NFL Draft Positional Spotlight: Defensive Tackle

The 2023 NFL Draft is less than three weeks, and with the annual Scouting Combine and the individual Pro Days now in the books, the hype and excitement surrounding this year’s event continues to heat up by the day.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, we’ll continue to take a look at some position groups in this year’s class while examining a handful of names to know.

Here’s a look at what we’ve discussed so far: WR | EDGE | OT

We’ll continue with some defensive tackle prospects to know in this year’s class.

Chiefs Defensive Tackles Under Contract for the 2023 Season: Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Tershawn Wharton, Danny Shelton, Daniel Wise, Phil Hoskins and Byron Cowart

Depending on where you look, the various experts from around the web have identified a handful of defensive tackles who could potentially go in the first round. One of those players – Georgia’s Jalen Carter – is projected to be selected within the top 10, and for the purpose of this Chiefs-specific breakdown, we won’t discuss him.

Outside of Carter, however, there are several players who could go anywhere from the top 15 to late in the first round and beyond. Here’s a look at several of those individuals, including where they currently rank among their peers according to the pundits.

Additionally, some players feature analysis from the folks at Pro Football Focus, NFL.com and The Athletic.

Measurables: 6-foot-1, 281 pounds

Snapshot: The experts note that Kancey is traditionally undersized for the position, but that didn’t stop him from recording the top Pro Football Focus pass-rushing grade among all interior defenders in 2022. He tallied 47 pressures on 275 pass-rushing snaps last season.

Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 13 overall (No. 2 DT)

Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (April 5): No. 27 overall (No. 2 DT)

Dane Brugler (The Athletic) Draft Guide: No. 26 overall (No. 3 DT)

Pro Football Focus: “Kancey may be undersized, but he knows how to get to…