2023 NFL Draft 3-4 Defensive End Rankings

1. DJ Dale, Alabama

HT: 6025
WT: 300
4-star (0.9076) Super Junior from Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, AL)
DJ Dale has been a starter since he stepped on campus for the Alabama Crimson Tide, which speaks volumes about his ability, especially considering the rotation Alabama runs and how often they interchange starters. He’s a model 3-4 defensive end prospect with low upside but a very high ceiling.

Pros:

Decent mobility for his size.
Strong upper body to move blockers where he wants them to go. Has some nasty brute power that he can use to overwhelm blockers.
Dale’s first step can be a lot to handle. Pushes blockers back and forces them into their anchor with it.
Heavy hands and can slap down at engagement.
Good wrap up tackler.

Cons:

Shows his back a little too much for my liking and won’t utilize that power.
Doesn’t use his hands as well as some of the players in this class. I want to see him finish better.
Consistently not generating pressure on the quarterback. Has 16 career quarterback pressures entering 2022.

2. Gervon Dexter, Florida

HT: 6051
WT: 318
5 star (0.9946) Super Sophomore from Lake Wales (Lake Wales, FL)
Gurvon Dexter is a brute athlete who can move people with relative ease and has the prototype NFL body size. He’s played very well against SEC competition and has a chance to put together a dominant season in the SEC.

Pros:

Good athlete, especially for his size.
Very strong upper body. Knows he’s very strong. Dexter is very much a brute.
Explosive defender.
Solid hand placement. Starts low and springs upward which makes him very difficult to handle from the snap.
Very strong, heavy hands. Deflects blockers guard with relative ease.

Cons:

Lack of starting experience so far (just 11 starts in his first two seasons).
Still honing in on play recognition and instincts.
Tough, physical tackler who wants to impose his will on runners. Tends not to wrap up, but rather tries to fling runners. Will draw some facemask penalties with his brash style.

3. Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

HT: 5116
WT: 280
3 star (0.8614) Super Redshirt Sophomore from Northwestern (Miami, FL)
Calijah Kancey has drawn lofty comparisons in his first two years with the Pitt Panthers since taking the field – some people daring to mention NFL all-pro Aaron Donald. Maybe it’s just the uniform, but maybe it’s more. Kancey is a technical fighter with similar size to the all pro and overall a very similar skillset.

Pros:

Great speed for his size.
Excellent lateral quickness. Is a problem trying to deal with him at the line. Smaller than linemen and has no problem getting under their pads.
Good upper body strength to get push and disrupt the mechanics of the blocker. Strong lower body drive to push the blocker back, especially effective in 1v1 situations.
Strong first step. Very disruptive. Explosive defensive tackle.
Goes into every rep with a plan in place.
Strong, intense wrap up. Great tackler. Rangy defensive tackle who isn’t afraid to chase a play to the sideline.
Kancey has been a consistent pass rusher all of his career. Generated 64 pressures in his first two seasons, and jumped from 2 to 9 sacks from 2020 to 2021.

Cons:

Didn’t draw many double teams throughout his reps. Struggled with double teams mostly.
Would like to see better hand placement. He has so much potential and flashes it with his hand fighting but can’t consistently get to the right places.
Has good strength at his hands, but his lack of length will prevent him from getting off of blocks consistently.
Slow recognition. Doesn’t stay on with the play well.

4. Dante Stills, West Virginia

HT: 6036
WT: 285
4 star (0.9467) Super Senior from Fairmont (Fairmont, WV)
Dante Stills is an intriguing NFL prospect with the ability to both play outside and inside in just about every defensive scheme in the book. His brother, Darius, played defensive line at West Virginia, and his father, Gary, was an all-Big East linebacker for West Virginia before playing in the NFL with Kansas City, Baltimore, and the St. Louis Rams.

Pros:

Stills has great speed for the position, and may test well at the combine.
Explosive lateral quickness.
Good upper body strength. Strong arms allow him to make some arm tackles that a lot of players can’t make.
Good explosion. Difficult to contain off of the snap.
Great hand placement, can work a gap very quickly. Strong hands.
Excellent tackler. Wraps up well and has the strength to make solid arm tackles when he needs to. So disruptive in the gap.

Cons:

Doesn’t bend well.
First step isn’t consistent, but when he’s on it, he’s devastating.
Doesn’t often pull double teams because of the variety of usage across the defensive line.
Doesn’t always go in without a plan, so consistency is sometimes an issue. Flashes the ability to come after the passer (13 hurries, 8 QBH last year) but isn’t there nearly enough.

5. Cole Godbout, Wyoming

HT: 6026
WT: 274
Not Recruited Super Redshirt Junior from Hudson (Hudson, WI)
There are really about 5-6 plays per game that Cole Godbout consistently creates a big impact on. Whether he’s jumping the snap and penetrating or just flat-out disrupting with his effort and a relentless motor, Cole Godbout is one of the names we will be talking about in January.

Pros:

Moves well for the position group – would be among the top percentiles in his draft class.
Great lateral quickness – very difficult to get a bead on him.
Good first step – pops on tape immediately.
Drew double teams relatively often due to both his dominant presence and the position he played on the field. Has the ability to hold double teams consistently.
Good tackler. Made 70 tackles as a nose tackle last season. Has the ability to stop runners at the point of contact.
Recognition is great. Reads the play and adjusts very well, as his tackle numbers demonstrate. Naturally great instincts. Excellent defender in these regards.

Cons:

Good upper body strength – still has room on his frame to fill out. Does show that he can be overwhelmed and overpowered by stronger offensive linemen.
Showed the ability to be quicker than the double teams and could get into the backfield that way. Is very much overwhelmed when he doesn’t get off the ball faster than his opposition.
Hand placement isn’t great right now.
Has solid range to be able to evaluate his space-defending ability – and it’s not bad. He will be susceptible to quickness.

6. Jermayne Lole, Louisville

HT: 6010
WT: 305
3 star (0.8748) Super Redshirt Junior from Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, CA)
A transfer from Arizona State. Lined up all across the line at Arizona State – standing upright, down in the 3-tech, etc. Struggled at Arizona State overall with power. Contending for the starting job at Louisville at nose tackle. Has put on a lot of weight at Louisville to contend for that role.

Pros:

Good athlete. Moves well, especially for his size. Has put some weight on at Louisville so we will have to recheck.
Has a good first step. Fairly explosive athlete.
Solid wrap up tackler.
Generated 62 quarterback pressures between 2018 and 2020 and collected 13 sacks.

Cons:

Missed all of 2021 with an injury.
Lower body strength is suspect. Doesn’t have anything left to fall back on when he’s beaten off the line of scrimmage.
Didn’t see great hand placement from Lole. Doesn’t stay intense with his hands.
While he has good range for his position group, he won’t chase a play to the boundary. Has some effort and motor issues.