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Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida: 2017 NFL Draft Scouting Report

By Dylan Huberman

Oct 29, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Brantley (57), linebacker Daniel McMillian (13), and teammates run out of the tunnel before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Brantley (57), linebacker Daniel McMillian (13), and teammates run out of the tunnel before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Not everyone has the guts to proclaim themselves “the best defensive tackle in the country” or the best at anything. Even fewer are right about it. Brantley is one of those few.

Playing in his home state of Florida, Caleb Brantley made a name for himself. In the Swamp, he was the starving Gator. He stuffed himself by engulfing SEC quarterbacks and running backs trying to leave the backfield.

However, unfortunately for offensive players in the SEC, leaving the backfield was a tall task when playing in Gainesville. He’s ready to step in and improve any defensive front in the league. He’s prepared to be a force of nature in the NFL.

Measurables

Height: 6’3″

Arm Length: 32″

Weight: 307 lbs

Hands: 9 3/4″

Strengths

Brantley is as strong as they come up front. He also is hungry to make plays and won’t get pushed around by double teams. There is no blocker he can’t overpower, and if he times the snap correctly, the ref might as well blow the whistle before someone gets hurt.

His instincts are off the charts. Somehow, every time he sheds off a block, he ends up smack in the center of the play. He’s a guy every offensive coordinator will have to account for in their game plan.

Brantley’s initial punch is fast and furious. He very rarely gets locked up by a blocker, and even if he briefly does, he can power his way to the backfield. Stopping Brantley is like stopping a car that has arms.

Weaknesses

Like most defensive tackles, Brantley is not the most agile player. His power rushing mentality is his only primary weapon, and if power fails, he doesn’t have another move of the same caliber.

Brantley needs to find a way to stay on the field. He never played more than half of Florida’s defensive snaps in any one of his seasons with the Gators. Florida’s defensive scheme involved rotating players in and out so Brantley hasn’t been able to prove he can handle a full slate. Injuries didn’t help his playing time either.

While being hungry is a great attribute, jumping offsides is the opposite. Brantley incorrectly guesses the snap count more often than not and jumps offsides. He was drawn offsides ten times over his last two seasons.

Final Thoughts

Brantley’s power is unrivaled in this draft. Florida has a tendency to churn out some of the best defenders in the draft every year. There is no doubt that Caleb Brantley is going to be a great defensive tackle in the NFL.

He may not be wrong in proclaiming himself the best defensive tackle in the country, as the title either belongs to him or Malik McDowell. Brantley and McDowell will be the first two defensive tackles off the board. Expect Brantley to go towards the end of the first or early in the second round.

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