With wide receivers, tight ends and linebackers in the past, the next stop in our week-by-week tour of the 2019 NFL draft class is the interior defensive line; we’ll be working on three separate boards in this area, the first being the nose tackles.
These are players who are best suited to playing over the center in a 3-4 but some of whom might be able to find a home as the 1-technique in a 4-3. Don’t know the difference between a 1-tech and a 3-tech? Interested in whether moving to a 3-4 defensive front is a realistic choice for the Panthers? Check out the latest episode of our weekly offseason series The Great British Drafting Show, where we’ll go through each position, talk about the Panthers needs and who might fit best on my draft board.
Now that you’re updated on what the Panthers might need, let’s take a gander at the nose tackles – these are the big bodied defenders who will make most of their money in the run game, but for whom the passing game is a way to elevate themselves from good to great. This isn’t the Panthers biggest need by any means – unless they choose to part ways with Dontari Poe – but as they showed last year with Kendrick Norton, they might be willing to spend a third day draft pick on somebody if that is where they think the value is. So, is there anybody who might fit that description in the 2019 class?
Some Housekeeping
Before we get onto the big board, it’s worth looking at what is needed to play nose tackle in the NFL. From an athletic standpoint, nose tackles need to have the strength to prevent themselves from being pushed back in the run game, aided by the flexibility and core strength to play with a good pad level. Obviously, quickness and functional power are added extras, with the best prospects showing all of these skills.
As run defenders, they will need to use their arms effectively to keep defenders away from their frame, allowing them to remain in their gaps and shed blocks at the appropriate time; they also need to be able to anchor against blockers when appropriate, which requires lowering their pad level and limiting movements to make it hard to push them off-balance.
As pass rushers, the most common ways NTs are asked to be impactful is by pushing the pocket, but in order to separate from the bunch a player needs to show the ability to use his hands to avoid early contact and create leverage advantages. To make the most of this, a player needs to be able to compliment this with decent quickness – any developed pass rushing moves such as a swim or even a spin are very much a bonus.
As with every position, these evaluations don’t take into account off the field concerns or injury history and are based solely on publicly available tape.
Up Next: Nose Tackle Big Board
