SDOGO

By War Room scouts
Sporting News


Remember how strong 2007's draft was along the defensive line? The 2008 class not only will rival that, it has a chance to be even better.

A strong senior season could create a flood of defensive ends and tackles in the draft's top 15 prospects. And these elite players are not just workout warriors; they are highly productive on the field.

Here's a breakdown the top defensive line prospects.

1. Glenn Dorsey DT, Louisiana State

Dorsey bypassed the '07 draft, in which he would have been a top-10 pick, to take another shot at a national title with the Bayou Bengals. Now he's the best of this bunch.

Although a tad shorter than ideal at 6-2, Dorsey turns a shortcoming into an advantage. He consistently gets under opponents' pads. He is highly competitive and plays with energy and effort few defensive tackles show. Plus, he is a great natural athlete.

Dorsey explodes off the snap, gets into gaps and blows up plays in the backfield. He is a menace against the run and in pressuring the quarterback. He has the speed to chase down ball carriers and never quits hustling.

Dorsey stands out in the tough SEC as well as in this draft class. A strong senior season could land him in the draft's top four picks.

2. Chris Long DE, Virginia

Not only does he have talent, he has a bloodline. Chris is the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long, whom the Raiders selected in the second round out of Villanova. He could be even better than the old man.

Tough and highly competitive, Long sniffs out plays and makes or disrupts a ton of them. If he can't make the tackle, he blows up plays so teammates can.

Long combines great hand and foot quickness with intelligence and hand use to ward off and stay free from blockers. He needs better burst off the snap as a speed or edge rusher, but he gets on top of an offensive tackle swiftly and uses his quickness to beat his man to the outside.

Some teams might downgrade Long because he lacks elite workout numbers and won't be explosive. But he will be productive, make plenty of plays and raise the level of the entire defense.

3. Tommy Blake DE, Texas Christian

Blake is the most explosive pass rusher in this class. He can disrupt an offense with his explosiveness and speed off the snap. A top athlete, he can change direction in a flash. That lets him come off his upfield rush and explode underneath to beat and offensive tackle inside. And, he shows great passion on every play. He hustles to make plays away from his side of the field and excels in backside pursuit.

The knock on Blake is his lack of ideal bulk and size; he is 6-3, 250 pounds. He plays with good leverage, but he will have trouble holding his ground against behemoth NFL linemen when plays head right at him.

However, Blake stays free from blockers with foot quickness, hand use and explosiveness. He also shoots gaps to blow up running plays.

After two seasons as an elite player in the Mountain West, Blake will be out to prove himself against elite competition. He has everything a team would want in an edge or speed rusher at end in a "43" scheme -- except for his lack of ideal size. He also is athletic enough to switch to rush linebacker in a "34" scheme.

4. Sedrick Ellis DT, Southern California

Although he is shorter than ideal for the position at 6-1 3/8, Ellis is productive because of his topnotch athletic ability. He blends great foot quickness and instincts to be the first defensive lineman in motion after the snap. He gets into gaps to disrupt and blow up plays. And he has the speed to chase down ball carriers and the strength to hold his ground against run blockers. Ellis can disengage and make tackles on plays run at him.

The knock on Ellis? He doesn't make an impact when rushing the passer. He lacks a deep repertoire of moves and only gets after the quarterback with effort and athleticism. He also is downgraded because of his height. He is well proportioned, but lacks the arm length of taller defensive tackles.

Ellis will not dominate in every area, but he will be consistent and active. He will cover the field and make lots of tackles on the move.

5. Lawrence Jackson DE, Southern California

Say hello to the Victor Abiamiri of 2008. Like the guy the Eagles took 57th overall in 2007, Jackson has quick feet and hands. He can beat an offensive tackle to the corner in a flash despite lacking ideal burst off the snap. And he shows great hand use.

Jackson gets quarterback pressure against tackles who are in good position to block him. He has good strength at the point of attack against blocking linemen on running plays, locking out blockers with his long arms, shedding and making the tackle. He has great instincts and intelligence. He finds the ball fast, carries out his assignment and doesn't make mistakes.

Teams will downgrade him for his last of explosiveness. It's tough for a USC starter to get overlooked, however, and he will be a quality starter in the NFL.

6. DeMario Pressley DT, North Carolina State

Pressley and Chiefs pick "Tank" Tyler were disruptive tackles for the Wolfpack last season. This is Pressley's chance to shine.

He is athletic and uses quick and powerful hands to beat opponents. He jolts linemen and has a variety of moves to shed blocks. Pressley also uses his quickness to burst through gaps and penetrate the backfield. He attacks plays and has the speed to chase down running backs.

Using his strength, Pressley stacks up blockers at the point of attack, disengages and makes tackles on plays run at him.

Pressley must become more consistent in his senior season, and he must demonstrate better knee bend to play up to his ability. He has elite talent but must be more intense and aggressive on every snap. If he doesn't he won't be a first-round pick.

7. Chase Ortiz DE, Texas Christian

Ortiz plays opposite Blake for the Horned Frogs. He is super competitive with good athletic ability. Scouts sometimes get the impression he is a tough, hard-nosed overachiever who might struggle to make plays in the pros.

While he lacks elite explosiveness off the snap, he does have a deceptively quick first step. He gets low and turns the corner sharply to beat offensive tackles with speed. Ortiz is very smart. He bends his knees well, plays with leverage and gets hands inside blockers' shoulder pads very well. That helps him play stronger at the point of attack than one might expect. All-out hustle and competitiveness help Ortiz fight through traffic to chase down plays.

Ortiz will never be the explosive, impact pass rusher Blake is, but he will become a solid NFL starter.

8. Quentin Groves DE, Auburn

Groves is disappointing and frustrating. He has the elite athleticism to be an impact pass rusher, but he must become a consistent to shed those labels. He is thin and lanky, and he lacks explosiveness off the snap to threaten the corner as a speed rusher.

His lack of instinct hinders his ability to burst off the snap, and he often is last defensive lineman to get moving. He does not rush the quarterback aggressively, which lets tackles get their hands on him and eliminate him from the play. Groves is much more productive against the run than as a pass rusher.

Groves will make one or two big plays per game and impress observers at the Combine and in personal workouts. But if he does not improve his snap anticipation and become aggressive in rushing the passer he will never fulfill his potential.

9. Andre Fluellen DT, Florida State

Fluellen looks heavier on film than his weight; he appears 330 rather than 280 pounds. He has the strength to stack up run blockers at the point of attack. He is competitive, hustles and chases hard to make plays.

However, he does not use his hands well enough to protect his legs. That hinders his ability to move through traffic. He too often gets chopped to the ground and slowed. He lacks explosiveness off the snap to shoot gaps and get penetration.

Fluellen has good pass rush moves and quick hands to beat opponents, but he might not be able to maintain his production as a pass rusher against NFL linemen. He has the strength and athleticism to become a starter but must play with better and more consistent leverage and hand use.

10. Carlton Powell DT, Virginia Tech


Powell is athletic with foot quickness and the instincts to move at the snap -- when he is focused and on his game. He is not as effective as a two-gap tackle who must hold ground, shed and make plays. He is much more effective using quickness and strength to split gaps and get into the backfield to disrupt plays.

He has the quickness and speed to chase down plays run away from him, and he must protect his legs better from low/cut blocks to be more consistent when moving through traffic.

While Powell has good natural strength, he does not bend his knees well and play with consistent leverage against blockers. His problem is inconsistency rather than lack of ability. That, combined with inconsistent hand use against blockers, means he will struggle to hold his ground against inside run blockers.

Powell has the size, athleticism and natural strength to vault up draft boards with a big senior season. He must be more aggressive on every snap and much more consistent against run blocks.

War Room scouts analyze NFL and college players, coaches and teams for Sporting News.

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