Nose Tackle?
Redskins Expected to Eye Nose Tackles In the Draft
-- PHIL TAYLOR, BAYLOR
Taylor, 6-4 and 340 pounds, improved his draft status at the Senior Bowl last month. He is regarded as a top-notch run defender. His weight may need to be monitored, but it does not seem to slow him down on the football field. He started the last two years at Baylor, posted 107 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks. A native of Clinton, Md., Taylor originally played at Penn State but was dismissed from the team after an altercation with a teammate. He transferred to Baylor instead and has thrived since.
-- STEPHEN PAEA, OREGON STATE
Paea could fit the ball at either end or nose tackle. He started the last three years for the Beavers, logging 126 tackles, 29.5 tackles for a loss and 14 sacks. Paea, 6-1 and 311 pounds, grew up in the Tongan Islands. At Oregon State, he regularly dealt with double teams and he responded by becoming a workout warrior, establishing himself as the strongest player on the defense. Paea suffered a knee injury during a Senior Bowl practice and his participation may be limited at the NFL Scouting Combine.
-- MARVIN AUSTIN, NORTH CAROLINA
Austin, 6-3 and 310 pounds, enters the draft having sat out the 2010 season. He was dismissed from the Tar Heels football team for violating an NCAA rule, according to reports. A native of Washington, D.C. and Ballou High School, Austin started his sophomore and junior seasons and finished his college career with 106 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss and nine sacks.
-- JERRELL POWE, MISSISSIPPI
Great name for a nose tackle. Powe is another behemoth at 6-2 and 340 pounds and scouts say his short, squatty size gives him an initial explosive burst. He has the skills to be a dominant run-stuffer in the NFL. He didn’t play regularly until the 2008 season due to academic issues. In three years at Ole Miss, Powe recorded 60 tackles, 24 tackles for a loss and six sacks.
-- KENRICK ELLIS, HAMPTON
Ellis is physically imposing at 6-4 and 340 pounds and he is expected to be a solid run-stuffer in a 3-4 scheme. He transferred to Hampton from South Carolina following the 2007 season. He left the Gamecocks after he was suspended for violating team policy. Ellis dominated in the MEAC, logging 186 tackles (including 94 as a senior last year), 37.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks in his college career.
-- SIONE FUA, STANFORD
Fua was among the standouts at the Senior Bowl last month and he was a big reason why Stanford went from 55th in run defense to 19th last year. Fua played defensive tackle early in his college career but started at nose tackle as a senior on Stanford’s defense. In four years for the Cardinal, he logged 80 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss and nine sacks. Fua displays good quickness for a big man