With the NFL Season winding down, the NFL Draft is heating up, and today’s reports looks at a defensive tackle who’s currently preparing for the college football playoffs. With his size profile, some teams may be looking for a big fella in the middle, so let’s dive into Demonte Capehart from Clemson.
Listed as a 4 star recruit and the number 35 best overall player in his class, expectations were high for Demonte as he committed to Clemson. His first two seasons, he only saw 40 snaps in total, recording 3 tackles and 1 sack during that time, as he was eased in slowly.
The third season was an increase in snaps (83) and with that saw an increase in his production: 13 tackles and 2 of those for loss. However there was still more to come from Demonte and his game.
The fourth season saw another increase in snaps and production (179 snaps, 15 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass deflection) for Demonte, as this showed giving him more snaps was the best development for him.
As of this article (12-17) his stats for this season show a slight improvement in his game: 218 snaps and 2 pass deflections. However, does the tape show something that the stat sheet doesn’t? Let’s dive in and find out:
Player Info
Name: Demonte Capehart
Jersey: No. 19
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: Clemson
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 319 lbs.
Demonte Capehart’s Strengths
Demonte has some serious power in his arsenal, especially at the point of attack versus offensive linemen. He can stonewall double teams, and anchor against the run very easily with this power that he brings to the field.
He plays with good leverage consistently, getting under offensive linemen’s pads to move them around the pocket, and drive through them with power. He can also create pressure on the interior via a solid bull rush move as well.
Demonte Capehart’s Weaknesses
Demonte has seen limited action over his career, casting doubt on not only whether he can be an every down linemen, but also whether this is who he is, or if there is any further development. In addition, outside of his bull rush, there isn’t much pass rush maneuvers in his toolbox, as he’s a better run stuffer than pass rusher.
Draft Projection
For Demonte, I have an early 2nd round grade for him, and fully expect him to be selected within the top 50 picks. This is a mountain of a man who’s going to stuff the run at the NFL level, and I fully expect teams such as the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears to look to add Demonte to their roster.
Ultimately, the team that selects Demonte will need to help him develop a consistent set of pass rush moves to make him an every down defensive lineman, but his run defense and pure power will get him on the field on a rotational basis alone while he develops this skill set.
My draft comparison for Demonte Capehart: Fletcher Cox, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
