Fifth year senior, three-year starter. Lagos, Nigeria. Orhorhoro played just two years of high school football after arriving to America as a nine-year old. He was actually a better basketball player early on. Clemson took a chance on the raw 265 pounder and after barely seeing the field in both 2019 and 2020, he stepped up in a big way when Bryan Bresee got injured in 2021. He turned himself into a consistent, steady interior player capable of taking on the dirty work. His ability to play wide and low with immense staying power and surprising quickness can put him into multiple roles within multiple schemes. Orhorhoro has some of the best hand strength you will find, as he constantly wins the lockout battle over and over. The stutter step quickness and ability to adjust late to a blocker will get him into the backfield occasionally and he has a knack for finishing (8 tackles for loss each of the last three years). This is an every down, starting caliber lineman that will be dependable play to play with some more upside to chew off since he is still relatively new to the game. Orhorhoro is a the kind of prospect a team can feel both safe about and intrigued by when it comes to the floor-ceiling ratio.
*If you asked me in the fall who would end up as the top DT grade in the class, I would have all but guaranteed it to be one of the two guys below. Orhorhoro has a Dalvin Tomlinson-type feel to his game in that he is going to be NFL-ready week one. His play strength is immense. I had the opportunity to speak with multiple ACC offensive linemen over the past three years and I always ask who the top guy is they’ve ever played against. Ruke’s name came up more often than anyone. They said he was the strongest guy that had to match up against. The difference between him and Tomlinson is two-fold. Ruke is still new to the game. He is very inexperienced compared to most prospects despite starting 30 games in college. Second, Ruke is one of the best athletes to ever test at the combine. He absolutely dominated the position drills and testing. There is something about this kid I am drawn to. I will get into the DT group in relation to NYG at the end, but this is someone I am looking at hard in round two if he is still there. He makes sense from every angle.
2) Jer’Zhan Newton – Illinois – 6’3 / 296
Grade: 82
Three-year starter. Three-time All-Big Ten, first team in 2023 and 2022, and two-time All-American, first team in 2023. Newton was a high school running back and basketball star. That kind of athletic ability shows up along the interior, a spot he is usually matched up against bigger, slower offensive linemen. His style of play fits into the prototypical three-technique role that has him shoot a single gap and create havoc in the backfield. His ability to play low and quick can be a headache for blockers to deal with. While Newton rarely left the field in college, his lack of stoutness and ability to hold the point may prevent him from being a true every down player. He is best suited for a defensive line that goes overkill in rotations. He proved he can stay on the field as much as any prospect that plays up front in the class but if a defense can take away the negative plays he has against the gap-controlled running plays, his contributions can rival what the stars of the NFL produce. Newton will need the right situation to reach his ceiling and even though there is some “home run or strikeout” in his game, he will at least make impact plays for the defense weekly.
If you asked me in the fall who would end up as the top DT grade in the class, I would have all but guaranteed it to be one of the two guys below. Orhorhoro has a Dalvin Tomlinson-type feel to his game in that he is going to be NFL-ready week one. His play strength is immense. I had the opportunity to speak with multiple ACC offensive linemen over the past three years and I always ask who the top guy is they’ve ever played against. Ruke’s name came up more often than anyone. They said he was the strongest guy that had to match up against. The difference between him and Tomlinson is two-fold. Ruke is still new to the game. He is very inexperienced compared to most prospects despite starting 30 games in college. Second, Ruke is one of the best athletes to ever test at the combine. He absolutely dominated the position drills and testing. There is something about this kid I am drawn to. I will get into the DT group in relation to NYG at the end, but this is someone I am looking at hard in round two if he is still there. He makes sense from every angle.
2) Jer’Zhan Newton – Illinois – 6’3 / 296
Grade: 82
Three-year starter. Three-time All-Big Ten, first team in 2023 and 2022, and two-time All-American, first team in 2023. Newton was a high school running back and basketball star. That kind of athletic ability shows up along the interior, a spot he is usually matched up against bigger, slower offensive linemen. His style of play fits into the prototypical three-technique role that has him shoot a single gap and create havoc in the backfield. His ability to play low and quick can be a headache for blockers to deal with. While Newton rarely left the field in college, his lack of stoutness and ability to hold the point may prevent him from being a true every down player. He is best suited for a defensive line that goes overkill in rotations. He proved he can stay on the field as much as any prospect that plays up front in the class but if a defense can take away the negative plays he has against the gap-controlled running plays, his contributions can rival what the stars of the NFL produce. Newton will need the right situation to reach his ceiling and even though there is some “home run or strikeout” in his game, he will at least make impact plays for the defense weekly.
*Newton played more than any FBS DT since the start if 2022. He was on the field for 749 snaps in 2023 alone! For reference, DeWayne Carter played 588. Brandon Dorlus 587. Maason Smith 582. Byron Murphy 438. Orhorhoro. 409. You get the picture. This guy does not come off the field. He is more than a pass rusher. He penetrates with the best of them and has the mobility in his lower body to adjust on the fly and disrupt a running game. He can crush a wide-zone rushing attack. Why don’t I have him higher? As a stay-at-home guy, he struggles mightily. He gets turned, he gets moved, and he struggles to maintain lockout with a blocker. It doesn’t always matter, but it matters enough. Still a first-round grade, though.
3) Byron Murphy II – Texas – 6’0 / 297
Grade: 81
Junior entry. One-year starter from DeSoto, TX. Played in a heavy rotational role for his first two years before moving into more of an every down-type spot in 2023. He did play a lot all three years and will enter the league with over 1,000 snaps of experience. Murphy II is slightly undersized for the interior when it comes to his length and height, but he plays with tremendous power and quickness. His pure strength and speed metrics are rare for both his position and weight class, and it shows up on tape. He clearly has a plan for his pass rush snaps, setting blockers up and adjusting based on their initial footwork. There is a strong sense of “know-how” with his techniques and because he plays with such a low base and high hands, the likelihood of a lone blocker staying on him for more than a couple seconds is low. Murphy II even splits double teams at a highly successful rate. His best fit would be in a three-tech role but he can be moved around a bit and will support the run (averaged 10 snaps a game from the A gap). After never missing a game in his career, Murphy II will be viewed as a starting-caliber inside defender capable of boosting a pass rush right away with top-ten (at the position) potential.
*Pre-grading process my gut was leaning toward Murphy being DT1 and a top 15 pick. Between the deep dive on film and his official measurements, he took a slight hit. There is a very small list of DTs that played at his size (height/length/wingspan). In the same breath, there is a very small list of DTs that are as athletic as him. Murphy II can play every down. I do not question that. Will he hold up? Some will bring up Grady Jarrett, a guy I overlooked in 2015 because of size. I think this is a better projection for a player like this, someone that could end up getting drafted late round one because of the positional value boost.
4) Braden Fiske – Florida State – 6’4 /292
Grade: 79
Sixth-year senior, four-year starter. Spent five years at Western Michigan before entering the transfer portal in 2023 where he was one of the most highly sought after transfer recruits in the country. Fiske was one of two All-Americans on the Florida State defensive line, and he showed flashes, especially late in the year, of the being the most disruptive. His get-off and ability to adjust on the move creates havoc in the backfield. The functional athleticism he plays with has had teams consider him as a situational fullback at the next level. Beyond the movement traits, Fiske brings power, but he lacks stout presence. He can get displaced by the double team and the lack of length arises when he is a stay-at-home defender. He needs to be in three or five-technique role and an every down role may not be in the cards for him. However, the ability to penetrate and impact the backfield is enough to warrant a day-two slot and his rotational impact along with the mentality he plays with will be attractive to all schemes.
*Now this is a name to keep an eye on for the Giants pick at #47. One of my favorite guys to watch in the entire class. Fiske broke out in a big way down the stretch, but don’t mistake this for a one-shot wonder. He was a pro prospect coming into 2023 and everyone wanted a piece of him in the transfer portal. This might be one of the best five athletes we have ever seen at DT in combine history. His energy is contagious and whoever drafts him will have a new coach/fan favorite. There is some hot/cold to his game and it may keep him in a rotational role. But he will make an impact player. Ideal fit for NYG.
5) Fabien Lovett Sr. – Florida State – 6’4 / 314
Grade: 79
Sixth-year senior. Four-year starter split between two seasons at Mississippi State and Florida State. Transferred to the Seminoles in 2020 and earned Honorable Mention All-ACC honors in 2021 and 2022. While he played just under 550 snaps over the last two years, Lovett had a hard time staying healthy with nagging lower body injuries, two of which were to his foot/toe. This is a guy that actually received and accepted a Senior Bowl invite in 2023, but returned to school. He has the ideal pro body for an interior run stuffer. His length, strength, and post-snap feel have been NFL ready for years. His floor is that of a solid situational run defender. What he tried to enhance, but never quite got there, was the pass rush skill set. While he did show the occasional flash (especially in 2021, his final healthy season), Lovett is going to remain an unknown there. I like the upside he has in that area and if he does reach it, he can be a complete starting interior lineman that can wreak havoc. He will turn 25 toward the end of his rookie season and his medicals need some extra screening, but this is a sneaky high-ceiling, unique prospect.
*I am pretty sure I will be the only one with a grade this high on Lovett. I was here on him last year and I saw enough in 2023 to keep him there. 35.5” arms with his this foot quickness and lower body power? He screams starting DT. A foot injury history for a guy this big will need screening. I was told he got the green check there, thus I did not downgrade him. This is also a DT that makes sense for NYG without the size handicap. While he does not bring anything near the athletic ability of Fiske, he does bring more every-down ability and still has a pass rush upside that we got a glimpse of in 2021.
6) Michael Hall Jr. / Ohio State – 6’3 / 290
Grade: 78
Third-year sophomore entry, two-year starter from Streetsboro, OH. Hall Jr. has a unique game that is fully built on disruptive quickness. While he is undersized for every down duty inside, he knows how to get by blockers in a hurry. He fits the mold of the classic three-technique (where he spent 75% of his snaps) with developed rush moves and a nose for the ball. The comfort in which he moves with, both in space and in a phone booth, will make a difference. The ups and downs are real with a player like this. He gets moved and spun in the running game and the bull rush capabilities are low. The lack of consistent durability and overall workload could be sign of what he is truly capable week to week in the NFL. He will need a specific front and role to be effective and it will likely not be an every down role. Pass rushers have value, however, and his upside in that area is good enough to warrant a slight boost to his grade.
