The defensive linemen are next up in our position rankings series ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.
Fortunately, this is one of the Tennessee Titans’ strongest areas on the team, therefore, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll invest a premium pick in a defensive lineman.
Regardless, we’re covering every position since there is always a chance the Titans end up taking someone whose value is too good to pass up once they’re on the clock.
This position group in particular has several intriguing prospects who could undoubtedly help to take the Titans’ defense to another level.
Before we get started, as always, I want to go over my grading process once again for first-time readers who don’t have any idea of how my grading system works.
These explanations could get repetitive once you’ve read them a few times, so feel free to keep scrolling and jump right into the rankings.
Over the last couple of months, I have evaluated over 150 players in total. This process includes me grading a minimum of three games for each prospect before coming up with my opinions/grades.
More often than not, I would watch at least five or six contests for each prospect before doing an evaluation. Unfortunately, there were some cases where I had trouble getting all-22 tapes, so I had to work with what I had.
The way this works is I would evaluate each game that I watched, and then I averaged those grades into one final film grade worth a total of 20 points.
Example: blue-chip prospects (90 percent or higher) received anywhere from 18-20 points in all likelihood.
Game tape is the only criterion that is worth 20 points on my grading scale, while other areas, such as analytics, athletic score, ceiling/floor, etc., are worth a maximum of 10 points.
Keep in mind that I will be doing one final update to these rankings on the morning of the draft (April 27th).
So far, we’ve already covered every offensive position, as well as EDGE, cornerback and linebacker, all of which are linked at the bottom of this article. Now, the defensive lineman rankings.
1. Jalen Carter, Georgia
Overall grade: 91.1 (first round)
Consensus rank: No. 1
Ceiling projection: Top-five pick
Floor projection: Mid-first round
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Quick analysis: Special talent who is universally considered a topfive prospect on the field.
2. Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Overall grade: 84.9 (first round)
Consensus rank: No. 2
Ceiling projection: Mid-first round
Floor projection: Early second round
Quick analysis: Undersized defensive lineman who overcompensates for his size with rare explosiveness and an understanding of knowing how to use his natural leverage to his advantage.
3. Mazi Smith, Michigan
Overall grade: 81.3 (first round)
Consensus rank: No. 4
Ceiling projection: Mid-first round
Floor projection: Late second round
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Quick analysis: Impressive play strength allows him to easily shed blocks, but he has to do a better job of being more consistent and calculated with his hands. Occasionally sacrifices technique for tenacity.
4. Bryan Bresee, Clemson
Overall grade: 79.4 (second round)
Consensus rank: No. 3
Ceiling projection: Late first round
Floor projection: Late second roun
Quick analysis: Versatile and athletic defender who can line up all over the line of scrimmage. Desperately needs to refine his arsenal of pass-rush moves.
5. Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
Overall grade: 75.6 (second round)
Consensus rank: No. 5
Ceiling projection: Early second round
Floor projection: Late third round
Quick analysis: Experienced defender who has strong and violent hands that are capable of walking offensive linemen backwards. Needs to play with consistent pad level to maximize his skill set.
6. Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
Overall grade: 69.5 (third round)
Consensus rank: No. 6
Ceiling projection: Late second round
Floor projection: Early fourth round
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
Quick analysis: Fluid mover for a man his size who may be better suited on the edge at the next level. Already displays an advanced skill set as a pass-rusher.
7. Zacch Pickens, South Carolina
Overall grade: 67.8 (third round)
Consensus rank: No. 9
Ceiling projection: Early third round
Floor projection: Early fourth round
Quick analysis: Underrated prospect who can disrupt an opposing offensive attack despite still being relatively raw from a technical standpoint.
8. Siaki Ika, Baylor
Overall grade: 64.1 (third round)
Consensus rank: No. 7
Ceiling projection: Late second round
Floor projection: Late third round
Quick analysis: Powerful force along the interior who is capable of some punishing reps at the point of attack. His inconsistent technique and limited athleticism is worrisome.
9. Gervon Dexter, Florida
Overall grade: 63.0 (third round)
Consensus rank: No. 8
Ceiling projection: Mid-third round
Floor projection: Early fifth round
Quick analysis: Has the tools to become a dominant interior defensive lineman but needs to work on his consistency and fundamentals. Dexter must do a better job of anticipating and exploding off the ball if he’s ever going to reach his full potential.
10. Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
Overall grade: 58.9 (fourth round)
Consensus rank: No. 10
Ceiling projection: Late third round
Floor projection: Mid-fifth round
Quick analysis: Explosive sack artist who dominated his level of competition. Will have to prove that he can overcome his physical limitations against better talent.
NFL draft scouting reports
NFL draft position rankings
