Senior Bowl Defensive Line Prospect Rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft after full week of practice
The 2024 Senior Bowl is complete! Where do all the top defensive line prospects rank in this draft class now that we have had a chance to see them up close and personal? There were a few top defensive line prospects who were not present at the Senior Bowl, but several top players were a […]
The 2024 Senior Bowl is complete! Where do all the top defensive line prospects rank in this draft class now that we have had a chance to see them up close and personal?
There were a few top defensive line prospects who were not present at the Senior Bowl, but several top players were a part of this year's group. It would have been nice to see Jer'Zhan Newton (Illinois), Byron Murphy (Texas), and a few other big names there too, but let's see how the top defensive line prospects from this week stack up against each other after a full week of practice.
Senior Bowl Defensive Line Rankings
- T'Vondre Sweat, Texas
- Darius Robinson, Missouri
- Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
- Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State
- Braden Fiske, Florida State
- McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
- Tyler Davis, Clemson
- Justin Eboigbe, Alabama
- DeWayne Carter, Duke
- Myles Cole, Texas Tech
There were three names that were buzzing all week long at the Senior Bowl among defensive line players: T'Vondre Sweat, Darius Robinson, and Brandon Dorlus. Based on the conversations that I had with scouts and media, both Sweat and Robinson are pushing for first round consideration while Dorlus seems fairly safe as a second round projection.
Sweat seemed to make the most highlight plays during the week. His size and strength were felt on almost every snap, but perhaps none more than on this dominant rep against center Beaux Limmer (Arkansas).
Sweat was constantly putting offensive linemen on the ground, forcing double teams, and moving the line at will. He didn't weigh in officially for the Senior Bowl, but it looked like he was playing at or above every bit of his 360-pound list weight, which made him nearly impossible to stop. It's clear that he's going to be selected very early in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Darius Robinson (Missouri) and Brandon Dorlus (Oregon) were already highly regarded defensive line prospects coming into this week thanks to their elite pressure rates. Robinson brought pressure on nearly 15% of his pass rushes in 2023. Dorlus brought pressure 12% of the time, but played more inside, where pressures come at more of a premium. Both of them brought pressure consistently this week, likely improving their draft stock.
Two Senior Bowl defensive line prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft highlight the importance of variety
Two rising Senior Bowl defensive line prospects with versatility
Tier two of the Senior Bowl defensive line prospects, Michael Hall Jr. (Ohio State) and Braden Fiske (Florida State), seemed to be the favorite of several coaches and offensive linemen as well. Hall Jr. had Mike Tomlin (Steelers head coach) in his ear for a good portion of early practices. Fiske had multiple offensive lineman tell me that he was really tough to stop off the ball, forcing them to make the right technical decision early if they wanted any chance at stopping him. Both project to be potential day two draft picks after a strong week.
McKinnley Jackson (Texas A&M), Tyler Davis (Clemson), and Justin Eboigbe (Alabama) formed a clear tier three at the Senior Bowl this week. All three made their fair share of nice plays in one-on-one drills and stuffing the run. They all displayed incredibly strong hands off the ball. However, they all tested below average in our custom On-Field Athleticism Score (using Zebra Technologies player tracking data). With that said, Eboigbe certainly helped his stock with plays like the one below.
DeWayne Carter (Duke) and Myles Cole (Texas Tech) round out the top ten as they both flashed in practice. But they also got locked up a few times in one-one-one matchups. Beyond those two, the other defensive line prospects seemed to blend together for the majority of Senior Bowl practices.
Late last fall mock draft data suggested that this defensive line class wasn't very deep. That seems quite wrong now. With T'Vondre Sweat, Darius Robinson, Brandon Dorlus, and a handful of early round defensive line prospects not even participating in the Senior Bowl this year, the 2024 NFL Draft should be stocked full with strong defensive line talent.
