Overview
Position: Interior defensive lineman
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 340 pounds
School: Washington Huskies
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.10 seconds
Bench press: 41 reps (second most at 2018 NFL Combine)
Vita Vea 2018 NFL Draft Profile
The importance of having a run-stuffing interior gap penetrator in today’s NFL cannot be overstated. Making teams one-dimensional by neutralizing their ability to run the football gives the defense an improved chance of forcing empty possessions. Part of that entails keeping running backs at bay between the tackles. Among this year’s draft prospects, there may not be a better player equipped to get this done at the next level than Vita Vea.
The Milpitas, CA native came to prominence as a redshirt sophomore in 2016. Despite starting just five games, Vea was a regular presence in opposing teams’ backfields. He finished the season with 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. The latter total ranked second best on the team. All of it played a prominent role in him garnering Pac-12 second team accolades.
Vea followed that up with another stellar campaign last year. He started all 13 games for the Huskies, establishing himself as a menace at the point of attack in run situations. Among all draft-eligible players, Vea ranked fourth in Pro Football Focus’ run stop percentage signature stat and was one of just 18 to exceed 10 percent. He earned second-team All-American and first-team All-Conference honors. He also took home a multitude of postseason awards, including the Pat Tillman Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Morris Trophy, given the league’s top defensive lineman. Vea became the first Washington player to win the latter award in 24 years.
Strengths
- freakish build and overall stature;
- perhaps the best combination of size, speed, and athleticism among this year’s interior defender prospects;
- instinctual player who consistently tracks and contains;
- every down interior lineman with plus pass rushing acumen;
- utilizes strong base, knee bend, and hand placement to overpower blockers;
- ability to draw double teams opens up gaps for linebackers and one-on-one opportunities for other linemen;
- easily sheds blockers when reaching laterally to wrap up runners;
- skill set tailor-made for exotic blitz packages.
Weaknesses
- oftentimes relies too much on physical traits rather than sound technique;
- excessive forward lean can hamper his ability to stay upright;
- could improve ability to utilize leverage available to him given his size;
- slow to engage post-snap at times;
- pad level gets too high allowing him to get put on his heels;
- needs to diagnose gap vs zone blocking schemes more quickly;
- despite pass rush ability, teams might utilize him primarily as a two-gap run stopper.
NFL Comparison: Akiem Hicks
Teams With Need at Position: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins
Projection: Mid-first round
Bottom Line
There’s no doubt that Vea possesses a body type and an overall skill set made for success at the next level. He can line up all over the line of scrimmage, from a straight zero technique on top of the center all the way to a five outside the shoulder of the tackle. That makes him an ideal fit in both odd and even fronts. Still, there’s room for improvement if he’s to reach his ceiling. Specifically, he needs to become a more refined interior defender rather than defaulting to raw power when trying to win the battle in the trenches. If he can do so, Vea has all the makings of a regular starter and perennial Pro Bowler. That potential more than likely means he’s off the board on day one of the draft.
