Danny Shelton: Washington DT NFL Draft Scouting Report
By Joe Wedra
The 2015 NFL Draft is full of defenders that are going to make an impact in the NFL. At the top, look for Washington DT Danny Shelton to make an NFL team very happy for years to come. He’s an impressive athlete that has the potential to become one of the best in this class.
STRENGTHS
Everything in Shelton’s game is extremely impressive. He uses his hands/arms very well, and has the superb athletic ability to defeat offensive linemen one-on-one.
At 6’2″, 343 pounds, the Washington standout is exactly what you’d like in an NFL nose tackle. It’s a lofty comparison, one that CBS Sports has attached, but this kid reminds many of New England Patriots NT Vince Wilfork. With size, above-average athleticism and the ability to take up an extraordinary amount of space, Shelton sure feels like the full package.
Another checkmark earned has been Shelton’s ability to be an effective weapon against the pass. The stat line won’t show it, but this kid earned his high draft grades by pushing interior lineman back into the quarterback constantly with his well-distributed strength.
In the tape below, watch Shelton put on a show and use each of his abilities to play a great game against one of the best.
On another positive note, the 343-pound athlete has a very strong academic focus. He was selected to the 2014 Academic All-Pac-12 First Team.
Better news? He has no injury history at Washington. For his size, that’s tremendous.
WEAKNESSES
Well, this is a hard section to write up.
I’ll go with this — Shelton doesn’t have flaws when he’s going 100%. There have been plays on film that appear to show him slowing up a bit. He doesn’t have on-field concerns, but NFL teams may want to see him take off about 10 pounds to improve stamina.
DRAFT STOCK
Shelton shows off when he’s going all-out. He’s clearly a high character guy that is going to succeed at the next level both on the field and in the locker-room. Look for his range to be just outside of the top-10, coming in somewhere in the middle of the first round.