Bucs Draft 2023 Preview + Bucs Best Bets: DTs

Pewter Report analyzes the top players in the 2023 NFL Draft with its position previews – energized by CELSIUS, the official energy drink of Pewter Report. Adam Slivon continues the previews with the defensive tackle position, with a comprehensive look at what the Bucs have and what they need. Slivon also provides a detailed list of this year’s top defensive tackles. In addition, Scott Reynolds offers up the Bucs draft needs and the annual Pewter Report Bucs’ Best Bets – the most likely defensive tackle for the Bucs to select in Rounds 1-3, and in Rounds 4-7.

What The Bucs Have At Defensive Tackle

Entering 2023, the Bucs have a solid idea of who will be starting along the interior defensive line, but the group could use another addition for upside and depth. Leading the way is 2021 Pro Bowler Vita Vea, who led the Bucs with 6.5 sacks last season. After Vea, the addition of Greg Gaines in free agency helps to fill the role of Akiem Hicks, who remains unsigned as a free agent. Over the past two seasons with the Rams, Gaines had 8.5 sacks (4.5 in 2021, 4 in 2022) and his addition gives the team another large presence in the trenches.

Beyond those two, the picture does get murkier, but there is reason to hope for more. Logan Hall did not burst onto the scene as some expected to as a rookie last season, but it is a large task for a defensive lineman to hit the ground running, especially in a complex Todd Bowles defense. Entering his second season, he should make more of an impact after an offseason of gaining strength and learning the schemes and nuances.

In the Bucs’ 3-4 defense, the depth chart along the line looks something like Hall-Vea-Gaines. Beyond them, Deadrin Senat and Pat O’Connor re-signed as free agents and are on hand for depth and special teams work. While the team has not closed the door on a Hicks or Will Gholston return, this is presumably low on the priority list.

What The Bucs Need At Defensive Tackle

Adding another body along the defensive line is a looming possibility for the Bucs. What the team needs is a consistent producer alongside Vita Vea. The team did not have that last season and it was evident they needed someone to fill the shoes of Ndamukong Suh.

The hope was that Hicks could, but he struggled with injury and was largely underwhelming as a free-agent signing. To take the next step in stopping the run and applying pressure in the passing game next year, adding someone along the line to complement and take pressure off of Vea is paramount.

It could very well be Gaines and/or Hall, but it could also be one of the many defensive tackle prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. Adding to the room may happen as soon as Day 2 of the draft, and it is a position group filled with players who could make an impact.

Top Defensive Tackles In The 2023 Draft

*Important Note: These players are NOT listed in the order of Pewter Report’s ranking for them. Rather, the numbers are provided to show you the rough order in which we expect them to come off the board during the draft.

1. Georgia DT Jalen Carter — Junior — 6-3, 314 — N/A

Before the Panthers traded up for the first overall pick, there was a lot of discussion among analysts that Jalen Carter could be taken at that spot by the Bears. While that will not happen, and looming concerns about his consistent motor, maturity and off-the-field issues may cause him to fall in the draft, there is little doubt he is considered the top interior defender in the class. His stats throughout his career at Georgia do not jump off the page. Throughout his three seasons, he only had six sacks and 18 and a half tackles for loss.

Playing in a Kirby Smart defense featuring many NFL-caliber defensive linemen in 2021 (Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt), Carter had other players to split the production with. While only a one-year starter, he still made his presence felt. Oftentimes, his biggest impact was through doing the little things. Even with some off-field concerns, Carter is destined to be a Top 10 pick.

Whether that meant pushing back opposing offensive linemen, quickly shedding blocks to close running lanes, and even tipping passes, he showed that he could change the outcome of drives by doing things not shown in the box score. He attacks with a quick burst and makes pushing his matchup into the backfield regularly look natural. As well as this, Carter has great vision and play recognition to be disruptive and get in on the action. He has the instincts and natural ability to become one of the best defensive tackles in the league if he reaches his full potential as a player.

2. Clemson DT Bryan Bresee — Sophomore — 6-5, 298 — 4.86

Coming out of high school, Bresee was the No. 1 ranked national recruit of all positions. He chose to become a Clemson Tiger, and his college career was filled with much adversity. He only played in 26 games and had 21 starts over three seasons after suffering a torn ACL in 2021 and dealing with personal matters this past year. When he was on the field, he did flash what made him so highly regarded.

It starts with his motor. He jumps off the line of scrimmage with every intention of making the ball carrier and quarterback rush their decision-making process. Right from the snap he goes to attack and displays above-average pursuit and hand skills. There were quite a few instances of him being able to outmuscle his matchup and for his size has great movement and surprising quickness.

Even in some of his biggest plays, Bresee did occasionally slow down and struggled to wrap up after pursuit. His pass-rush moves looked rudimentary at times and could use further development. He did not have as much of a chance to do so while in college, but the intangibles and ceiling are there to become a high-level contributor. For him, staying healthy and being able to shed and finish plays will be the defining factors in the NFL. He currently is projected to be selected in the late first round.

3. Pitt DT Calijah Kancey — Junior — 6-1, 281 — 4.67

Entering the draft, Calijah Kancey has had to deal with an unfair comparison to another Pitt defensive tackle of similar stature: Aaron Donald, who is a nearly identical 6-1, 280. Regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in NFL history, Donald defied his size to become an elite player. While Kancey does parallel to him in some regards, he is a completely different prospect in others.

He does not have Donald’s otherworldly strength, and he has a short wingspan and only 30 5/8-inch arms. At the next level, he will always be undersized competing against bigger offensive linemen. One of the biggest ways that Kancey can exploit his matchups is through his athleticism, which is elite for the position. He profiles almost as an edge rusher and moves like one too. He is hard for offensive linemen to tangle up as he has a unique ability to slither and evade being stopped. Over the past two seasons, Kancey has been one of the most productive defensive tackles in college football and the tape backs it up.

Kancey is more than a one-dimensional kind of player and can attack from various angles with his violent hands and advanced lateral quickness. He has proven able to slug above his weight class, but the concern would be doing that consistently when getting pushed around by better players and finishing plays. Still, he has first-round talent.

4. Michigan DT Mazi Smith — Junior — 6-3, 323 — N/A

If one thing is certain about Mazi Smith, it is his strength. He is physically imposing and a weight room warrior, and on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” this past fall he took the number one spot after doing 22 bench press reps at 325 pounds. For his size, Smith shows off power and agility that offers a lot of upside.

He can toss blockers out of the way with ease and operates as a true nose tackle who can plug up the middle and take on double teams. To fully harness his capabilities, Smith will need to translate his traits into production. In college, he only had half of a sack in 28 starts, and his technique and moves are inconsistent overall.

It was encouraging that he had 25 pressures in 2022, and he may be better suited to rotate snaps to get the most out of him. He will need NFL-level coaching to further refine his timing and movement, but he is another defensive tackle with all of the intangibles. Smith is likely a second-round pick.

5. Northwestern DT Adetomiwa Adebawore — Senior — 6-1, 282 — 4.49

Northwestern DT Adetomiwa Adebawore – USA Today

There’s athletic, and then there is freaky athletic. Adetomiwa Adebawore is the latter. He is the only player over 280 pounds to run a sub 4.5 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history. He has the makeup to be more of a defensive end in the pros, but he also showed that he can hold his own up the middle.

Adebawore has an arsenal of swim and rip moves in his toolbox and his long arms make it easy to disengage blocks and combat being held up. He will need to improve his countermoves and the leverage he creates while also redirecting his frame to set the edge and make tackles.

While his stock rose during the NFL Combine, he also had an impressive Senior Bowl week that demonstrated he really can hold his own. He has the skill set to be disruptive but will need to maximize his strengths consistently. The Bucs had him in for a Top 30 visit and he’s viewed as an early second-round pick.

6. Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton — Senior — 6-3, 309 — 5.08

Like Adebawore, Keeanu Benton flashed some of his abilities during the Senior Bowl week, especially his potential in the pass rush. Last season for the Badgers, Benton also had his best season across the board. In 12 starts he had ten tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Benton is above average in terms of stopping the run and plays with urgency. His hands are considered to be a strength of his game, which aids his leverage and ability to pass rush. He could still stand to benefit in these aspects of his game, especially in adding more moves to his arsenal. While he was a nose tackle in college, he has the athleticism to line up anywhere along the defensive line.

7. Baylor DT Siaki Ika — Junior — 6-2, 335 — 5.39

Siaki Ika is a big man. Weighing in at 335 pounds, there is little doubt that Ika is a nose tackle. In terms of strength, Ika looks the part when he pushes back centers and guards at the line of scrimmage. Often drawing double teams at Baylor, he clogged up the middle, and when playing the snap he is a hard train to try and derail.

Playing the snap with anticipation is one thing Ika can improve at. It was an aspect of his game he could get away with in college, but from 2021 to 2022 his production nosedived. When forced to shed and make tackles, one would think he could do so more quickly. His below-average arm length makes it difficult to leverage his size and frame.

Compared to the other top prospects at the position, Ika has unique size and functional athleticism. Ika won’t consistently impact the game, but he does have promise and there was a reason he was once considered a first-round talent. His stock has dropped as of late due to a lack of production and questions about his traits. At the next level, he will need to put together his traits to be a true threat for offenses to gameplan against as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick.

8. Florida DT Gervon Dexter Sr. — Junior — 6-5, 310 — 4.88

At 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, Gervon Dexter Sr. looks like he could add even more weight to his frame. He is quite athletic and flexible enough to maintain his balance. His arm-over move allows him to shed blocks to make stops and on tape he showcased an ability to read the backfield proficiently.

The things Dexter can improve upon include his positioning and besides his arm-over he does not display the most advanced technique. Despite recording over 50 tackles in each of the last two seasons, he mostly failed to impact the game in a bigger way. If he can play more consistently it is easy to be high on his room for growth. Dexter is likely an early Day 3 pick.

9. South Carolina DT Zacch Pickens — Senior — 6-3, 297 — 4.89

South Carolina DT Zacch Pickens – Photo by: USA Today

In the first half of defensive tackle prospects, many of them weigh in at over 300 pounds. In the second grouping, only one barely hits that marker. For Zacch Pickens, although he does have size limitations, his tape for the most part passes the eye test.

There are times when he can be inconsistent, but his long arms cause offensive linemen to be knocked back at the point of contact and he has impressive control. He has quickness up the middle to close holes and on his better reps, Pickens displayed the lateral agility to shake his matchup, burst off the line, and make a play.

If he did not anticipate the snap properly, Pickens did find himself lost in the shuffle at times. As well as this, his moves are basic as a whole as he does not have an advanced set of moves to utilize. His lack of bigger plays makes him more of a developmental depth player as an early Day 3 selection. The Bucs had a formal interview with Pickens at the Combine.

10. Texas DT Moro Ojomo — Senior — 6-2, 292 — 5.04

Despite playing in 50 college games, Moro Ojomo did not play a ton of snaps and only started five games last season. With that in mind, there is still quite a lot to like about what he showcased when he was in the game.

Ojomo has a quick burst off the line which allows him to power through blocks and his arms give him impressive control to attack in the run game. Having 29 bench press reps. Ojomo is strong for his size and plays with finesse and power. He does have some weaknesses, such as his overall instincts against the pass. His film has more instances of almost making plays than truly closing on them. While he did not make a ton of plays, he at least has the upside to do so as a likely fourth- or fifth-rounder.

Best Of The Rest

11. Bowling Green DT Karl Brooks — Senior — 6-3, 304 — 5.08

Playing for Bowling Green, Karl Brooks has had consecutive seasons of big production as a 4-3 defensive end. He did not play against the highest level of competition and he will need time to make the college-to-NFL jump, especially moving inside to defensive tackle. With this in mind, there are some unique qualities to his game.

Bowling Green DT Karl Brooks – Photo by: USA Today

One is that he takes different angles to build momentum getting to the ball carrier and quarterback. Many of his 17.5 sacks the past two seasons were from launching from various points and he had the ability to get in on the action. Brooks can play from multiple techniques along the defensive line, adding to his versatility. He leaves his mark with his physicality, as he is a big hitter who can rip from his blocks.

Brooks does get off balance at times when he rushes too eagerly and his awareness will have to improve. As well as competition level, being able to handle more attention may prove difficult for him at the beginning of his developmental curve. His college production showcased his disruptive ability, but he may struggle to find a true role along an NFL defensive line. The Bucs had him in for a Top 30 visit and he’s viewed as a fourth- or fifth-round selection.

12. Alabama DT Byron Young — Senior — 6-3, 294 — N/A

Playing up the middle for Alabama, Young played along some high-level talent but showcased his own abilities as well. What stood out watching him was his first step and overall quickness in getting to the backfield and making plays. He tracks the ball well and plays with a high motor.

It is not all positive, as he does not have the quickness beyond his first move to make tackles. Especially as he gets to the next level, Young will need to take make better angles of pursuit to truly take advantage when he does shed blocks. Young may not be an every-down player, but he would be able to rotate in and bring some fresh legs and hold his ground.

13. LSU DT Jaquelin Roy — Junior — 6-3, 305 — 5.13

Roy is a powerful player who at the Combine got through 30 reps. His overall strength plays, and his strong upper body allows Roy to escape blocks. Often utilizing a swim move, Roy can find his way to the football and played a lot of snaps in college.

He did not have too many moments of inconsistency, but if Roy does not get going right away it is hard for him to create his own opportunities. As well as this, during his three seasons at LSU his tackles went up each season, but his sack totals went down. Even though he started 12 games last year, he only had half a sack. Roy did better when asked to come in and make a quick impact, which may be his role in the NFL as a rookie and beyond.

14. Wake Forest DT Kobie Turner — Senior — 6-2, 293 — N/A

Turner is a flexible player who has a lot of college experience. He only spent one season at Wake Forest after transferring, but he was a consistent producer and did well to get through his gaps. Turner made his living stopping the run, but he will need to work on his overall pass-rushing ability. He has quick feet and does not take many plays off. Turner has potential, but the fruits of his labor may not be the most immediate.

15. West Virginia DT Dante Stills — Senior — 6-3, 286 — 4.85

West Virginia DL Dante Stills – Photo by: USA Today

Stills weighs in slightly below the prototypical defensive tackle, but he makes up for his compact frame by timing his movement and having advanced instincts. He has NFL bloodlines, as his father played ten seasons in the league and is a cousin to former Saints wide receiver Kenny Stills. Beyond his lineage, he offers scheme flexibility and plays with balance and coordination.

It was reported that during college he was a locker room leader, and Stills had extensive college experience and the production to match. What will limit him is his ability to generate power and being overmatched. Stills is a big hitter but does not have the coveted strength and length of other prospects. He will find his way to the league, but his ceiling may be just as a rotational rusher.

Bucs Best Bets: Defensive Tackles

Bucs Best Bets Rounds 1-3: Northwestern DT Adetomiwa Adebawore

If the Bucs drafted a defensive tackle like Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore in the first round it might be a bit of a shocker, given more immediate needs at offensive tackle, outside linebacker and nickel defensive back. Selecting Adebawore in the second round might be a better value as a result. But if Adebawore, who was in for a Top 30 visit with the Bucs, winds up in red and pewter it will be easy to see why. He’s the fastest (4.49) and most athletic defensive tackle in this year’s draft class and the team wants to add more speed on defense.

Adebawore played primarily as a 4-3 edge rusher for the Wildcats where he recorded 12.5 sacks in four years, including a career-high five last year. A native of Nigeria, he never truly mastered that position, and will have to transition inside to defensive tackle at the next level. Adebawore showed he could do it at the Senior Bowl where his strength and twitchiness made him hard for guards to block. While he lacks ideal size (6-2, 282) to play in Tampa Bay’s 3-4 scheme and his frame is maxed out, he could play three technique or even come off the edge in certain situations.

Bucs Best Bets Rounds 4-7: Bowling Green DT Karl Brooks

Like Adetomiwa Adebawore, Brooks was also a very large 4-3 defensive end in college – although even bigger at 6-4, 304 pounds. But unlike Adebawore, Brooks was a big-time producer for Bowling Green, racking up 27.5 sacks, including 10 as a senior. The two-time team captain also forced six fumbles and picked off a pass for the Falcons defense.

Brooks also made a successful transition to defensive tackle at the Senior Bowl where his hand-eye coordination and agility gave guards fits. He’s not as athletic as Adebawore, and figures to be a Day 3 selection, likely in the fourth or fifth rounds. Brooks has enough size to be a scheme fit in Tampa Bay, but will need some time to make the jump from the MAC to the NFL. While Brooks was a Combine snub, the Bucs brought him in for a Top 30 pre-draft visit.