Chicago Bears 2015 Draft: Top Defensive Tackles To Target

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Danny Shelton (6-foot-2, 343 pounds), Washington

Danny Shelton is the favorite among the current mock drafts. Shelton is built like a house, and it might be easier to move a house than to move him. With his big frame he attracts double teams.

Shelton has a powerful bull rush and he is able to walk centers down and back into the backfield. Despite his big frame, he is light on his feet. He is able to run to the sidelines and downfield against the run or pass.

Shelton has good awareness as a pass rusher. He is constantly jumping into the passing lanes, trying to block passes when he can’t get to the quarterback.

At the higher level, Shelton will need to incorporate more moves in his pass rushing repertoire. He has just the standard bull rush, but the linemen at the NFL level are a bit bigger and stronger, so he has to diversify his moves. Needs to learn to use a swim move and spin move.

When he gets tired, he sometimes gets lazy and stands up at the snap. That gives the lineman a chance to knock Shelton off the line of scrimmage.

NFL Network Draft analyst Mike Mayock has high praise for Shelton. “When you put the tape on, you can’t help but think of Haloti Ngata,” Mayock said. “For a guy that’s 343 pounds, his strength is outstanding. He’s got a little hump move like Reggie White and Howie Long had, too. He has way more lateral quickness than people think he has and he played the majority of snaps at the University of Washington. Most big guys can’t do that.”

Ryan Pace can’t go wrong with going with size. Coach John Fox likes to build a great defensive line, and going with Shelton would be a great first step.

Next: Leonard WIlliams