NFL Draft Cluster Buster: 1st Round Defensive Tackles
The concept of a ‘cluster buster’ was first introduced to me while listening to NFL.com’s draft analyst Daniel Jermiah’s Move the Sticks podcast. In essence it’s about a scout’s method to stacking the draft board and ranking similarly rated players. Each team has different needs and ultimately that will mean the 32 boards will be stacked completely differently, but for us as analysts it’s interesting to sort through the info we have and come to our own conclusion about who deserves a higher spot on the big board.
Our first trio of prospects are all defensive tackles who the consensus of draft analysts have ranked outside the top 10 but likely first rounders. As a Cincinnati Bengals fan myself it was an obvious place to start. The Bengals have a major need at the position and drafting at pick 17, all of the three players I picked are heavily in play. The Vikings, Cardinals and Steelers are also teams who appear to have a need that aligns with this particular cluster.
So, let’s get into it. We have Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon and Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen. All bring different qualities to the table but who should teams be most excited about?
Size and Style
When it comes to size, we’ll start with the biggest of our trio. Michigan’s Kenneth Grant weighed an impressive 331lbs at the Scouting Combine, but even that weight was somewhat lower than his in-season measurements. That bulk comes in handy for Grant, who spent 28% of his college snaps in the A-Gap, much more than either Harmon (4%) or Nolen (7%).
Nolen is more twitchy at 6’4, 296lbs, while Harmon splits the difference at 6’5, 310lbs. These two project more easily as 3-techniques at the next level, whose athleticism allowed them to even work mostly in the B-gap but also over tackles for a significant number of snaps.
Production and analytics
The remit for a defensive tackle is changing at the NFL level and teams are beginning to weaponise the interior rushers as a quick way to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Players like Dexter Lawrence and Jalen Carter are now game wreckers as well as being stout vs the run.
If we are looking at pure pass rush production numbers then Harmon leads the way. Per PFF’s Pass Rush Production statistic, the Oregon player had a score of 9.1 compared to Nolen’s 6.2 and Grant’s 4.9. Harmon’s 55 pressures far outstripped the other two, even if Nolen got home more often with six sacks as opposed to Harmon’s 5.
But, how did they shape up in the other vital aspect of the game, vs the run? This one goes to Nolen at Ole Miss. His PFF run grade was 91.6 and he had 32 tackles in the backfield, that’s backed up by the tape where Nolen is quick to work off blocks and free himself to cause havoc. Grant had 22 stops and scouts believe he has more potential to become a more dynamic 3-down player after a few years in the league. Harmon had 25 stops but an alarming missed tackle rate of 26.7% in 2024.
What the scouts say
Per The Athletic’s Consensus Big Board, it is Nolen who currently has the edge, ranking 17th behind only Mason Graham and Mykel Williams (who has edge versatility) at the position. Draft expert Dane Brugler sums up Nolen’s skillset perfectly:
‘With his length and surge off the ball, Nolen creates immediate force and can be a play-wrecker because of how quickly he penetrates gaps’
Intriguingly, Hayden Winks at Underdog Network has Grant ranked ahead of the other two but highlights the limitations of his profile:
‘Given his frame, Grant will likely need to be subbed out for a third of his snaps, but his physical tools make him an exciting interior disruptor. … Comps: Dexter Lawrence, Derrick Brown, Jordan Davis.’
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah makes it clear that Harmon’s pass rush ability is his biggest selling point:
‘Harmon is a quick, disruptive defensive tackle with excellent instincts. As a pass rusher, he has quick hands to knock away the punch of opposing linemen. He also has a club/rip move that helps him collect early wins’.
Stacking the board
All that’s left now is to formulate your own ranking of the prospects. For me, it does depend heavily on the style of defensive tackle you are searching for. If you need a steadying anchor against the run, it’s difficult to argue against Kenneth Grant. His athleticism also suggests there is more juice to be squeezed in terms of pass rush ability.
The gap between Nolen and Harmon seems slimmer but overall Nolen’s efficiency versus the run and sack production should give him the edge. Rumours that he had run-in’s with the Texas A&M staff will also need to be cross-checked.
As of now, I think Nolen has the highest potential ceiling simply due to his more explosive attributes, however Grant may be the safest pick. Harmon’s pass-rush ability shouldn’t be ignored but his discipline vs the run may need to improve to thrive at the next level.
My rankings
1. Walter Nolen
2. Kenneth Grant
3. Derrick Harmon
Rory-Joe Daniels
NFL & Cfb contributor
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.