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1. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska – Suh is a great athlete for his size, and has a rare combination of strength, power, and speed. Has a very good football IQ, and plays the run and pass equally well. He can be a dominant run stopper even when double teamed because of his great quickness and ability to penetrate. Because Suh is such a great athlete sometimes he gets too high with his pad level and can miss a tackle or two. He needs to improve his technique, because in the NFL he will be playing against the best offensive linemen in the world—athleticism alone won’t cut it.
2. Terrence Cody, Alabama – They call him “Mount Cody”, and does that nickname ever fit, Cody is huge at 6' 5" and 365 pounds. Last season was Cody's first season at Alabama coming from Gulf Coast Community College and he missed two games with a sprained MCL. Cody has good agility for a man with his size and has the ability to play as a 3-4 nose tackle or a 4-3 defensive tackle. He is similar to B.J. Rajiwho was drafted 9th overall by the Green Bay Packer in this years draft, but Cody is only bigger, and possibly better when it is all said and done, if he can keep his weight in check.
3. Arthur Jones, Syracuse – Jones sustained a torn left pectoral muscle while lifting weights on February 23, and had to have surgery to repair it. Last season, the Syracuse lineman had 60 total tackles with 13 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He has good size at 6' 4" 300 pounds and projects to be a defensive tackle in the 4-3 at the NFL level because of his ability to penetrate and get in the backfield while taking on double teams. Some may view om as a potential fit as a 3-4 defensive end. Teams want to see if he can regain his strength after his injury.
4. D'Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech – Smith a good size for defensive tackle at 6' 2" and 307 pounds. Last season he started all 13 games displaying his durability and earned first team All-WAC honors for his efforts. He had 65 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks for the season. He is a good overall athlete who has the ability to plug the holes in the running game and also get after the passer. Show good passing rushing moves for a defensive tackle and that is something that 4-3 defensive coordinators in the NFL are looking for.
5. Tyson Alualu, California – Alualu is a good overall athlete and has good size enough size at 6' 2" and 291 pounds. He can play defensive tackle and is athletic enough to move to defensive end if call upon to do that. Last season he had 62 tackles, 11 tackles for loss at six sacks. He is equal good against the run, as well as rushing the passer, and will fit in to a 4-3 defense as a defensive tackle. He could add some bulk and his frame will allow that. He is a hard worker and doesn’t take plays off, going hard on every play, something we can't say about everyone on the list. He is a mature guy off the field, which is another plus. Alualu is already married and has two kids.
6. Jared Odrick, Penn State – Last season Odrick emerged as one of the nation's top defensive linemen with 41 total tackles, 9.5 for loss, and 4.5 sacks. His 2007 season was cut short by ankle and hand injuries, so he had a lot to prove and didn't disappoint. Odrick has excellent size a 6' 5" and 306 pounds. The Nittany Lion almost always command double teams, which allows other players to make plays. He plays the run well, but also has the ability to rush the passer, and can play both inside, as well as on the edge. He is a hard worker and doesn’t take plays off.
7. Vincent Oghobaage, Duke – Duke doesn’t get a lot of love when it comes to college football but Oghobaage will put them on the map when it comes to the NFL Draft next season . It is hard to find 6' 6", 300-pound defensive tackles that are good overall athletes and can make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He has shown the ability to penetrate into the backfield and does a good job playing with leverage. Last season Oghobaage had 51 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and six sacks.
8. Jeff Owens, Georgia – Owens last season registered one tackle before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter vs. Georgia Southern, which forced him to back for another season between the hedges. Despite his knee injury, Owens is someone that is high on NFL draft boards, because of his size and athleticism. He is 6' 1" and 305 pounds, and can move up and down the line of scrimmage against the run. The Bulldog needs to improve on his pass rushing moves and his ability to get into the backfield more, which would allow him to be more of any impact player behind the line of scrimmage.
9. Shaunte "Boo" Robinson, Wake Forest – Robinson is a guy who could end up moving up this list before it is all said and done. It's hard not to like his overall game. If he could get a little bigger (6' 1"/292 pounds) and stronger, watch out, because he is a good overall athlete who can penetrate the backfield and make plays against the run, as wel as rush the passer. He is a "Tampa Two" defensive tackle and could be a better overall player than Peria Jerry who was a first round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2009 NFL Draft. Last season he had 47 total tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks and one interception. He is someone that could be rising up draft boards as we get closer to the NFL Draft.
10. Geno Atkins, Georgia – Atkins doesn’t have the overwhelming size but he makes up for that with speed and quickness. He is a "Tampa Two" type defensive tackle that is a good athlete with the ability to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. Atkins is very active and fires off the ball very well. He has the ability to penetrate and wreak havoc in the backfield, and shows he can shed blocks. Consistency is this biggest issue with this Bulldog, which is why he has seen his playing time dip as a senior.
