Bucs Draft 2024 Preview + Bucs Best Bets: DT

Pewter Report analyzes the top players in the 2024 NFL Draft with its position previews – energized by CELSIUS, the official energy drink of Pewter Report. Matt Matera continues the previews with the defensive tackle position, with a comprehensive look at what the Bucs have and what they need at the position.

Matera also provides a detailed list of this year’s top defensive tackles. In addition, Scott Reynolds offers up the Bucs’ draft needs and the annual Pewter Report Bucs Best Bets – the most likely defensive tackle for the Bucs to select in Rounds 1-3 and in Rounds 4-7.

What The Bucs Have At Defensive Tackle

The Bucs are pretty much bringing back the same group for 2024. Vita Vea is still in his prime as a leader of the group and a top nose tackle in the league. Last year’s first round pick, Calijah Kancey, has all the makings to be a great player as well, considering how he was able to return from a calf injury and record 10 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also added another 1.5 sacks in the postseason.

Logan Hall is heading into his third season and was typically a starter when the Bucs are in a 3-4 scheme. Hall hasn’t done enough yet in his Bucs career for the team to trust him being a starter for the future. His production has been pedestrian at best and he needs to make a big jump this season.

Backups Greg Gaines and long time Buccaneer Will Gholston are back again. Gaines is a solid replacement when Vea needs a break, and Gholston provides a lot as a mentor and filling in as a rotational player. C.J. Brewer, Eric Banks and Lwal Uguak round out the depth chart and will provide competition in training camp.

What The Bucs Need At Defensive Tackle

Adding another defensive tackle is very much on the board for Tampa Bay, whether it’s in an early round or later on. Vita Vea is 29 and won’t perform at a high level of production forever. Logan Hall, who has two years remaining on his deal, can’t be relied upon. If the Bucs don’t see Hall as a big part of the rotation this year, it’s best to add another defensive tackle into the mix to pair with Calijah Kancey now and for the future.

Reserves Greg Gaines and Will Gholston, who turns 33 this year, are each on one-year deals, so there’s no guarantee how long they’ll be around. Drafting a defensive tackle early could give the Bucs a new starter over Hall, or at least push him in training camp.

A late-round pick adds depth and gives the Bucs another option should an injury occur to any of the other players. It best suits Tampa Bay to have another younger player along the defensive line in the event they have to replace several defensive tackles next offseason. So heading in to this year’s draft everything is on the table.

Top Defensive Tackles In 2024 NFL Draft

1. Texas DT Byron Murphy II – Junior – 6-1, 297, 4.87

There’s a very fair argument that Murphy should be the top ranked defensive tackle in this group. He is a force a power that tosses offensive lineman aside on plays. He gained all that power being a menace in the weight room. In addition to his strength, Murphy has exceptional speed for a defensive tackle on the line of scrimmage. While his arm length is lacking, Murphy makes up for it in every other area.

He had a lot of playing time over this three years at Texas, but he didn’t become a starter until last season, starting in all 14 games. Murphy recorded 29 tackles last season with 8.5 tackles and five sacks. This earned him Big XII Defensive Lineman of the Year, first-team all Big XII and second-team All-American honors. Murphy also played a little bit of offense lining up in goal line situations, scoring a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.

2. Illinois DT Johnny Newton – Senior – 6-2, 304, N/A

Newton is an ultra-talented defensive tackle who can showcase his skillset is many different ways.  He had a productive career at Illinois with 164 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks over the past three seasons, whereas Texas’ Byron Murphy II posted 70 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks over the same three-season span. But Newton has also made more impact plays with five pass deflections, four blocked kicks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles while Murphy gets blanked in those statistical categories.

Newton also rarely came off the field, averaging 62.4 snaps per game and is quite durable. Murphy played about half of those snaps and was part of a four-man rotation at Texas, averaging 31.3 snaps per game. Newton is from St. Petersburg, Fla. and is cousins with Bucs inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis. He suffered a broken pinky toe that slowed his offseason training, but he has since had surgery to fix the injury.

3. Michigan DT Kris Jenkins – Redshirt Junior – 6-3, 299, 4.91

On a Michigan defense that had a lot of standout players, Jenkins dominated the middle of the interior. He’s the prototypical run stopping defensive tackle that NFL teams look for in a prospect. Jenkins, whose father was a stud defensive tackle who played for the Carolina Panthers, can be light on his feet, but mostly wins with a great deal of strength and sticking to fundamentals. He’ll be sure to eat up double teams at the next level.

Jenkins started for two years on the Wolverines defense. He was a team captain during the 2023 season. In 44 career games Jenkins recorded 112 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, one pass breakup and an interception. Last year he was also second-team All Big 10 and second team All-American in college football.

4. Florida State DT Braden Fiske – Redshirt Senior – 6-4, 292, 4.78

Watching a player with the gargantuan size of Fiske be able to move so fast doesn’t make sense, but it’s marvel to see him do it. Fiske began his college career playing at Western Michigan for five seasons and then really put himself on the map in 2023 playing for Florida State. Fiske is a mobile defensive lineman with great technique who can stop the run but also has some pass rushing prowess as well.

Fiske has six sacks in 2022, his last year with Western Michigan, and also recorded six more with the Seminoles in 2023 helping Florida State go undefeated in the regular season. He had 191 career tackles with 36.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Fiske earned second team All-MAC and second team All-ACC respectively at Western Michigan and Florida State. He was outstanding at the Senior Bowl, winning Defensive Practice Player of the Week for some great performances.

5. Clemson DT Ruke Orhorhor0 – Redshirt Senior – 6-4, 294, 4.89

Orhorhoro was a three-year starter for the Tigers and posted a career-high five sacks in 2023 after notching four the previous season. With quickness and strong hands, Orhorhoro has notched eight tackles for loss in each of the last three seasons at Clemson and lives in the backfield.

His 4.89 time in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 294 pounds speaks to Orhorhoro’s athleticism. In fact, Orhorhoro is the 17th-most athletic defensive tackle prospect in the draft since 1987. He can play all three downs with his stoutness in run defense and pass rushing ability. Orhorhoro had a formal interview with Tampa Bay during the NFL Scouting Combine.

6. Ohio State DT Michael Hall Jr. – Redshirt Sophomore – 6-3, 299, N/A

Hall is a twitchy gap shooter who can play well as a backup to Calijah Kancey as a backup 3-technique on rush downs and as a 4i/5-technique in base personnel. He is quick off the line and loves to penetrate gaps both as a pass rusher and when defending against horizontal run schemes. He uses his hands well to find pressure points against opposing linemen and can reduce his surface area to help him win quickly.

Hall lacks ideal size and has trouble anchoring against double teams. But in a run defense that features Vita Vea, the idea of building depth for the Bucs’ four-man pass rush with a player like Hall is enticing. As a redshirt sophomore, there is room for him to continue to grow in terms of mass on his frame and his overall long-term outlook. Hall impressed at the Senior Bowl with some big moments during one-on-one drills.

7. Oregon DT Brandon Dorlus – Redshirt Senior – 6-3, 283, 4.85

Dorlus was another player who benefited from the Senior Bowl. He was tossing opponents throughout the week in a way where he made a highly difficult task look quite easy. Dorlus has an excellent skillset with power and good enough speed off of the ball. He could use a little bit more consistency in his play, but the different pass rushing moves he has makes him an intriguing prospect.

He’s started for three straight seasons at Oregon, so he’s well experienced. Dorlus can often be found in the backfield having recorded 27 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in his career. During his time with the Ducks he was second team All-PAC 12 in 2022 and first team All-PAC 12 in 2021 and 2023. Dorlus has been working out in Tampa as he gets ready for the 2024 NFL Draft. His 14 pass deflections, including nine last year, have him on the Bucs’ radar.

8. LSU DT Maason Smith – Redshirt Sophomore – 6-5, 306, 5.01

Showing a good deal of athleticism, Smith has the agility to go sideline to sideline and stay in on every play. Of course he has prototypical size that teams want to see in a prospect that make him an intriguing option. Smith typically gets the first punch on his lineman opponent at the point of contact when the ball is snapped.

There is some concern that Smith does not do well when taking on double teams. Also, he comes with an injury history after tearing his ACL during the 2022 season and essentially missed the whole season except for one game. He did return in 2023 starting 12 games for LSU recording 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

9. Texas DT T’Vondre Sweat – Redshirt Senior – 6-4, 366, 5.27

Sweat is a gigantic human being who is as strong as they come. Given his size he is quite athletic as well. Sweat can obliterate opponents in front of him with his power just on strength and the separation his arm length allows for him. He’s also built a knack to swat down passes at the line of scrimmage, showing his athleticism. Sweat just needs to play at a more consistent level.

While there is a lot to like about him as a player, there concerns were already had about his maturity level. During the pre-draft process Sweat was arrested and charged with a DWI. At the time it’s not known if this will cause his draft stock to drop. In five years at Texas, Sweat racked up 128 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble and 14 pass breakups. He also caught a touchdown pass and blocked an extra point. Last season he was a unanimous All-American, the Outland Award winner and first-team All Big 12.

10. Duke DT Dewayne Carter – Redshirt Senior – 6-2, 302, 4.99

An agile defensive tackle, Carter excels being able to stop the opponent’s run game. That’s not all he does, though, as he can play all three downs and doesn’t have to be taken off the field. He also has a high football IQ. Carter just needs to develop more of a pass rushing game if he wants to get as much playing time as he can at the NFL level.

Carter was a team captain for Duke. He’s made a lot of splash plays in his career, including a scoop-and-score touchdowns in 2022 in 2023, plus a blocked field goal that year as well. In his last college season, Carter earned won the Jim Tatum award and was first-team All-ACC.

Best Of The Rest

11. LSU DT Mekhi Wingo – Redshirt Junior – 6-0, 284, 4.85

Wingo is a high-motor player that works tirelessly to get the job done. He played for two different sets of Tigers, beginning his college career at Missouri, where he had a highlight 40-yard pick-six before transferring to LSU. Wingo is at his best when shooting the gap right away and disrupting the play before it can even get going. He has a solid anchor so he doesn’t lose much ground.

Wingo is on the shorter side and needs to always play with sound technique or else he can’t take over the rep. A team captain, Wingo only played in eight games last season after missing five games with a groin injury, but still managed to have a career best 4.5 sacks for LSU.

12. Miami DT Leonard Taylor III – Junior – 6-3, 303, 5.12

There’s certainly the ability to get into the backfield for Taylor, who recorded 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2022, although those numbers decreased to 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack in 2023. That may have been because he had offseason surgery that forced him to miss time in the spring in preparation for the year.

He has big size and a solid amount of athletic ability since he recorded an interception in his college career. Taylor needs to stay in his gap and develop more moves since he’s still pretty raw as a player.

13. Alabama DT Justin Eboigbe – Redshirt Senior – 6-4, 297, 5.18

Eboigbe had a stellar last season for Alabama putting up great numbers with 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He has good fundamentals, especially playing his best right as the ball is snapped. Eboigbe has nice arm length that helps him win a fair amount of his matchups, letting his strength do the rest of the work.

His situation was very serious in 2022 when a spinal cord injury cost him all but four games that year, but as stated he came back with a vengeance during the 2023 season. The medicals will be important for him during this draft process coming up. He earned first team all-SEC with the Crimson Tide.

14. Auburn DT Marcus Harris – Redshirt Senior – 6-2, 286, 5.06

A standout at the Senior Bowl, Harris is a bit undersized and has short, 32-inch arms. He’s one inch taller and a few pounds heavier than Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who was the Bucs’ first-round pick last year. But what he lacks in size, Harris makes up for in quickness and technique.

He has an uncanny ability to slip blocks and penetrate the backfield and has great hands. Harris’ high motor is on display on film and that was one of his best traits at the Senior Bowl. Between Kansas and Auburn, Harris recorded 126 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups.

15. Clemson DT Tyler Davis – Redshirt Senior – 6-2, 301, 5.02

His best season came in 2019 where he had 43 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and two pass breakups. He was able to duplicate the TFLs and sacks in 2022, with 9.5 and 5.5, so he rid return to form. Davis has some injury history that might be a concern to teams.

Davis was a team captain for Clemson so he has leadership qualities and is considered a high football IQ player. He doesn’t have the explosiveness but he’ll try to make up for it with his instincts.

16. Texas A&M DT Mckinley Jackson – Senior – 6-1, 326, 5.26

The Texas A&M product often drew double teams during his time in college because of his ability to win one-on-ones with his explosiveness. There’s a lot of upside for Jackson as a later Day 2 pick.

Jackson is compact at 6-foot-2, 325 pounds, but he displays good agility and burst off the snap. He’s very good against the run, and while he has room to grow as a pass rusher, he has shown glimpses of pass rush chops. He totaled 55 pressures over his four-year career with the Aggies.

17. Baylor DT Gabe Hall – Redshirt Senior – 6-6, 294, 5.03

Hall can play as a three-tech or a five-tech on the defensive line. He provides explosiveness up front but doesn’t play consistently enough to be an every-down defensive tackle. Hall recorded 12.5 sacks in his college career, earning honorable mention All-Big XII last season. He’s had his moments as a player, it’s just a matter of if he can put it all together at the next level.

18. Mississippi State DT Jake Crumedy – Redshirt Senior 6-4, 301, 4.97

For his size, Crumedy moves very well considering his 40-time was just under five seconds. He’s pretty athletic and can be a rotational defensive lineman in a system. He lacks the regular fundamentals that teams want when drafting a defensive tackle. Crumedy is also 24 years old already so he’s up there in age compared to others in his draft class.

19. Florida State DT Fabian Lovett Sr. – Redshirt Senior – 6-4, 316, 5.0

He has great length and is very strong when in combat against the opponent. There’s not much quickness from Lovett that teams ideally desire, and it probably played a factor in not being a starter for Florida State last year, though he did play in 13 games. Lovett has some abilities as a pass rusher if he can showcase those traits on a regular basis.

20. Illinois DT Keith Randolph Jr. – Redshirt Senior – 6-3, 296, 5.15

Randolph provides the fundamental traits that are required of a player that wants to succeed at the NFL level. He knows how to read a play and make the right call on it. He’s mobile enough and has a couple of moves, but can also play too stiff and get out of position at times. Last year he was a team captain and honorable mention All-Big XII.

21. LSU DT Jordan Jefferson – Redshirt Senior – 6-3, 316, 5.08

Playing most of his career at West Virginia, Jefferson transfered over to LSU for the 2023 season and was able to start the last six games on their schedule. Strength is a big factor of his game but he doesn’t have variety in moves to beat the opponent.

22. Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd – Redshirt Senior – 6-2, 329, N/A

A small school player, Boyd does his best work stopping the run up the middle. He fights to stay in his gap and keep the back from going where he is. Sometimes Boyd will get too high with his pad level when taking on a blocker, causing him to lose his rep. He needs to keep his fundamentals together.

23. Cincinnati DT Jowon Briggs – Redshirt Senior – 6-1, 313, 5.00

Briggs played two seasons and Virginia and then transferred to Cincinnati for the next three years. He was first-team All-AAC with the Bearcats in 2022, getting an honorable mention nomination in 2023. Briggs was a team captain that year as well, recording a career-best in tackles for loss with six. Briggs had 12 sacks in his career, including two in his last season. He’s got some pass-rushing skills to work with his length, but doesn’t get off the ball quick enough.

Bucs Best Bets: Defensive Tackle

Bucs Best Bet – Rounds 1-3: Clemson DT Ruke Orhorhoro

The Bucs appear to be quite interested in Orhorhoro after formally interviewing him at the NFL Scouting Combine and having the Clemson product in for a Top 30 visit in April. It’s easy to see why due to Orhorhoro’s athleticism. He ran a 4.89 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine at 6-foot-4, 294 pounds, which was impressive. The Nigerian native is a hard-working, hustling defender who is stout against the run and emerging as a pass rusher. Orhorhoro is strong with great grip strength in his hands.

He’s had eight tackles for loss in each of his last three seasons, but his sack production has been on the rise. Orhorhoro had 2.5 sacks in 2021, four sacks in 2022 and five sacks last year. His nine career pass deflections is noteworthy because he’s affected the pass rush in other ways besides sacks and pressures. Orhorhoro could be drafted to replace Logan Hall, who has underwhelmed in his first two seasons in Tampa Bay after being selected at the top of the second round with the Bucs’ first pick in 2022. Orhorhoro could be drafted late in the second round, but won’t last past the third round.

Bucs Best Bet – Rounds 4-7: Auburn DT Marcus Harris

Bucs general manager Jason Licht is no stranger to drafting Auburn defenders. He’s drafted cornerbacks Carlton Davis III (2018) and Jamel Dean (2019), in addition to middle linebacker K.J. Britt (2021) from the Tigers defense. Harris is another Bucs fit due to his strength and quickness. He has heavy hands that can punch and shed an offensive lineman quickly so he can penetrate the backfield and make plays. Harris had a breakout year at Auburn with 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a senior. That led to his appearance in the Senior Bowl where he had a great week and shined. Among the QBs that Harris sacked last year were LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

Harris is a Day 3 selection because he’s undersized at 6-foot-2, 286 pounds. That’s the same weight as Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and Harris is just one inch taller. But Harris ran a 5.06 in the 40-yard dash while Kancey blazed a 4.57 time a year ago at the NFL Scouting Combine. Yet with his playing strength and quick first step, Harris has some Kancey-like traits and would be a great fit in Tampa Bay. Equally adept at rushing the passer and stuffing the run, Harris would be an ideal pick in the sixth round if he lasts that long. The Bucs had an informal interview with Harris at the NFL Scouting Combine.