Danny Shelton NFL Draft 2015: Scouting Report, Grade for Browns' 1st-Round Pick

STRENGTHS

Danny Shelton is a monster of a man at 6’2” and 339 pounds. He’s the ideal nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme and is the type of two-gapping anchor you can build a defense around. He’s not a pass-rusher; rather, he's a player who sets up the pass rush by collapsing the offensive line from within. Shelton is an unmovable object against the run and can sit down and squat on double-teams. He dominated at the Senior Bowl by simply sitting down and keeping the center-guard combination from getting upfield push. As a pass-rusher, he does have some scoot and burst off the line, and he’ll use his power to walk the center back. Shelton played a high number of snaps, so there aren’t concerns about his usage or ability to handle high reps.

WEAKNESSES

Shelton has struggled to find a playing weight he’s comfortable with, and that’s something that must be monitored once in the NFL. He’ll surrender leverage too often when he’s tired, and he needs to learn to play with a lower base late in games.

2014 STATISTICS

Tackles: 93

Sacks: 9.0

Tackle for Loss: 16.5 

PRO COMPARISON: B.J. Raji, Green Bay Packers

There isn’t one great comparison for Shelton because his in-game impact mirrors Vince Wilfork's or Dontari Poe's, but he’s not as athletic as Poe or as agile laterally as Wilfork was early in his career. Somewhere in between is B.J. Raji, a player Shelton is like in terms of use and athleticism, but Shelton looks to be a better overall prospect.

FINAL GRADE: 7.20/9.00 (Top-15-Player Potential)