NFL Draft Position Breakdown – IDL Edition

Position Outlook

Position Rank among other positions:

• Top-End Talent –8th (of 11)
• Depth – 8th
• 1st Round Caliber Players – 5 (4th)
• Overall – 8th

As with most years, the Interior D-Line class isn’t very shiny or flashy. There is no clear-cut Top 10 pick from this position. While I am a huge fan of this class, I am much higher on them than in the mainstream scouting world. The perceived depth is relative to the top of the class, so while nearly all Top 5 are closely ranked, beyond that it’s a wasteland. Still, most other positions are too, that’s why IDL gets a high rank of 5th in the depth department.

Top 5 Position Ranking

1. Devonte Wyatt UGA – Full Scouting Report
2. Travis Jones CONN – Full Scouting Report
3. Logan Hall HOU – Full Scouting Report
4. Perrion Winfrey OU – Full Scouting Report
5. Jordan Davis UGA – Full Scouting Report

Most scouts have Davis in his own tier at the top, but I actually see Wyatt alone at the summit. His technical prowess and precise abilities are unmatched, and he follows that up with unreal athleticism as well.
After that, all four are in the same tier, displaying great upside along with massive question marks.

Ranking Notes

Overrated

• Jordan Davis UGA – Everyone has been understandably going nuts over Davis since the Combine. Having the best Combine for a player of his size ever will surely raise your stock. While I am much higher on him now than I previously was, he still lacks any play quickness or play speed and he is a terrible pass-rusher.
• DeMarvin Leal TA&M – Being undersized isn’t necessarily a death knell, assuming you’re athletic, which Leal showed he is not.

Underrated

• Logan Hall HOU – He didn’t look undersized at Houston, which is the biggest knock on him. He played with the power and force of a 300lb+ man, and he is still a great athlete.
• Perrion Winfrey OU – Elite length with great quickness and twitch. He has awful lateral agility and mobility, but if it weren’t for that he’d be in my IDL Tier 1.

Sleepers

• Thomas Booker STAN – Elite athlete with good overall skills.
• John Ridgeway ARK – Ridgeway only played one season for the Razorbacks, but he looked very good at the Senior Bowl. His bright future may be still ahead of him.

Biggest Risers

• Travis Jones CONN – The Senior Bowl and Combine did wonders for Jones, and although he was overshadowed both times, scouts have seen and noted his impressive showings.
• Jordan Davis UGA – Even your sports-hating great-aunt has heard of Davis’s insane Combine. He easily had the best performance of any player his size, EVER.

Biggest Fallers

• Neil Farrell Jr. LSU – Farrell wasn’t expected to be a major athlete, but even for his size, he put on a dreadful performance. He might’ve dropped himself out of the draft completely.
• Phidarian Mathis ALA – Mathis was being looked at as a potential sleeper by many teams, but after such a poor Combine and Senior Bowl, he won’t be more than a Day 3 pick.

Superlative Ranks

Best Relative Athleticism

1. Jordan Davis UGA
2. Travis Jones CONN
3. Devonte Wyatt UGA

Most Powerful

1. Travis Jones CONN
2. Logan Hall HOU
3. Jordan Davis UGA

Best Quickness

1. Devonte Wyatt UGA
2. Logan Hall HOU
3. Perrion Winfrey OU

Best Run Defense

1. Travis Jones CONN
2. Jordan Davis UGA
3. DeMarvin Leal TA&M

Best Pass-Rusher

1. Devonte Wyatt UGA
2. Perrion Winfrey OU
3. Logan Hall HOU

Final Projection

After the Combine, these athletic freaks may go much higher than people anticipate. Davis will undoubtedly be the first one taken, but we could see up to four more taken in the 1st round – Jones, Wyatt, Hall. Once they’re off the board, Winfrey likely won’t last long.
Then, following my rankings, and the rankings of most others, there will likely be an IDL drought. There is no one else worthy of a 2nd round selection, and given the overall depth of talent in this draft, I would say they don’t even deserve Day 2 consideration, as there will definitely be better players available.

See the Interior D-Linemen’s overall ranking among other players on my Big Board.

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