NFL Draft prospects: Ranking defensive tackles heading into the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is finally here. The first round takes place on Thursday, April 27, and will be televised on ABC and ESPN at 8:00 p.m. ET. After the first 31 picks are selected, the remaining six rounds will take place on Friday and Saturday. Here, we’ll take a look at this year’s defensive tackle prospects heading into the draft.

Likely first player off the board

Jalen Carter will almost certainly be the first defensive tackle off the board, and we can expect him to go in the top five picks of this year’s draft. He ranks third overall, and the next-best DT shows up at No. 31 in the overall rankings. Carter was a member of two national championship-winning Georgia teams who were known for their defenses.

However, Carter has had off-the-field issues and was arrested in March for reckless driving. He is the most talented player in the class at his position, but teams may be hesitant to take him because of this.

Biggest names

Clemson’s Bryan Bresee has been a highly-touted prospect throughout his years in college, but his injury issues limited his play with the Tigers. However, we can still expect to see him go in the second round, though it won’t be what he hoped for a year ago. Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey is another exciting prospect whose name will be called in the first or second round. Kancey had seven sacks in both 2021 and 2022.

Sleepers

LSU’s Jaquelin Roy has some serious potential with his explosiveness and lateral movement. He has a good build for the position and could even move to defensive end at the next level. Texas’ Moro Ojomo is also a guy to keep an eye on — he is one of the best defenders of the run in his draft class. Western Kentucky’s Brodric Martin has an intriguing size and build reminiscent of Jordan Davis, and could become a major weapon with more coaching.