Thoughts on Danny Shelton, DT, Washington?

[D Rock]

I don't really follow college ball until after the NFL season, so I'm just now getting familiar with some of these names and story lines.

Does anyone have any info or thoughts about Danny Shelton, the big DT from UWashington? From what I have seen, he is 6' 2", 339 lbs, athletic, and can play mean and physical. The article linked below talked about his anger issues and gang past, but that he has channeled those feelings and tries to counter them with giving himself responsibilities (raising and training 2 dogs with his girlfriend, being a freshman orientation instructor) and putting himself in position to make good decisions (avoiding parties and the spotlight). It seems like he has the mental makeup to be a star in the league, and certainly appears to have the physical abilities too. I wouldn't mind having someone to be Ngata-like in the middle for the Steelers!

http://seattletimes.com/html/huskyfootball/2024799291_uwfootballshelton17xml.html

[SteelCrazy]

STRENGTHS: Built like a Coke machine and he's just as tough to move. Natural wide-body with thick thighs that help him anchor, even against double-teams. Surprisingly coordinated and flexible despite his square-ish frame, frequently splitting double-teams to wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage, including blocking three kicks.
Possesses a powerful bull-rush to walk centers deep into the pocket and slides off blocks easily to grab hold ballcarriers nearby. Shelton is surprisingly light on his feet and plays with terrific effort in pursuit, rushing to the sidelines and downfield against the run and pass. He locates the football quickly and has a legitimate short-area burst to close.

Good strength for the pull down tackle and generates impressive momentum to collide with ballcarriers. He shows good awareness as a pass rusher, frequently leaping in an attempt to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage when unable to get to the quarterback (though he recorded just three PBUs during his UW career).

State champion in the shot put as a high school senior (60'1"). Three-year starter who played in every game of his collegiate career and has no known injury issues. Takes his academics seriously. Was named an Academic All-American in 2014, Washington's first since 1991. Named to the Academic All-Pac-12 squad as a junior.

WEAKNESSES: Not the pass rusher that his statistics indicate, showing little more than a standard bull-rush. Rarely incorporates spins or even swim moves into his repertoire.

Pad level rises as he tires and he can get knocked off the line of scrimmage when double-teamers coordinate their efforts and don't allow Shelton to split them. Needs to show greater awareness of cut blocks.

Tackle numbers are inflated by his hustling in pursuit (Not sure why this is a weakness). Weight needs to be held in check.

COMPARES TO: Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots - Shelton has a long way to go before justifying comparisons to the centerpiece of the Patriots' defense over the past decade, but both possess the thick frame, power and surprising agility to wreak havoc in the middle. Like Wilfork (who recorded 14 sacks at the University of Miami), don't expect Shelton to duplicate his pass rush success in the NFL.

--Rob Rang

PLAYER OVERVIEW

Given Washington's 8-5 regular season record (including just 4-5 in the Pac-12), some might be surprised that the Huskies were loaded with NFL talent.
Most of the media attention was devoted to Shaq Thompson, who earned the Paul Hornung Trophy as the nation's most versatile player, and edge rusher Hau'oli Kikaha, whose 18 sacks over the regular season led the country. The first Husky selected in the 2015 NFL draft, however, could be the massive Shelton, whose build belies his motor and eye-popping production.

Shelton earned honorable mention all-conference honors following his sophomore and junior campaigns, steadily improving his numbers from 11 tackles to 45 in 2012 and an impressive 59 stops in 2013. Shelton switched from jersey No. 55 in 2014 (from No. 71), and enjoyed a breakout senior season by earning AP All-American honors with 89 tackles, including 16.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

Despite his production indicating otherwise, Shelton is not a consistent pass rush threat. He's a classic two-gap run-plugger with the bulk and brute strength to bull-rush opponents into the backfield.

What makes Shelton unique is his effort in pursuit. It wasn't uncommon for Shelton to sprint to the sideline or 10-plus yards downfield to stop ballcarriers. While scouts will appreciate this tenacity, critics wonder if this passion wasn't motivated by the lure of an NFL contract.

[hawaiiansteel]

The scoop: "He really scares me because he has major talent, but I also wonder if he's on his best behavior because it's a contract year for him. What happens when he signs his contract?" - NFC West scout on Washington DT Danny Shelton

The skinny: Shelton posted rare sack numbers this year as an interior rusher and is an outstanding athlete for a man his size. Scouts, however, are concerned with Shelton's personality and work ethic. More than one scout has said the previous coaching staff at Washington had issues with Shelton's surliness and selfishness. Shelton's weight has to be monitored in the pros, and he could stand to play with more consistent power, but big nose tackles who can cave pockets and pursue running backs from sideline to sideline are rare. Shelton's tape will ultimately tell the tale, but if there are worries about his character or work ethic, it could cost him spots in the draft.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...-nfl-prospects

[Shawn]

Here is the thing...if the Steelers plan on moving to a 4-3 a guy like this would be a great pick up...IF he is a good locker room guy. But, for those of you wanting a traditional 2 gap NT...that won't be in the Steelers plans. First, McClendon is the most underrated guy on this team. He is good despite popular opinion. Second, McCullers has flashed some serious talent. The guy is a beast. I don't know if any of you have seen some of the things he does to OLmen but it's impressive. When he actually learns to find the ball rather than just destroy the guy across from him he will be very special.

[D Rock]

Here is the thing...if the Steelers plan on moving to a 4-3 a guy like this would be a great pick up...IF he is a good locker room guy. But, for those of you wanting a traditional 2 gap NT...that won't be in the Steelers plans. First, McClendon is the most underrated guy on this team. He is good despite popular opinion. Second, McCullers has flashed some serious talent. The guy is a beast. I don't know if any of you have seen some of the things he does to OLmen but it's impressive. When he actually learns to find the ball rather than just destroy the guy across from him he will be very special.

By the time you reach the NFL, I think you need to have learned that already. That's like trying to teach a QB proper footwork - it's back to the basics. Those types of projects don't work out all that often.

[flippy]

Looks athletic for a guy his size and I've seen plays of him running guys down which is impressive. But he also looks a little chunky to me like his weight is an issue. So I wonder how committed he is to working out and building strength at the NFL level. Did he just get by in college because of his massive size and athleticism compared to college players?

I'm not sure if he'll be the same kind of beast in the NFL? I'd talk to him to gauge his level of commitment for sure.

[Shawn]

By the time you reach the NFL, I think you need to have learned that already. That's like trying to teach a QB proper footwork - it's back to the basics. Those types of projects don't work out all that often. I'll disagree with you. The ceiling for McCullers is high...very high. Honestly, when he locks onto a guy it's like a man destroying a boy. That is just natural talent that you can not teach someone. You can teach a guy to find the ball. I believe McCullers is going to be a very good DLman in this league.

[feltdizz]

By the time you reach the NFL, I think you need to have learned that already. That's like trying to teach a QB proper footwork - it's back to the basics. Those types of projects don't work out all that often.

James Harrison disagrees with you.

[D Rock]

James Harrison disagrees with you.

James Harrison is the needle in the haystack

[K Train]

My write up on him:


Danny Shelton
Nose Tackle
Washington
6-2, 339

Danny Shelton is one of those rare NTs that you consider taking in the first round. He is extremely powerful, explosive, and disruptive against both the pass and the run. He is putting up gaudy sack numbers (7.5) for a 340 pound interior lineman and is relentless in pursuit against the run with over 70 tackles and 13 TFL (all seriously ridiculous production for a NT)

Just to compare, the most tackles Dontari Poe ever had in one season was 41, 8 TFLs, and 2 sacks. Phil Tayor had 28 total, 7 TFLs, and 2 sacks, and BJ Raji had 42 tackles, 15 TFLs, and 7 sacks. One thing that you notice in watching Shelton is he absolutely destroys players hes supposed to destroy on smaller schools with lesser talent, which is something you never saw from Dontari Poe playing in the C-USA. But along with having his best statistical games against the lower competition he plays all out against the better teams too. The Huskies had some tough matchups with Stanford, Oregon, Arizona, Arizona St, and UCLA and Danny Shelton was disruptive in all of those games.

Danny Shelton obviously carries his weight very well and would be a great fit on either a 43 or 34 interior line. He would be a stout run defender right off the bat but offers a lot of versatility in how you use him with his ability to explode through the line and move laterally for a guy his size. He needs a little refinement as a pass rusher, but at 6-2 hes still low enough to get under the pad level of offensive linemen and with some work on his technique and hand usage I think he will be a very disruptive player at the next level.

I could see him going anywhere from top 15 to mid second round, but he is an immediate fill in for almost any scheme. I could see him being a replacement for Suh in Detroit, could see him going to a team like atlanta, or any 34 team falling in love with him and his ability to move around the line.
Not sure he will be firmly on the steelers radar with Mcclendon playing pretty well, but hes definitely the caliber of NT you consider in the first round.

http://247steelers.com/index.php?threads/prospect-of-the-day-danny-shelton.4563/

[SteelerMaine83]

I've seen Shelton play in 3 games this year and watched him quite closely, and he is really good, and could play in any scheme. His hustle, amazing burst, and strength were impressive. To hear the negatives is eye-opening, but not to be discounted. If he is a play for the contract/potential trouble-maker, you'd really have to check him out before calling his name. As for carrying the extra weight, that doesn't bother me, because he shows he can do it. It's not like Big Snack didn't look kind of sloppy, but he was a pretty good NT for a number of years. A line of Tuitt, Heyward, McClendon, McCullers and Shelton in combinations would be pretty stout for a number of years, freeing up the LBs to make plays and keeping the DBs in coverage for a shorter timespan. And, my 2 cents here--McCullers has size and strength that can't be coached. If he , as a 6th rounder, needs some coaching up to find his full potential, then that's not a bad project to have. No coach in the pros ever turned a 6'2", 300 pounder in to a 6'7", 350+ pounder.

[Iron City Inc.]

By the time you reach the NFL, I think you need to have learned that already. That's like trying to teach a QB proper footwork - it's back to the basics. Those types of projects don't work out all that often.
Trust me on this most players have to learn the pro game and pro techniques and though what they did and learned in college got them to the next level that only gets them to camp. Keeping them is only going to happen if they can learn the pro game.
I looked at the tape of the Hawaii game. Shelton gets his pad level a little high which is why in the run game he got singled often. He had some trouble with ball location dealing with read option and Hawaii ran a few trick plays(reverse n such). Can penetrate but needs to disengage quicker. Not sure how long his arms are but for the next level he will have to get better at that.
Good motor and that is a big plus. Drew double teams on most pass plays. Hand placement and need to keep better leverage when rushing is something he can learn in a NFL camp.
How he measures will have an impact on his draft grade. Arm length, height ...under 6'1" and he could find himself on the board on day 2.
He looks like a true zero tech. Combine will sharpen the focus on just how early he gets called.

[hawaiiansteel]

Dan Williams: The Next "Big Snack" For The Steelers?

By AvoidLloyd95 on Feb 28, 2015

The Arizona Cardinals (or as they are known in these parts, Steelers West) are planning to let their NT Dan Williams test free agency.

Let's face it: Cam Thomas was a bust at NT, and the jury is still out on whether the inconsistent McClendon is up to the task.

It can be argued that the Steelers D-line (and run defense) started their decline once Casey Hampton was no longer at NT for them. Finding another "Big Snack" is obviously hard to do, but Williams looks the part.

Dan Williams is 28 years old and in his prime. Pro Football Focus has him the 5th best interior lineman FA. The learning curve for him to play for the Steelers is virtually nil, as he would likely be asked to do for the Steelers exactly what he did in AZ.

Want more praise? There's this:

"Williams was seventh among all defensive tackles last season in Run Stop %, which is a stat that looks at the percentage of successful tackles a player had per their overall snaps in the running game. The only impending free agent DT with a better Run Stop % last season was Ndamukong Suh, so it’s fair to say that outside of the two marquee impending free agent DTs (Suh and Knighton), Williams is the best run-plugger."

And This:

6. Dan Williams

2014 Grade: +14.4

2014 Snaps: 475

"Although Williams is a one-dimensional run-stopping nose tackle, he may be the safest of the free agents as you should get exactly what you pay for. He posted a +13.7 grade against the run on his 475 snaps last season and two-down nose tackle is likely to be his best role on prospective teams. He’s not completely useless as a pass rusher (+0.9), but he’s it’s still not likely that he’s a good fit as an every-down player. If used properly, Williams should provide good value in the proper role."

The Cardinals asked Dan Williams to plug the middle in their very familiar 3-4 defense. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine how a player from another team would fit the Steelers scheme: That isn't the case here.

So why is Arizona letting him go? First, he's looking for $6 million a year, which apparently is too much for someone they consider a "part-time" (read: two down) player.

But its highly likely some team will give him that money. Why not the Steelers? By all accounts, this is the type of contract the Steelers are in position to offer this off-season.

And besides, isn't it about time Pittsburgh starts stealing Arizona's players away after years of Arizona doing it to them? Just sayin'.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2015/2/28/8127213/dan-williams-the-next-big-snack-for-the-steelers