After taking a look at defensive ends Youth Justin Houston Jersey , we look at defensive tackles in this loaded class"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁昇FL DraftIndianapolis Colts Draft CentralDraft Prospects2019 NFL Draft Colts prospects | Top 5 defensive tacklesNew,11commentsAfter taking a look at defensive ends, we look at defensive tackles in this loaded classESTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Draft Colts prospects | Top 5 defensive tacklesAs the NFL off-season continues to approach free agency and the upcoming Draft, Stampede Blue is breaking down the top prospects at each position. Last week, we analyzed the top 5 defensive ends in the 2019 class. Our readers requested that we move onto the defensive tackle position this week. Be sure to participate in the poll at the end of this story and we will keep the series going.Quinnen Williams, DT Alabama:Height: 6’4’’Weight: 295 poundsConference: SECQuiennen Williams is a sure-fire top 5 pick. I could see him going number 2 to the Niners — imagine DeForest Buckner, Quinnen Willams, and Solomon Thomas on the same D-line — or number 3 to the Jets. Of course, he would be a great fit for the Colts, but it would take a big trade for Chris Ballard to get a shot to draft him. Williams’ explosiveness is exceptional and his understanding of hand use and leverage is elite. He knows where to attack and how to establish control of the block and get work his way through the offensive line. When you add his incredible strength and unrelenting motor, which tends to be a recurring pattern with Saban prospects, you get a dominant penetrator who constantly finds himself in the backfield. Oh yeah, he is good against the pass (8 sacks last year) and the run (19.5 tackles for a loss last year); and he also stunts well, something Eberflus does often.Jeffery Simmons, DT Miss State:Height: 6’4’’Weight: 300 poundsConference: SECSimmons is a big and strong 3-tech who regularly and easily collapsed the pocket in college football’s most talented conference. He doesn’t have the same finesse and hand use as Williams, but he is a little stronger and can bull rush the guard into the backfield. For this reason, he excels against the run, especially when opponents try to run up the middle. He also excels in the passing game when the quarterback is forced to abandon the pocket and fight for positive yards. Finally, Simmons is a sound tackler with a non-stop motor who consistently plays through the whistle. His big red flags? First, in 2016 he participated in an altercation between his sister and another woman. During that conflict Justin Houston Jersey Stitched , Simmons hit the other woman. While he has since apologized and has not had any other character issues pop up, his Combine invite was rescinded and there is little doubt that it will give teams pause. Second, last week he tore his ACL while training in Florida. The extent of his injury has not been yet disclosed, but he did state that he will be getting surgery. An injury like this all but guarantees that Simmons will miss the entire 2019 season. Gauging the impact of an injury like this on his future is difficult. Overall, Simmons is a top-15 talent that will slip due to his red flags. If the Colts find Simmons on the board pick 34, I believe it would make absolute sense to take him as one of the team’s future piece on the interior of the defensive line. Bringing back a player like Margus Hunt and continuing to rely on Denico Autry is good enough in 2019 that Ballard shouldn’t feel the need to rush him back. Ed Oliver, DT Houston:Height: 6’3’’Weight: 290 poundsConference: AACEd Oliver entered the season as the favorite to be picked first in the 2019 NFL Draft. Some have even compared him to reigning Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald because they share physical traits and smaller school origins. Oliver is listed at 6’3’’ and 291 pounds, but he certainly doesn’t appear that big when he is standing next to other players in the trenches. If would guess that he is 6’1’’ or 6’2’’ and around 280 lbs. This would be slightly undersized to play the 3-tech position, consider that Autry is 6’5’’, but OIiver makes up for it with natural talent. He has natural get off, amazing leverage, outstanding penetration (better against the run than the pass, but good nonetheless), and very fluid hips. His red flags are that he played 8 games his senior year due to a knee injury and that he got into a verbal confrontation with his coach over a coat on the sidelines.Overall, Oliver is an undersized 3-tech that is extremely talented and has incredible potential. He will need to overcome health concerns and doubt revolving are the fact that he played against lesser competition in the AAC. Christian Wilkins, DT Clemson:Height: 6’4’’Weight: 311 poundsConference: ACCChristian Wilkins is one of tremendous DL prospects Clemson produced this year. He might be a little on the heavy side if the Colts want him to play at the 3-tech. Technique wise, he’s very good. He can shed tackles and his relentless motor along, along with his ability to penetrate the pocket, make him a threat against both the pass and the run. NFL scouts will be impressed that he has produced all four years and that his production either stayed the same or went up. Further, Wilkins could have declared for the NFL draft last year but chose to go back to school and chase a championship Cheap Jack Doyle Youth Jersey , something teams may value. For all the positive, some will be skeptical about his length and radius. Some analysts have expressed concern about his arm length and indicate that his Combine measurements could weigh heavily on his draft stock. To me, this is nitpicking.While Wilkins was projected to go in the early 20s a few weeks ago, Simmons’ injury could move him up into the teens. Dexter Lawrence, DT ClemsonHeight: 6’4’’Weight: 340 poundsConference: ACCDexter Lawrence is a great player who will certainly go in the first round but there are numerous reasons he might not be a great fit in Indianapolis. First, he may not be a good schematic fit. If Colts take Lawrence he would be relegated to the nose tackle, or 0-tech, position previously played by Margus Hunt. Hunt is 6’8’’ and 275 pounds and play with great leverage and uses his fluid hips to shoot the gaps. Lawrence is 6’4’’ and 340 pounds (!) and uses decent hand placement and amazing strength to control the line of scrimmage. He is not a penetrator and it reflected in his numbers (1.5 sacks a senior). If the Colts still ran a 3-4 defense, Lawrence would be an ideal bit, but Eberflus prefers speed and agility.Second, Lawrence enjoyed his best season as a freshman when he gathered 6.5 sacks, 8.5 TFL and 62 total tackles. His sophomore and junior combined? 9 sacks, 9.5 TFL, 69 tackles. He had a bad sophomore season and bounced back last year. While Lawrence is a talented player, he doesn’t make sense in the Colts current scheme — especially not at pick 26.Honorable mentions:Dre’Mont Jones, DT Ohio StateJerry Tillery, DT Notre DameRaekwon Davis, DT AlabamaGerald Willis, DT Miami INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts will gladly play it safe with Andrew Luck.They’d rather he be healthy for training camp anyway.Just minutes after coach Frank Reich announced Tuesday that his starting quarterback would sit out this week’s three-day minicamp — the final portion of Indy’s offseason workouts — Luck promised he would return to practice when the Colts report to camp in late July.“It’s OK, it’s not good enough to practice this week Womens Adam Vinatieri 2019 Jersey , which I’m bummed about,” Luck said, describing the injury. “But I think we’re on a very, very good page and I’ll be ready for training camp.”The injury, suffered during training, has forced Luck to miss the Colts’ entire on-the-field program for the second offseason in three years.But this was different.After missing the entire 2017 season to recover from surgery on his throwing shoulder, he started throwing again last June during the team’s mandatory minicamp. His appearance raised even more questions when it appeared he was throwing footballs smaller than the NFL’s regulation size.Team officials continued to be cautious with Luck at training camp when they closely monitored the number of throws he made and gave him extra days off. The prolonged recovery time prompted some skeptics to question whether Luck could ever return to his Pro Bowl form.It didn’t take long for Luck to prove the doubters wrong. He produced arguably the best season of his pro career and was rewarded with the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.This year, many outsiders expect bigger and better things from Luck and his teammates, and Luck sounds confident he can deliver despite the nagging injury.“I’ve thrown significantly, sort of off my foot to make sure I don’t aggravate something, but to keep my arm in shape,” he said. “It’s a football, a pigskin Wilson Duke, with Roger Goodell’s signature on it.”Reich has continually insisted that Luck’s absence was a cautionary move.He has no serious concerns about Luck’s health, and with seven seasons in the league, two full offseasons to get acclimated to the system and most of last season’s key offensive contributors returning, Reich figures Luck’s absence should not hinder his play.“He has missed the on-field work but he has gotten so much in the meetings,” Reich said. “Second year in the system, talking through things, he’s been able to have even more input into the system this year Womens Anthony Castonzo 2019 Jersey , putting his imprint on the system now knowing what we’re doing, what he likes, what he doesn’t, and why he likes what he likes in our system.”Indy can’t wait to see how things play out in training camp. But the last month certainly has presented some challenges, and not just because of Luck.Rookie center Javon Patterson, a seventh-round draft pick, and defensive end Jegs Jegede, an undrafted rookie from Valdosta State, landed on season-ending injured reserve.Fourth-string quarterback Chad Kelly will miss the first two regular-season games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Backup offensive tackle Antonio Garcia received a four-game suspension Monday for violating the league policy on performance-enhancing substances.General manager Chris Ballard explained last week why he drafted linebacker Bobby Okereke in the third round, knowing Okereke had been accused of sexual assault in 2015.And after re-signing 11 of the team’s 20 free agents and adding receiver Devin Funchess, running back Spencer Ware and pass rusher Justin Houston, Ballard signed punter Rigoberto Sanchez to a contract extension last week, and long snapper Luke Rhodes to an extension Tuesday.All that’s missing now is Luck.“Within the calf strain injury, I’d say it’s on the longer side. I don’t think it’s out of the range of a calf strain but it’s definitely on the longer side,” Reich said. “We’re not concerned.”