NFL free agents 2021: Top 10 defensive tackles
In the NFL, the game is often won in the trenches. That's especially true on the offensive line, but it's just as important on the defensive side of the ball.Last season, the Patriots saw what happened to their defensive line when their top nose tackle option, Beau Allen, didn't play a snap for them. The result was a run defense that surrendered 131.4 yards per game, the seventh-most in the NFL.The Patriots have a handful of defensive tackles set to hit free agency this offseason, including Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler. Only one makes the cut among the top 10 free agent defensive tackles for the 2021 NFL offseason.
Age: 27
2020 stats: 49 tackles, eight TFL, 3.5 sacks
Tomlinson represents the most well-rounded defensive tackle available on the open market. The 6-foot-3, 318-pound blocker is one of the best run stuffers in the NFL, and plugs holes up front like nobody else. He also has come on as a pass rusher in recent years, logging 3.5 sacks in back-to-back games. Tomlinson, who has never missed a start during his four-year NFL career, is a safe, solid option and should draw plenty of interest on the free-agent market considering that he's only 27.
Age: 34
2020 stats: 44 tackles, nine TFL, six sacks
Suh is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum compared to Tomlinson. Suh is a well-rounded defensive tackle who has long been a great interior pass rusher. He just helped the Bucs to win a Super Bowl and still has something left in the tank. However, he's 34, so he isn't a long-term option for any team that signs him. Expect him to ink a deal with a contender -- if he doesn't just opt to re-sign in Tampa Bay.
Age: 29
2020 stats: 32 tackles, four TFL, 2.5 sacks
Harris has turned into a great starter for the Broncos over the last two seasons and makes an impact on the game in a variety of ways. He has totaled 16 pass defenses in the last two years from knocking down passes at the line of scrimmage, is good against the run, and is a solid pass-rusher as well. The former seventh-round pick in 2014 should have a chance to get a decent deal in free agency.
Age: 26
2020 stats: 20 tackles, three TFL, 1.5 sacks
Rankins has seen his career get derailed a bit by injuries the past two seasons, as he has played 22 of a possible 32 regular-season games in that span. He is still a great pass-rushing defensive tackle and if he can stay healthy, he may be able to regain his 2018 form. He posted a career-high eight sacks during that season.
Age: 25
2020 stats: 40 tackles, eight TFL, two sacks
Ford went undrafted in 2018 because he only stands 5-foot-11, but he does tip the scales at 310 pounds. Despite being undersized, Ford has turned into a solid starter at defensive tackle and is great at quickly gaining penetration against the run. He's a restricted free agent that Seattle would like to keep, but if another team really likes Ford, a unicorn at DT, they could sign him to an offer sheet the Seahawks would have trouble matching.
Age: 32
2020 stats: Six tackles
Short was long one of the better defensive tackles in football, but he hasn't been able to stay on the field in recent years. He has played just five total games the last two seasons after missing just two games over a four-year span. He's a good pass rusher and once had an 11-sack season, but he'll probably have to sign a one-year deal to prove that he can stay healthy in the twilight of his career.
Age: 31
2020 stats: 14 tackles, one TFL
Casey only played in three games last year but he played well in those outings for the Broncos. He didn't do much as a pass rusher, but he stopped the run well and managed to knock down three passes, and that matched the second-highest total of his career. Casey is on the older side, but he still has something left in the tank and should get a chance to sign on to a contender as a potential starter.
Age: 26
2020 stats: 34 tackles, six TFL, four sacks
Pass rushing defensive tackles are at a premium in the NFL right now, so Adam Butler tops Lawrence Guy for a spot on this list. Butler has largely been a pass-rush specialist for the Patriots, and it's likely that he will be signed to play a similar role for whatever team adds him moving forward. In four NFL seasons, Butler has 15 total sacks, a solid mark for a guy on the interior defensive line.
Age: 27
2020 stats: 23 tackles, three TFL, three sacks
Jefferson was a solid role player for the Bills last year after signing a deal to come over from the Seahawks during the 2020 offseason. He has some solid pass-rushing skills and athletic abilities thanks, in part, to his 6-foot-4, 291-pound frame. The Bills cut Jefferson with one year left on his deal, but that was more about cap space than ability. Jefferson should draw some interest as a rotational player and potential starter during free agency.
Age: 29
2020 stats: 42 tackles, four TFL, 0.5 sacks
Anderson had a seven-sack season for the Jets in 2018. He hasn't had the same success in recent years, but the 6-foot-6 defensive lineman still makes an impact and set a career-high in tackles last year with 42. His size gives him the ability to play inside and outside on the defensive line and he can play the five-tech in a 3-4 scheme. He may never recapture his excellent 2018 form, but at least one team may think that he can.
