2020 NFL Draft: Top 30 interior defensive line rankings and analysis
These first prospects that I outline are the guys that I think have first-round potential and can come out of the 2020 NFL Draft and be very impactful players for their NFL teams right away, play-after-play.
1. Derrick Brown, Auburn
Derrick Brown is arguably the most powerful and dominant player in the 2020 NFL Draft. With the versatility to line up in multiple spots on the line, Brown can shoot gaps and dominate any blocker he faces. He uses his hands incredibly well to keep his body clean and is explosive to the ball carrier to make a play.
He has an incredibly powerful base, allowing him to dictate at the point of attack. He will not get driven back and is a real pocket pusher with great upper and lower body power and drive. He is much more athletic than his combine testing indicated.
He has good quickness to change gaps on stunts and solid burst and bend to shoot them effectively. He can chase down runners with the motor to follow them all the way down the field and make a play. He has great awareness for blockers, gaps, rushing and passing lanes.
As a senior, SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council member and a father, Brown is mature beyond his years and is the type of player a team wants in their locker room. As a zero or a three-technique, Brown has the balance of strength and power with quickness and athleticism to be a dominant force in the NFL and is a top-five talent in the 2020 NFL Draft.
2. Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
Javon Kinlaw is an experienced, versatile and explosive player on the interior of the defensive line. He comes out of his stance quickly, firing towards a gap of delivering a powerful punch to the blocker in front of him. He still displayed elite athleticism and explosiveness as a senior, following hip surgery at the end of the previous season.
He has great size and length, using his long arms and strong hands to keep defenders off of him at the point of attack. He is powerful enough to fight through his block and speedy enough to shoot his way around it. He doesn’t quite have the anchor that some bigger, more true defensive tackles do, struggling against double teams. But at the next level, Kinlaw should see a lot more one-on-one blocks, where he is absolutely dominant.
He can drive nearly any singular blocker into the backfield and is very effective when stunting and shooting gaps. With his blend of size, power and athleticism, Kinlaw is very versatile, effectively lining up anywhere on the line from zero out to five-technique. He has the scheme versatility to play either 4-3 defensive tackle or 3-4 defensive end with great success right away in the NFL, still with room to grow and develop as a 2020 NFL Draft prospect.
3. Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
One of my favorite 2020 NFL Draft prospects, Justin Madubuike is a master block shedder who always seems to find a way to make it to the ball. He uses a powerful base and long, strong arms to keep blockers at a stalemate, then has great upper body strength to rip himself free and go make a play.
He often even makes tackles while still engaged by a blocker with his long arms and hand strength. He has the power and lower body strength to two-gap very effectively, but he is also a great athlete that can zip right through as a one-gapper.
Madubuike was very impressive at the combine, backing up his outstanding blend of strength, speed and agility with 31 bench press reps, a 4.83 40-yard dash time and a 7.37 3-cone drill. Madubuike has a great motor, and the longer the play goes on, the more likely he is to use his vision and his block shedding skills to locate and go after the ball carrier.
I think Madubuike will be an outstanding three-down 4-3 defensive tackle with the flexibility to line up directly over a guard or in the A or B gap, taking on blockers and making plays.
4. Ross Blacklock, TCU
Ross Blacklock is a very versatile defensive lineman who consistently lined up at 3 technique and nose tackle, as well as both one and two-gapping (lining up between two blockers in front of one gap or in front of a blocker responsible for covering two gaps) at TCU.
He keeps the offense guessing with his different pre-snap alignments and often stunts as well, so the linemen and quarterback never quite know where he’s coming from. Regardless of where Blacklock lined up, he was very effective.
He is great at shooting gaps, again, regardless of his alignment. He is very quick off the snap, shooting gaps before blockers can get their hands on him. He uses his long arms and strong arms well throughout the rushing process and is a very explosive athlete. He has enough core strength and power to hold his own while engaged by a blocker then shed it to make a play. But he usually isn’t driving blockers into the backfield or thriving against double teams.
Blacklock recovered from an Achilles injury that caused him to miss his sophomore season to excel in his junior year in 2019. He had 40 tackles, nine for loss and 3.5 sacks. He is a very effective penetrator with an optimal frame to fill out and be even more powerful and dominant down the road.
Blacklock’s effectiveness, potential and versatility make him a valuable prospect who will probably go early day two or even in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He could play most positions on the defensive line at the next level, best fitting as a one-gapping three-technique allowing him to quickly shoot gaps alongside another big-bodied tackle.