2022 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch: Ohio State vs. Michigan

Ohio State DT Haskell Garrett

It’s often said that what separates the powerhouse programs in college football from the pack is the talent up front, specifically on the defensive line. Ohio State’s Haskell Garrett is proof positive of that. The 6’2” 300-pound fifth year senior is having his best collegiate season at the best possible time for his 2022 NFL Draft stock.

Garrett has 5.5 sacks, a pass defended and two fumble recoveries on the year. One of those fumble recoveries was a 32-yard return for a touchdown in the Buckeyes’ opening game this season against Minnesota. Haskell Garrett has one other career collegiate touchdown, and it was an interception that he batted into the air at the line of scrimmage and hauled in in the opposing team’s end zone.

Haskell Garrett will often line up inside as a 4-3 defensive tackle over one of the guards, and from there proceed to consistently win his matchup. That doesn’t mean he’ll always make the tackle or affect the play directly, but it does mean that Garrett rarely gets pushed backwards. He’s 6’2”, and many offensive linemen are taller than that. This allows Garrett to keep his pad level slightly lower than the lineman blocking him and use his hands to help him either walk the lineman into the backfield or disengage from him so he can make the play.

In addition to Garrett’s ability to play with leverage, his hands are probably his best tool. He has heavy hands and uses them skillfully to defeat blocks. The threat of him using his hands also opens up some pass rushing moves. I’ve seen him use a spin, swim, and a chuck move in addition to a straight bull rush. To cap it off, his athleticism for someone that’s 300 pounds really stands out. On the touchdown shown above against the Gophers earlier this year he bolted to the end zone like a tight end. I’ve also seen him show great effort in pursuing outside running plays down the line and even get in on some of those tackles when lesser effort players may have given up.

Ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, Haskell Garrett does have a few flaws. There are times where he’s a half-step slow getting off the snap many times. This might not seem like a big deal, but when you’re playing on the interior against players that are that big, strong, and athletic, every millisecond matters. Another potential weakness for Garrett is that his arms aren’t very long, and linemen at the next level might be able to get their hands on him first, which would let them dictate the action.