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Simon tops list of defensive tackles
Posted: Saturday April 01, 2000 08:10 AM
This is a very lean draft for defensive tackles. Three-hundred-pound athletes who are quick enough to chase down a running back, and strong enough to hold up inside against constant double-teaming are always hard to find, and this year is no exception. Florida State's Corey Simon is the best defensive tackle in this draft and will be chosen somewhere between the fourth and eighth pick. At 297, Simon is now 20 pounds heavier than his college playing weight. His 41-inch vertical jump was better than any wide receiver at the Combine. He is a run-stopper with quickness and should be able to stay on the field in all situations. Boston College's Chris Hovan is a 305-pounder who bench-pressed 225 pounds 35 times at the combine. He ran the 20-yard short shuttle in a very impressive 4.16. That's a faster time than either Jackson State receiver Sylvester Morris or New Mexico linebacker Brian Urlacher turned in, and they're both projected first-rounders at skill positions. Some scouts consider Hovan a "manufactured" guy who created his numbers in the weight room. So far he has shown little as a pass rusher and may have to come out on third down. Still, every coach I know loves a guy who works hard and Hovan fits the bill. Seattle, Carolina, Indianapolis and Jacksonville will all give him a hard look late in the first round. Four other tackles could be marked for the second round. Simon's teammate at Florida State, Jerry Johnson, is on the short side at 6 feet, but is nearly 300 pounds with 5.05 speed. He'll fit nicely in a four-man front as a penetrator who can disrupt the running game. Tennessee's Darwin Walker has put on 13 pounds since the end of the season and is a running-down player with the reputation as having a "good motor." Mao Tosi played end for Idaho, but he ran a slow 5.31 at the Combine and at 310 pounds can't be considered anything but a tackle now. He was athletic enough to play some college basketball and that'll help him on pass-rush downs. Wake Forest's Fred Robbins, a 312-pounder, has moved up from the fifth round over the last two months. His 5.07 40 and 25 reps on the bench with his long arms make him a real good second-round selection. There's not a team in the league that doesn't want a young, powerful inside player for its defense. But with little depth at this position, some teams are going to have to wait another year. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years in the NFL as a coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer.
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