Best defensive tackle fits for Patriots in 2025 NFL Draft class

Best defensive tackle fits for Patriots in 2025 NFL Draft class originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Editor's Note:In the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Phil Perry is identifying the best fits for the Patriots at each position based on the traits that Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf value as well as intel from coaches and scouts.

We've already hit onoffensive tackles, interior offensive linemen, tight ends, running backs, quarterbacks, slot cornerbacks, safeties and linebackers.Next up, defensive tackles.

If the Patriots want to continue to add to their defensive line, you would understand why.

Yes, they just signed defensive tackle Milton Williams to the most lucrative contract in the organization's history earlier this offseason. Yes, they inked Christian Barmore to a brand new deal last offseason. But they were last in the NFL in sacks a season ago, and they were in the bottom third of the league in rush successrate allowed.

They could use some help.

Based on what Mike Vrabel had on the interior of his defensive lines in Tennessee - led by players like Jeffery Simmons, Jerrell Casey, DaQuan Jones, Teair Tart and Austin Johnson - he was looking for heavy-handed options who played with violence and motors that ran hot.

Who are the best fits in this year's class? Let's take a look...

Mason Graham, Michigan

At 6-foot-3 and right around 300 pounds, Graham isn't the most imposing player on this list. But he's one of the most violent. He understands how to play with leverage, and he's lightning quick to initiate first contact. This first-team AP All-American reportedly made a pre-draft 30" visit to Foxboro.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORKWould the Patriots use the No. 4 overall pick on top DT prospect Mason Graham?Derrick Harmon, Oregon

Harmon plays with an effort level that is easy to see on tape, which might endearhim to the Patriots coaching staff. At 6-foot-5, 320 pounds and with 34-inch arms, Harmon is hard to handle for shorter-armed interior linemen.

After transferring from Michigan State, this nimble big man proved he could play just about anywhere along the defensive line, racking up 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

There's some uncertainty surrounding Nolen and his football character in some NFL circles. He attended four high schools and two colleges (transferred from Texas A&M) on his road to the draft. But his talent is undeniable.

He's explosiveness personified, earning consensus All-American honors with 14.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season. With a head coach who likes twitchy interior linemen, Nolen could be New England's type.

Petre Thomas-Imagn ImagesWalter Nolen racked up 14.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks for Ole Miss last season.Shemar Turner, Texas A&M

Many are focused on Turner's teammate Shemar Stewart. But this Shemar brings plenty to the table in his own right. He played through a stress fracture in 2024, limiting his production, but his 6-foot-3, 290-pound frame was deployed violently in the SEC during his three years as a starter.

Had he put together the kind of season he did in 2023 (10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks), he might've put himself in the Day 1 conversation.

Darius Alexander, Toledo

Alexander is approaching his 25th birthday (Aug. 26), so if age is a factor for the Patriots, then perhaps they won't be willing to draft him highly. But he reportedly paid the Patriots a pre-draft visit, and his playing style seems to suit what Vrabel likes.

At 6-foot-4, 305 pounds and with 34-inch arms, he has the physical tools to be a consistently-disruptive force. Though he's an older prospect, perhaps playing in a smaller collegiate conference allows NFL clubs to see some untapped potential in him.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsAt 6-foot-4, 305 pounds and with 34-inch arms, Darius Alexander has the physical tools to be a consistently-disruptive force in New England.TJ Sanders, South Carolina

Violent hands are a common theme for the defensive linemen Vrabel has employed in the past, and Sanders checks that box. He is sudden in his get-off and keeps working until the whistle blows.

A late-bloomer from a football standpoint - he began playing as a junior in high school -and two-year starter for the Gamecocks, Sanders has plenty of room for development as a Day 2 draft pick.

Joshua Farmer, Florida State

Another bull-in-a-China-shop defensive tackle, Farmer also reportedly visited the Patriots prior to the draft. Sensing a type here?

He's not the biggest tackle in the class at 6-foot-3, 312 pounds. But he's long (35-inch arms), and he has some shock in his hands to be able to eat up blocks and free his linebackers to make plays at the second level.

Melina Myers-Imagn ImagesJoshua Farmer racked up nine sacks combined between the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Florida State.Ty Robinson, Nebraska

Energy, energy, energy. No need to worry about want-to with Robinson on the field. At 6-foot-5, 291 pounds, he's relentless in his pursuit of ball-carriers. And on his way to his destination, he'll do what he can to run through - or swat away, or swipe past - anyone who happens to get in his way.

On Day 3, buttressing the trenches with an all-out option like Robinson would make some sense for Vrabel and Co.

Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee

Norman-Lott was built to rush the passer. In fact, it was almost all he did last season (fewer than 90 snaps against the run in 2024). Why only 4.0 sacks, then?

That's one question that will dog evaluators and it could lead to this Vols defensive tackle sliding down the board into Day 3. But he has the dimensions (6-foot-2, 303 pounds, 11-inch hands, 34-inch arms) and an unwavering effort level to create problems as a pro.

He's not the most disciplined option on this list; he had 12 penalties in two seasons, according to The Athletic. And he'll need help from Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams to make the most of his traits. But the traits are there.

Jordan Phillips, Maryland

A competitive weightlifter during his high school days, Phillips is built like a fortress. At 6-foot-2, 313 pounds, Bruce Feldman's Freaks List" noted Phillips has squatted nearly 700 pounds and performed two overhead presses of 365 pounds. He's carried that dogged effort from the weight room to the field, exhibiting powerful hands to get into blockers and jar them upon contact.

While his instincts are unrefined, Phillips' quickness and upper-body pop could allow him to contribute early along the line of scrimmage wherever he lands.

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn ImagesJordan Phillips squatted nearly 700 pounds and performed two overhead presses of 365 pounds at Maryland.CJ West, Indiana

West is a squatter option than most others here (6-foot-1, 316 pounds), but his explosiveness is hard to ignore. His 4.95-second 40 time at the combine made him just the ninth defensive tackle to weigh at least 315 pounds and run under 5.0 seconds since 2003. His 10-yard split (1.73 seconds) was eye-popping, and he uses that initial snap out of his stance to violently jar opposing blockers.

He started for four years between his time at Kent State and Indiana, and he had just nine sacks in that time. But as a run defender, he'll have real value.