Overview
Position: Interior defender (three-technique)
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 314 pounds
School: Florida Gators
Caleb Brantley 2017 NFL Draft Profile
Caleb Brantley is a native of the Sunshine State, coming from Crescent City. He was the ninth ranked recruit at his position and was 21st in the state of Florida. He stayed in the area choosing to play his college ball in Gainesville, and it worked out rather well for him. Brantley played a bit as a freshman, putting up 21 tackles, four going for loss. In 2015, Brantley became a full-time starter and added in three sacks with 28 tackles in 11 starts. His Junior year he put up 2.5 sacks and added 9.5 tackles for loss. It was enough to get him named to the second team All-SEC team. Brantley comes into the 2017 NFL draft as arguably the most pro ready interior defensive lineman in the country. The question becomes what is his upside, and what is his value in this NFL draft? Here is our scouting report.
Strengths
- Comes in with an NFL body.
- Has great energy, and motor.
- Can break through double teams.
- Vicious hands.
- Has an arsenal of pass rushing moves.
- Strong burst out of his breaks
Weaknesses
- Not the strongest ability to get off of the snap on time.
- Over-pursues and guesses in run defense.
- Struggles to get leverage.
- Not the best athlete.
NFL Comparison: Grady Jarrett
Teams with needs at position: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans
Projection: Late first to early second round
Bottom Line
The most important part of Brantley is that he has an NFL frame that can start right away. He has a stout frame, and can hold up against bigger sized lineman in the interior. Brantley knows how to win with leverage, and at the worst he can hold his ground in one on one situations.
Brantley has multiple moves to get into the backfield. He has a great burst, and when he times the snap right, he can get into the backfield in a hurry. However, his burst does come with some drawbacks. He tends to try too hard to jump the snap, and can either be caught offsides, or be a second or so behind. His burst out of his breaks makes up for it at times, but it also can see him missing plays, and shooting himself out of positions due to the lack of timing.
He also isn’t the most athletic tackle, and lateral running is not a skill in his repertoire. This is why he is much better as a pass rusher than a run defender. He does a great job at getting upfield quickly, and has a couple of pass rushing moves.
Brantley has strong hands, and good hand placement to win battles in the interior, and to avoid getting stuck on his blocker. Brantley can combine his ability to shed blocks with a group of counter moves that can typically get him into the backfield. He also has the initial push as well to instantly move the pocket, and if he can time the snap right, he is a terror to quarterbacks.
It is not the deepest class for interior tackles, but Brantley likely is the headliner. He may be limited to a 3-technique player, but with his initial skills, he has a place in the NFL. If some of the other aspects of his game can be refined, he could reach the upside of a Pro Bowl interior lineman at the next level.
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