Name: Danny Shelton
College: Washington
Class: Senior
Position: DL
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 340
Background/Character | Leadership: 7 | Experience: 8 | Off-the-Field: 7 |
| Mental Capacity: 8 | Mental Toughness: 8 | Durability: 8 |
Shelton has some off-the-field concerns as far as his weight and whether he will be able to stay motivated when he has a contract in the NFL. His play greatly improved as a senior, but this is also due to better technique and luck. Shelton doesn't have any arrests or noted suspensions.
Final Grade: 7.66
Athleticism | Balance: 9 | C.O.D: 7 | Explosiveness: 9 |
| Flexibility: 8 | Coordination: 8 | Body Type: 9 |
For a man that is 6’2”, 340 pounds, Shelton is a very impressive athlete. He moves very well for someone his size. There just aren't many men that move like he does. Shelton explodes off the line of scrimmage when he’s at his finest, and is at least a big mass when he’s not. He’s able to win on stunts due to his quickness and change of direction.
Final Grade: 8.33
Overall | Football IQ: 8 | Tackling: 8 | Motor: 7 |
| Aggressiveness: 9 | Initial Quicks: 9 | Stamina: 6 |
Unsurprisingly, Shelton doesn't have much stamina or motor at his size. Playing in the NFL will mean reduced snaps, which will benefit him. He is an aggressive player that is willing to work to finish plays. Shelton sees the ball well and fights his way to it. Not a huge hitter or especially efficient, but he is tough to break away from when he gets contact.
Final Grade: 7.83
Run Defense | Range: 7 | Pursuit: 7 | Positioning: 9 |
| Read/React: 9 | Block Shedding: 9 | Hole Clogging: 9 |
Shelton is able to penetrate through offensive lines with incredible quickness and hand use at his astounding size. His leverage is what holds him back at times, as well as the inability to chase down plays, but he is solid at freeing up his teammates if he cannot reach the play. If he’s at the nose, Shelton can do solid work.
Final Grade: 8.33
Pass Defense | Vision: 8 | Rip/Swim Rush: 8 | Bull Rush: 9 |
| Counter Rush: 7 | Edge Quickness: 7 | Vs. Doubles: 9 |
Although many of Shelton’s sacks were from effort and were clean up plays, he’s still a good pass rusher. His strength and speed are really something to watch. He has a nasty swim and rip move that help him create pressure quickly. He often draws double teams with his presence. If he can improve his pad level consistency, his bull rush will become excellent.
Final Grade: 8
| Player Comparison: | Poor man’s Vince Wilfork |
| Projected Draft Position: | 2nd Round |
| Best Scheme Fit: | 3-4 NT/DE |
| Injury History: | No major injuries |
| Career Accolades: | First-Team All-American in 2014 |
| Career Stats: | 203 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 5 passes defensed |
Final Analysis
Finding a player as quick as Shelton is at his immense size is very difficult to do, and thus he has great value. The step up to the NFL will prove to be about fit and whether Shelton will put in the work to become better.
He fits best in a 3-4 defense as a penetrating nose tackle, but he can move around and still be disruptive, or draw double teams. Shelton’s consistency is a major question, but then again he was playing 40 more snaps a game than he will in the NFL. Off the snap, Shelton shows great speed and uses his hands to move blockers away.
His power should translate against centers especially, and if he can two-gap, he’ll still be valuable.
Final Grade: 8.35 - 2nd round value