Darius Stills Overview
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 278 pounds
School: West Virginia Mountaineers
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.98 seconds
Vertical Jump: 32.5″
Broad Jump: 9’2″
Bench Press: 23 reps
Darius Stills 2021 NFL Draft Profile
It took several years for Darius Stills to showcase his talent by being a depth piece in his freshman and sophomore seasons. But in his junior season, he totaled 43 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles. Considering Stills played as a nose tackle in 2019, it is very impressive that he was able to be so disruptive. As a nose tackle, their job is to take on as many blocks as they can to open up space for the linebackers. As a result, Stills was selected to First Team All-Big 12.
During his senior season, Stills did not rack up the stats he did previously. He played all along the defensive line in a 3-3-5 defense. However, this was a result of defenses accounting and game-planning for Stills. In 2020, he had 25 total tackles, seven and a half tackles for loss, three and a half sacks, and an interception. West Virginia’s defense was much better in 2020 rankings 21st in the nation. Because of all these reasons, Stills received more national spotlight. He was named as an All American by several polls including AP, ESPN, Bleacher Report, and several others. Also, Stills was named the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Strengths
- Explosive first step;
- Instinctive pass rusher;
- High motor that plays to the end of the whistle;
- Good athlete with quick feet;
- Active hands.
Weaknesses
- Undersized with short arms;
- Below average run defender;
- Lacks discipline and technique;
- Lacks patience;
- Can get outmatched by bigger linemen.
NFL Comparison: Tyquan Lewis
Teams With Need at Position: San Fransisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detriot Lions, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angelos Rams, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Football Team
Draft Projection: Mid Sixth Round to Undrafted
Bottom Line on Darius Stills
Although he played as a nose tackle in West Virginia, he will not be able to do so at his weight in the NFL. Stills fits the bill perfectly as a three-technique in a single-gap shooting 4-3 defense. He takes pride in being the first player to react off the snap. As a result, Stills is best as an inside pass rusher. He is very active in short spurts and excels at that to the best of his ability. While in as an EDGE defender in college, Stills was at his best when coaches had him in stunts to the inside. Because of this, he is able to create pressure from the inside of the pocket to allow edge defenders to get credit for the sack. Stills is a player where a lot of his plays go unnoticed.
Although Stills will find himself in situations that suites his skillset best, he lacks the ability to play on early downs. Because his first step is so explosive without any discipline, he sometimes takes himself out of plays. This leads to holes opening up in the run game. Stills’ pass-rushing skill set is sometimes random because of his freestyling tendencies. Tackles and guards are able to reach around him and stonewall him due to his short arms. He will be best suited as a depth player along the defensive line where teams need a third-down rusher along the interior.
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