DL galore!
This year’s Orange Bowl between the Tennessee Volunteers and Clemson Tigers might have the most defensive line NFL Draft prospects of any bowl game this season. With the Las Vegas Raiders desperately needing help in the trenches, this will be a game fans should tune in for as a future Raider or two could be playing.
Below is a look at the top 300 players from NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board for Clemson and Tennessee. One note, both teams have a handful of opt-outs tonight and the list below is based on who will be suiting up.
Tennessee
Darnell Wright, OT (No. 58)
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 3rd round
Scouting report via TheDraftNetwork.com (full report)
Wright features an appealing blend of size, power, and tenacity. He has the functional strength and mass to create displacement in the run game. I really like the power in his hands and overall grip strength. His hands are not easily displaced and it’s impressive how his punch is able to stun opponents. He displays the ability to operate his hands independently and vary his strikes. Wright’s anchor is stout in pass protection and opponents won’t find success attempting to play through him. He’s a competitive blocker with ideal temperament. He is confident in pass pro, rarely getting overeager, and trusts his ability to frame, anchor, and utilize his length to keep opponents at bay.
Byron Young, EDGE (No. 47)
Career stats (two seasons): 80 total tackles (39 solo), 21.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 4th round
Scouting report via TDN (full report)
It didn’t take long for Young to be an impact defender for Tennessee—he has been a prominent playmaker for the Volunteers across his two seasons in Knoxville. He showcases good athleticism and outstanding flexibility. I really like his ability to change directions and how loose he is when getting to the edges of the blocks and cornering. There is a slipperiness to him when he’s able to soften angles and get around blocks. Young plays with a motor that is always cranked and makes his share of plays off of his hustle. His rush plan is built off a one-arm stab and flexibility and he does well to maximize his length. His ability to string together counters improved in 2022. While he lacks size and has room to get stronger, Young competes hard in the run game to maintain his run fit.
Jerome Carvin, OT (No. 75)
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 6th round
Scouting report via TDN (full report)
Jerome Carvin has been a fixture on the Tennessee offensive line, logging considerable snaps at both left and right guard in addition to center. Carvin is a controlled technician that does well to stay square and get his body in good positions to win. A big-bodied blocker, Carvin absorbs power well and showcases a sturdy anchor—opponents won’t find success playing through him. Carvin is a coordinated blocker that plays within himself, rarely getting overextended or out of control.
Clemson
Bryan Bresee, DT (No. 11)
Career stats (three seasons): 49 total tackles (26 solo), 14 TFL, 8 sacks, 4 PD
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 1st round
Scouting report via TDN (full report)
The physical skill set is just so obvious here and it’s very impressive. Watching Bryan Bresee on some of the shallow twists, which allow him to open his strides as he gets into a gap, offers a clear look at why he’s been so highly regarded as a prep recruit. Despite missing the final nine games of 2021, we still got to see him play against Georgia in the season opener and we also got a look at him in the 2021 CFB Playoff Semifinal versus Ohio State—he’s had quality opponents and his athleticism still popped in both occurrences. I like him best as a penetration 3-technique. When he’s charged with quickly getting into the backfield, you can see him at his best. He’s twitchy and can rip through lateral contact in order to uncover and then flash to the football with suddenness. Bresee has showcased the needed versatility play up and down the line at Clemson and I think in the right scheme (penetration based) he could offer similar versatility in the front at the NFL level—particularly with Clemson’s tendency to reduce him down as a head-up rusher on the center to try to dictate 5-0 protection calls from the opposition. Bresee is also accustomed to drawing a crowd and his movement skills and motor allow him to routinely play through that added attention and ensure he’s providing a sufficient level of flow to the football in order to allow him to help clean up extended plays.
Tyler Davis, DT (No. 13)
Career stats (four seasons): 108 total tackles (49 solo), 25.5 TFL, 14.5 sacks, 3 PD
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 3rd round
Scouting report via TDN (full report)
Tyler Davis offers a strong level of athleticism and power blended together on the defensive interior. His ability to shoot gaps or collapse the pocket in passing situations really jumps off the screen at you. Davis has the kind of influence inside that can wreak havoc on opposing offenses and you got the best look at that version of Davis as a freshman in 2019—he had more than 10 TFLs that season and was consistently living in opposing backfields. He’s built like a bowling ball and has the ability to play loose off of blockers inside; he’ll twist and contort or rip through blocks in high-traffic spaces to push to daylight and squeeze QBs and ball carriers alike. Surprisingly nimble on his feet, Davis meets the criteria to be one of the famous Mike Mayock sayings: “a dancing bear.” From a physical standpoint, Davis has all the tools needed to ascend and affirm his status as a top penetration front defender at the next level. I love how much pop he gets in his hands and I certainly appreciate the violence he plays with working off blocks.
K.J. Henry, EDGE (No. 5)
Career stats (five seasons): 122 total tackles (63 solo), 28 TFL, 13 sacks, 11 PD
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 4th round
Scouting report via TDN (full report)
Originally a 5-star recruit, Henry was graded as a top-10 recruit in the nation before committing to play for the Tigers. He offered an expansive basketball background in high school as well while playing at West Forsyth High School in South Carolina before ultimately committing to the Tigers. Henry collected offers from a who’s who of college football, including Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and others. Henry zoomed through his education at Clemson, earning his Master’s degree in athletic leadership in four years.
Davis Allen, TE (No. 84)
Career stats (four seasons): 84 catches, 902 yards, 12 TDs
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 6th round
Scouting report via TDN (full report)
The Tigers loved to move Davis Allen around formations, utilizing him as a chess piece to their front and consistently having him hit blocks from different angles as a slice defender and insert player. I appreciate the versatility that he has brought to the game and the football IQ that is required to handle so many different variations to alignments and motions and pre-snap work in addition to finding his targets in the run game on the fly. He’s a smart player and has an NFL build. The ball skills that are present here are hard to ignore as well. He’s got a very good ability to elevate and win the football on the back shoulder or above the rim—he did this against Wake Forest several times last season, both up the seam and in the end zone. His highlight reception was a fade vs. Florida State in the end zone that showed excellent body control. As teams look to find and implement movable weapons to complement both aspects of the offense, Allen’s skill set should move the needle as a viable piece of a TE room at the NFL level.
Sheridan Jones, CB (No. 6, questionable for tonight)
Career stats (four seasons): 67 total tackles (48 solo), 2 INT, 4 PD
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 7th round
Scouting report via NFL Draft Bible (full report)
Athletic corner who trusts his speed playing both outside corner positions for the Tigers. Jones carries vertical routes and is rarely challenged downfield, possessing make-up speed and fluid movement skills. He finds the ball and makes plays on it, knocking it out or catching it depending on his positioning. Jones is on balance at most times, allowing him to recover. In press coverage, he is patient, mirroring receivers and only shooting his hands when in a good position to do so. Inconsistent cover man who stays square for too long, letting receivers run on his toes and causing him to end up in bad positions. In zone coverage, he leaves too much grass in front of him uncovered, allowing for easy completions. Jones loses opponents behind him and bites on double moves in his pursuit to find the ball. While he is willing in run support, he struggles with bad angles making him a lackluster tackler. High-hipped, long-armed outside cornerback who has the desired movement skills at the position. Jones is still raw technically and needs more experience to develop. At the moment he projects as a developmental outside cornerback who can be molded into an eventual starter. He will have to improve his tackling and contribute on special teams to earn an active roster spot.
Ruke Orhorhoro, DL (No. 33)
Career stats (four seasons): 62 total tackles (25 solo), 16.5 TFL, 6 sacks, 8 PD
NMDD draft projection as of 12/29: 7th round
Scouting report via TDN (full report)
On the field, Orhorhoro offers dynamic first-step quickness and his natural athleticism is very apparent when you flip on the tape. He’s got a lean build and carries his weight extremely well and is well-suited for shooting gaps; he gets skinny and can contort to reduce surface area to create penetration and chaos up front. His role offered variance in alignment and included opportunities lined up as a penetration nose tackle in addition to his B-gap responsibilities. This variety should offer a viable extension of his skill set to the next level as well and build out more appeal to more teams—although he will undoubtedly not play on the nose in anything other than 3rd-and-longs. His ability to slant into creases allows him to quickly work hip-to-hip with blockers, but he simultaneously offers the power to crash into blockers on schemed rushes and games while creating displacement and softening the edges for players crashing in behind him to come unimpeded. This isn’t just a quick-twitch gap shooter; he’s a chess piece in the rush game that can help facilitate free rushes and lanes. Orhorhoro has sufficient length for attacking blocks on the interior and as he continues to grow and develop as a player, you’ll be looking for him to become even more diverse in ensuring he’s getting into gaps uncovered with hand counters.