive size (6’2”, 320 lbs) and surprising burst. He made great strides this season in terms of upper-body strength and quickness, allowing Texas to play him everywhere from 1-technique to 5-technique. As a result, he led the Longhorns with 6.5 sacks during the regular season and also recorded five quarterback hurries.
Run Defense
Run defense is Brown’s specialty. He has no trouble occupying blockers, holding them at the point of attack until his linebackers can flood and make a play. He is a plug in the middle of running lanes with the raw strength to slap and shuck his way out of blocks and make tackles when the ball comes his direction.
Motor
Brown is the rare 300-pounder who will chase a play from sideline to sideline. Part of that has to do with his underrated mobility, but most of it has to do with heart. He benefited greatly from playing under Charlie Strong and Vance Bedford—two of the best defensive motivators in the country—this season.
Overall
Brown parlayed a very good sophomore season into a magnificent junior campaign, making the leap from an All-Conference-type player to that of an All-American. He was the anchor of a Texas defense that lifted its team to a bowl game after a slow start. If he forgoes the 2015 NFL draft, he will be a preseason favorite for the major national defensive awards.
2. Leonard Williams, USC
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Pass Rush
Leonard Williams has the size (6’5”, 300 lbs) to play defensive tackle and the speed to play defensive end. He oscillates between those roles for USC and is the Trojans’ best pass-rusher from both the interior and the edge. When he’s playing 3-technique, he uses his burst and athleticism to dart past interior blockers. When he’s playing 5-technique, his strength is often too much for tackles to handle.
Run Defense
Again, Williams’ blend of size and quickness makes him a force against the run. He can knife into the backfield and make plays on his own, but he can also get under a tackle and set a hard edge. When USC’s defense goes heavy, and Williams gets to play alongside other 300-pounders, it almost always wins the point of attack.
Motor
Williams is a max-effort player who showed toughness by playing through an ankle injury (that many thought would keep him out of the lineup) in September. “You always worry about motor with defensive linemen,” an anonymous professional scout told NFL.com, “but I have zero concerns with Leonard Williams’ motor.” Neither do the rest of us.
Overall
Williams would be a bigger name if USC had won more games the past two seasons. But even though his team underachieved—relative to its own lofty standards—he will go down as one of the most gifted players in program history. And when you play for the Cardinal and Gold, that means something.
1. Danny Shelton, Washington
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Pass Rush
Danny Shelton is explosive for a player so humongous (6’2”, 339 lbs). He has in-line speed to shoot the gaps and get to the quarterback and enough stamina to hunt the QB down and finish the play. And even when he doesn’t beat his blockers off the line, he uses his size to bull-rush offensive linemen and get pressure—sometimes after a pre-snap barrel roll.
Run Defense
Shelton separates himself from most nose guards with his ability to make tackles on his own. Despite his size, he has quick feet, speed and instincts. When he gets into the backfield, he can swallow up a running back himself instead of simply forcing the run outside. And even when he’s not making plays himself, he will occupy multiple blockers and free up lanes for linebackers to come down and make tackles.
Motor
You won’t see many linemen play as hard as Shelton does. He wears his weight well and does not stop moving until the whistle. Even if that means chasing a running back 30 yards downfield, he will do it. He’s as wild as his hair makes him seem.
Overall
Shelton presents a mismatch for almost every blocker he faces. He is too big and strong for most guards and centers but too quick and explosive for the few who can handle his strength. He is the hardest interior lineman to block in the country—and frankly, it’s not all that close.
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