The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy gives his top 10 defensive linemen in this year’s NFL draft, based on evaluations and conversations with people around the league:
1. Byron Murphy, Texas, 6-0, 297
Led FBS interior defensive linemen with 19.6 pass-rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus. Bull-rushes off the snap. Well-versed in facing double teams. Compact body lacks prototypical height and arm length but stays on balance. Scored touchdowns in goal-line offensive formations.
2. Jer’Zahn Newton, Illinois, 6-2, 304
Hand and footwork technician who pushes the pocket. Uses one snap or one series to set up rushes later in the game. Four blocked kicks in 2023. High snap counts. Disappears in run game at times but will chase the ball.
3. Braden Fiske, Florida State, 6-4, 292
Crushed the combine with his 33.5-inch vertical leap, 9-feet, 9-inch broad jump, and 4.78-second 40-yard dash. Versatile across the line of scrimmage. Hustles until the whistle blows. Played in a deep rotation as sixth-year player. Has he reached his ceiling?
4. Kris Jenkins, Michigan, 6-3, 299
Smaller but quicker than his father, a four-time Pro Bowl DT of the same name. Curious lack of statistics (4.5 career sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss) given family-inherited max effort. Most disruptive at end of last season.
5. Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson, 6-4, 294
Started playing football as a high school junior and steadily improved year after year. Combination of raw physical tools and alignment versatility to catch scouts’ attention. Uses wingspan to latch onto fly-bys even when “blocked.” Double-teams can erase him.
6. Maason Smith, LSU, 6-5, 306
Former five-star recruit with 22 career games played but lots of time lost to injuries (shoulder and ACL) and a one-game NCAA suspension. Untapped potential (6.5 career sacks) in his athleticism. Rushes sometimes lack a “plan.”
7. T’Vondre Sweat, Texas, 6-4, 366
Bowls over with brute force. Disrupts passing lanes with active hands. Could become a clean-up linebacker’s best friend. Outland Trophy (nation’s best interior linemen) winner. DWI arrest in April feeds into scouts’ assessment of a “party animal,” according to The Athletic.
8. Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State, 6-3, 290
Played nose tackle last season but size dictates an NFL three-technique tackle. More flashes than consistency. Disrupted pocket regularly but didn’t finish the plays. Boosted stock as top defensive lineman at Senior Bowl, then again by crushing Pro Day.
9. Mekhi Wingo, LSU, 6-0, 284
Team-first decision to return from five-game absence after surgery and play in bowl game. Short-area quickness but will be limited if short arms can’t shake loose from power blocks. Averaged 55 defensive snaps over last two seasons, per PFF.
10. Fabien Lovett, Florida State, 6-4, 314
Anchors and hard to move off the ball. No-nonsense, workman-like way of approaching business. Played the most run snaps on Florida State’s line, per PFF. Tape lacks explosive highlights. Lost starting job as a sixth-year senior.
Late Riser
Brandon Dorlus, Oregon, 6-3, 283
Durable (51 straight games played, 49 starts) three-time All-Pac-12 honoree. Combine warrior, with 4.85-second 40-yard dash and 7.43-second 3-cone drill. Deeper array of moves — invented on the play — than most.
Falling Fast
T’Vondre Sweat, Texas, 6-4, 366
Is he fully committed? Red flags that scouts raised about Sweat after 2022 season turned up again after his alcohol-infused car crash. Keeping weight under control if he is resistant to conditioning parts of practice.
Small-school wonder
Cole Godbout, Wyoming, 6-4, 290
Considered the heart and soul of his team after fighting through a litany of injuries over six-year career. Slices his way through small gaps to get to the ball-carrier. Sure tackler in the box but limited disruption.
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