"You talk about Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw, then there's three others, this next wave"
Friday 24 April 2020 17:59, UK
The defensive tackle conveyor belt still has plenty of options in supply as the 2020 NFL Draft heads into day two.
Auburn's Derrick Brown became the new centrepiece to the Carolina Panthers defense at No 7 overall in round one, before the San Francisco 49ers replaced DeForest Buckner, traded to the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, with South Carolina's Javon Kinlaw at No 14.
Nonetheless, teams will still have their pick of run-stuffing, quarterback-swarming interior commodities in the middle rounds, says NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger.
"You talk about Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw, then there's three others, this next wave," Baldinger told Sky Sports.
"It's Neville Gallimore, Justin Madubuike [Texas A&M], then Ross Blacklock from TCU. Gallimore has got great movement and he was a dominant player in the Big 12 Conference."
Gallimore bears an imposing figure in his Oklahoma college tape, playing with a no-quit ferocity from snap to whistle as a round two prospect in the eyes of multiple scouts.
TCU's Ross Blacklock had been mocked as a potential late first-round pick and could go early in the second having been named to the first-team All-Big 12 in 2019.
Justin Madubuike meanwhile finished 2019 with 45 tackles, 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble and could also be a round two selection.
"Those three players are really good players and they might be just as effective [as Brown and Kinlaw]" added Baldinger. "They all have great lateral movement, all penetrate.
"All three are really talented. I think that teams are going to really value them and look into anyway they can to get hold of them."
Utah's Leki Fotu is another intriguing prospect, demanding double-team attention with his size and strength while offering impressive athleticism for a man with his frame.
Prior to football the 21-year-old played for the USA Rugby Boys High School All-American team, as well as training with the London Wasps in 2013.
"There's not many 330lb men that can move like that," explained Baldinger. "He's a Polynesian and the background he has is an Island background, they gravitate towards football and rugby, they love contact. They're great athletes.
"A guy like Fotu reminds me of Vita Vea [of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers], they way he plays the game, his size.
"We're talking about who's going to be the next Fletcher Cox in this league? Aaron Donald is in a league all by himself, nobody rushes the passer like Aaron Donald. But Fletcher Cox is a dominant player, you want him on your team and there are a bunch of guys in this strap right now.
"It's defensive tackles that are really changing the game more than any other defensive position."
Among the other highly-graded tackles still on the board are Missouri's Jordan Elliott, Alabama's Raekwon Davis and Mississippi's Benito Jones.
Coverage of days two and three of the NFL Draft continues on Sky Sports Action on Friday and Saturday night - join us for build-up from 10pm on Friday with the picks underway at 1am
