Bengals should hope a true underdog defensive tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft stays well under the radar
The question isn't whether or not the Cincinnati Bengals will draft a defensive tackle. How early will they send the pick in? How many will they select after three days in the war room? Those are the real inquires.It's a great year to target this part of the trenches. 41 defensive tackles will be in […]
The question isn't whether or not the Cincinnati Bengals will draft a defensive tackle. How early will they send the pick in? How many will they select after three days in the war room? Those are the real inquires.
It's a great year to target this part of the trenches. 41 defensive tackles will be in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine next week. The likelihood of every single one being drafted is slim, but two of them becoming Bengals is very much on the table.
And to answer this question before it pops up, there isn't a DJ Reader in this draft class. That caliber of nose tackle is rare to find nowadays, but quality options at the position seem to fall through the cracks every year.
The Bengals could still do with a true player at that spot to develop. Arguably the best one in this draft may not hear his name called until after the first 150 picks.
Oregon NT Jamaree Caldwell is the secret gem of the 2025 defensive tackle class
Much like his former partner in crime, Derrick Harmon, "Maree" Caldwell transferred to Oregon last year to elevate his status for what ended up being the top-ranked team in the country for the regular season. Long before that, he was a no-star recruit who originally stopped playing football during the COVID-19 pandemic to help out his mother. He had gained weight in his absence, but then returned to play a year at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. That one year turned into two years at Houston, which turned into one final year for the Ducks.
Houston got Caldwell on the field immediately as an oft-used rotational player, averaging about 32 snaps per game in two seasons. Only four AAC players had a higher Pro Football Focus run defense grade in both 2022 (83.2) and he notched the same spot during his one year in the Big 12 in 2023 (82.0). Oregon used him as a full-time starter (37.7 snaps per game) and reaped the benefits of his developed run-stopping prowess. Caldwell and Harmon combined for 35 run stops on the season and both graded above 80 in run defense.
Caldwell's lack of high school pedigree and his career 19% missed tackle rate are among possible reasons why his draft stock is hindered. As of this posting, his consensus board ranking (shoutout good friend @nangleberger on X/Twitter) puts him at No. 159 in this class with some outlets ranking him near the range of a late Day 3 selection. It's really tough for nose tackles to fly up draft boards with athleticism testing, so Caldwell may be destined to go off the board on Saturday if he's drafted at all.
Numbers to know for Jamaree Caldwell
Senior Bowl Measurements:
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 342
Arm: 32.25"
Hand: 9.5"
You can't just be large as a nose tackle. Length is also very preferable. Caldwell's wingspan of 77.75" isn't ideal for a potential two-gap player, but 32.25" arms do help keep his frame clean. Whether or not he tests at the combine at 342 remains to be seen, but teams will want to see his quickness at that weight.
17.7% win rate against true pass sets on 103 snaps: The only two starting Big Ten defensive tackles to win more often last season on legitimate passing plays were Harmon (26.9%) and Mason Graham (21.7%); a potential first-round pick and a lock for the top-15, respectively. Caldwell isn't just for plugging gaps against the run. He can hold his own against guards and centers on passing downs and create some disruption.
Jamaree Caldwell film spark notes
Commendable hand usage and power comes with the territory here, but what really surprises you when watching Caldwell is his sideline-to-sideline speed. He's scootin' out there carrying more weight than anyone else on the field. Winning in condensed areas is going to get him immediate opportunities. Winning with hustle and speed is going to keep earning him more opportunities.
Caldwell's rise from community college to combine invitee is an admirable one, but it just goes to show that quality tape will always be found and appreciated. The data backs up Caldwell becoming a long-term NFL player, an outcome the Bengals should be salivating to acquire. Big-bodied nose tackles will always have a home in the AFC North anyways. If the Bengals don't take him, the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers easily could. Perhaps the team that needs him the most should prevent that from happening.
Before the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, we'll go over one sleeper player at each position of need for the Bengals. Read up on Kansas OT Logan Brown here, and check back to A to Z Sports Cincinnati this week for the latest installments.
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