Eagles 2019 NFL Draft preview: Defensive tackle

Leading up to the draft, we're taking a look at each of the Philadelphia Eagles' positional groups. We'll determine if the Eagles are likely to select a player at that position with one of their seven picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, as well as note some players who make sense.

Previous draft preview positional analysis

Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Offensive tackle | Interior OL

Defensive end

Today we'll continue on with defensive tackle.

The Eagles made the obvious decision not to exercise a 2019 option on Timmy Jernigan, and they also said goodbye to Haloti Ngata, who retired. To replace Jernigan, the Eagles signed Malik Jackson, after he became a cap casualty of the Jaguars. Jackson and Fletcher Cox should be a very good DT tandem, and Treyvon Hester showed flashes last season.

Still, the Eagles need to add to that rotation, as Cox took on a heavy workload a year ago, and is curretnly recovering from foot surgery. If they want him to be elite for the foreseeable future, they need to lighten his load a bit, while also having an eventual successor in place for him and/or Jackson.

Not including guys who were signed to futures contracts, the Eagles depth at defensive tackle looks something like this:

	1	2
DT	Fletcher Cox	Treyvon Hester
DT	Malik Jackson	Bruce Hector

Defensive tackle is a need heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, and a good candidate for the first round.

Ed Oliver, Houston (6'2, 287)

outstanding at the Combine, while his size measurables were not:

Size is why Aaron Donald fell to 13 in the 2014 NFL Draft, and how Geno Atkins somehow fell to the fourth round in 2010. I do think the NFL learned its lesson on that, and isn’t worrying as much about their interior defensive linemen being 6’4, 330. Can they be disruptive? That’s what matters.

Watch how quick and disruptive he is:

Christian Wilkins, Clemson (6'3, 315)

Wilkins' primary position is at defensive tackle, but he also has extensive experience playing on the edge at defensive end, as you'll see in the following video. Typically, it's defensive ends who can kick inside to defensive tackle, not the other way around, making Wilkins a unique talent.

available at pick 25, but again, if he slipped, he could be another trade-up option.

Projected round: 1

Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State (6'4, 301)

In 2017, the Eagles were willing to draft a player in Sidney Jones in the second round who they knew would not help them that season. Jones was thought of by many as a top 15 type of talent, but after he tore his Achilles at his pro day, he fell out of the first round. In 2019, there's a top 10 talent (arguably top 5) in Simmons who tore his ACL while training for the draft in February.

Here he is, in action:

Let's examine the pros and cons of drafting a guy like Simmons:

Pros:

He's an awesome player, as already noted. He is a penetrating force with a repertoire of pass rush moves who would be a great fit next to another former Mississippi State Bulldog in Fletcher Cox. Actually, Cox seems to be the player most often mentioned as a good comparison to Simmons, in terms of skill set. Two Fletcher Cox's on the interior of the Eagles' defensive line would be bad for the rest of the NFL.
Maaayyyybe he returns to the field before the end of the season, or at least for a potential playoff run?

Cons:

The Eagles are Super Bowl contenders, right now. Getting an immediate contributor in the first round would be helpful in getting back to the Super Bowl.
Off the field, Simmons is best known for a video showing him punching a woman repeatedly when he was in high school. Any team considering drafting Simmons will have to thoroughly evaluate his character, though it's worth noting that Simmons seems to be making the most of his second chance. Prior to the 2017 draft, it should be noted that the Eagles did a ton of homework on Joe Mixon, a player with more serious character concerns than Simmons.
There are examples of players who "redshirted" their rookie season who eventually panned out, like Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith. There are far more examples, however, of players who did not pan out under similar circumstances. So far, Jones has been a disappointment. That could help scare the Eagles off.

Whether the Eagles go the Simmons route or not, it will be interesting to see where he lands.

Round: 1

Dexter Lawrence, Clemson (6'4, 342)

Lawrence is an enormous run-stuffing specialist, with upside as a pass rusher. At the next level, at a minimum, Lawrence will draw double teams because he'll be able to push the pocket against most interior linemen. That will free up one-on-one opportunities for his defensive line teammates. Against the run, he's an immovable body who clogs up the middle of the line.

A highlight reel:

The question with a guy like Lawrence is whether or not a run-stuffing specialist is worth taking in the first round. If the Eagles believe he can also be disruptive in the passing game, then yes, he is.

It's also worth noting that even if Lawrence never becomes a pass rushing difference-maker, the Eagles are in a division with Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley.

Projected round: 1-2

Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame (6'6, 295)

Tillery is a long and lean interior lineman with impressive quickness. In 2018, he jumped out to a dominant start, collecting 6 sacks in Notre Dame's first five games, but he only had one the rest of the season. Still, he has all kinds of ability, as you will see here:

Tillery is something of a raw prospect, even though he played at Notre Dame for four seasons. If the Eagles think they can unlock his potential, he could be in play as something of an off-the-radar first round pick option.

Projected round: 1-2

MORE: Game-by-game Eagles 2019 win-loss predictions | Eagles 2019 schedule

Dre'Mont Jones, Ohio State (6'3, 281)

Jones is a very light interior defensive line prospect who is forced to win with quickness. A quick look:

Unfortunately, while Ed Oliver put some size concerns to bed by destroying the Combine with an extremely athletic showing, Jones did not:

Still, Jones has a quick first step and was a penetrating force with Ohio State in 2018, collecting 8.5 sacks. In the Eagles' scheme, which favors up-field disruption, he could be a good fit.

Projected round: 2

Trysten Hill, Central Florida (6'3, 308)

Hill is an interesting, talented prospect, but there are character concerns that teams investigated during the pre-draft process. From Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

Hill did not end his career at UCF on a positive note. He barely played in the team's Fiesta Bowl loss to LSU, made it clear he was unhappy about his playing time after the game, and did not thank the team's current coaching staff in the note in which he made his declaration for early entry in the NFL draft. Hill had been a major factor in the Knights' win in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, making six tackles, three for loss, and two sacks. But he had been in the doghouse throughout the 2018 season, only starting once in 11 contests in spite of having his most productive season (36 tackles, 10.5 for loss, three sacks). Under former coach Scott Frost, Hill started all 13 games as a true freshman (15 tackles, five for loss, one sack) and as a sophomore, when he earned second-team All-AAC honors (20 tackles, four for loss, two sacks).

The Eagles reportedly brought Hill in for a pre-draft visit to learn more about what happened at UCF.

A look at his skill-set from the Cowboys' website:

Projected round: 2-3

Gerald Willis III, Miami (6'2, 302)

Willis was a highly recruited player coming out of high school who originally enrolled at Florida, but transferred to Miami after his first season there. He didn't exactly seem like the best guy off the field, or even on it:

At Miami, Willis seemed to get his act together to some degree, as he had 59 tackles, with an impressive 18 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks.

You can see his disruptive ability in his game against LSU in 2018, when he had 8 tackles (4 for loss), and a sack.

Still, as you can see below, his game speed is better than his testing numbers would indicate:

Projected round: 4-5

Terry Beckner Jr., Missouri (6'4, 295)

Beckner was the 36th rated recruit coming out of high school in 2015, but a pair of knee surgeries (one on each knee) stalled his early college career. Over the last two seasons, he had 22 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. A highlight reel:

Beckner will have to pass medical checks, but could be a late-round or undrafted red-shirt type of pickup who you just hope regains some explosiveness in his knees.