The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.
Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy are the consensus top defensive linemen in this year's draft. Both appear ideal 4-3 tackles or 3-4 ends, but neither appears equipped to play nose tackle in the NFL.
Dan Williams does not have Terrence Cody's 365 pounds or his 6 feet 5 inches, but at 6'2 and 327 pounds, he's far from undersized. In fact, his measurable are nearly identical with those of Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork of the New England Patriots. Questions about Cody's weight and whether he can stay in shape have dropped him down draft boards, while Williams has shot up draft boards and is now widely considered a surefire first round pick. Williams ballooned to over 350 pounds after his junior season, however, before losing the weight prior to the start of his senior season.
At Tennessee, Williams played in a four-man line, but has the size and power to handle double teams from offensive lines in the NFL. The job of a nose tackle is not to rack up tackles and quarterback sacks, but rather to occupy the center and weak side guard (in most cases) so that one defensive end has a one on one matchup on the edge and linebackers have holes to blitz through, putting pressure on the quarterback. Still, Williams managed to rack up 61 tackles in 2009 (the most among SEC defensive linemen) and recorded two sacks. He'd be a good fit in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme.
Williams is truly a power tackle, relying on his bull rush to push offensive linemen backwards to disrupt the pocket. He's almost an immovable object along the line and uses his large build to plug up running lanes even when facing double teams.
He has a thick lower body that he uses to gain leverage on blockers. He sheds blocks fairly well and has even developed a swim move. His upper body strength is impressive (he put up a solid 27 reps at 225 pounds at the Combine) and uses his strength and weight to bring down ball carriers.
Williams is still a work in progress, however, and could stand to improve in just about aspects of his game. When Monte Kiffin took over the defense before his senior year, Williams dedicated himself to improving and took the elder Kiffin's lessons and preparation to heart. He even spent a couple of months in Florida training with teammate Eric Berry and other prospects at a fitness camp after the season to get in shape for the Combine.
Williams has been labeled as a potential bust leading up to the draft. There are a lot of analysts who consider him a 'boom or bust' type of prospect whose inconsistency and weight issues may limit his effectiveness in the NFL, but whose upside makes him an intriguing pick. Critics are also quick to point out that Williams has never played the nose tackle position in a 3-4 defense and may struggle with the new role, at least initially.
The importance of the nose tackle position in the 3-4 defense has helped his draft stock as more and more teams adopt the defensive style. Where in the past Williams may have been considered a late first to second round pick, he could go in the top 15, or even the top 10, in this year's draft.
The Miami Dolphins worked with Williams at the Senior Bowl and could use a good nose tackle prospect to add to their aging defensive line. Jason Ferguson was suspended in March for the first half of the 2010 season and will turn 36 years old in November, making nose tackle a key position for the Dolphins this off-season.
The Denver Broncos, picking directly in front of the Dolphins, are also thought to be interested in a nose tackle to anchor their defensive line. - Danny Hobrock
Danny is a sports journalist primarily covering college football and professional baseball. His work for Xtra Point Football has garnered national attention and is critically acclaimed. Danny is the former editor of a political and current events website and the editor of our college football content.
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The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, 
