2019 Draft Preview: Defensive Line
March 1, 2019
by Alex Zeese
When it comes to these draft evaluations that I was assigned, defensive line has been the hardest one for me to evaluate, for two reasons. First, as we’ve always said, I’m not a talent evaluator guy. I’m the tech and creative guy for our little band. I also found line play especially hard to evaluate because the Redskins don’t need to look at starters. If they draft anyone on the D-line, it will be day 3 of the draft.
The Redskins have put lots of draft stock into the defensive line in the last few seasons.The two first round picks, the boys from Alabama, and Matt Ioannidis are all solid starters. So if you are looking for a breakdown of first round prospects like Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons and Ed Oliver, sorry, my goal was to focus on draft prospects that make sense for the Redskins. If I were the Redskins, I wouldn’t look to draft a lineman before the 6th round.
It’s safe to say any defensive lineman they draft doesn’t need to play the nose tackle position. After 7 seasons of trying to run the 3-4 with out a good NT, they finally grabbed a few guys last year to play that role. Daron Payne and Tim Settle are on the roster, so that position finally looks “settled” for a few seasons. If they get anyone to play defensive line I suspect they look for someone more in the style of Jonathan Allen.
Allow me to be homerish and look at a local prospect first
He may not make it to the later rounds of the draft. He was injured at the end of the season with a hamstring injury, so maybe that will scare some teams off. At 300 lbs, he’s a stout defensive lineman and would be a good fit as a DT/DE in the Redskins’ system. He has good side to side movement, but is best against the run. Walker could so have value in the locker room – he was a co-captain at Tech, so you can expect him to bring some leadership to whatever team he goes to.
Let’s talk about a boom or bust prospect that’s at least fun to watch
Khalen Saunders, Western Illinois
Saunders got on a few radars after the senior bowl, where he not only had a very solid work out and played well, but he made headlines when his fiancee was about to give birth to his first child while he was there. This guy is hard to place as to where he could end up going in the draft. His game highlights are impressive. He is very athletic. That said, keep in mind he played for Western Illinois, and you have to ask yourself how much of this is true talent, or whether it’s a case of being a big fish in a small pond. If the team are looking to take a risk on a prospect who could turn out to be a stud, he may be the way to go. He very well could be one of those prospects that top schools missed out on.
Okay, let me give you guys one Nose Tackle prospect plus another…
Daylon Mack, DT, Texas A&M
Initially was a 5 star prospect out of high school, but struggled in college. He didn’t really start that many games until his senior season when he was moved to NT. That move and some new coaching helped him. He had a good final season, getting 5.5 sacks. He’s good going downhill and has some quickness to him. He isn’t just a guy who holds up two linemen to free up the linebackers for the big play. As I said, the Redskins probably don’t need a NT, but overall the talent is there.
The guy who lines up next to Mack looks to be less talented overall but probably better fits what the Redskins need. He’s a bit smaller, size-wise and fits that DT/DE role. He had 7.5 sacks in his senior season.
At worst they could use a camp body
Khairi Clark, DT, Florida
I know we have a bunch of Florida fans who read our blog, but, sorry, Clark just doesn’t wow me. I do think he could fit the role the Redskins need which is someone who could provide depth to the defensive line rotation. He has a good motor, and can be a cleanup guy, the 2nd guy to get to the QB or the RB and bring them down if the 1st guy doesn’t quite get it done. If you’re talking about a fifth lineman, that may be all you need.