The 2018 NFL Draft is loaded with running backs and quarterbacks. So the availability of blue chip defensive linemen Vita Vea from Washington will no doubt draw early interest, many expecting his name to be called in round one.
Washington Football defensive tackle Vita Vea is not your prototypical defensive tackle. He is not simply a big body whose forte is immobility. Nor is he a svelte “high motor off the edge” kind of guy. So what does he bring? Well for the simple fact that he is a dominating defensive lineman entering the NFL in a year with more talent and depth in other positions, he is a short supply in a high demand profession this season. So it’s no wonder that Mel Kiper has mocked Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea to the Dallas Cowboys at number 18.
And so it begins.... pic.twitter.com/WgkNpnMBIR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2018
In fact, it is simply a reiteration of a first round projection ESPN used all season of forecasting Vea’s NFL impact. He was mocked in round one at the start of the 2017 season.
Let the bidding begin
And that could be the end of it. After all, he is a 6-foot-5 340 pound behemoth with the wisdom of a sage and the football IQ to rival most NFL quarterbacks. He doesn’t just push offensive linemen around, but he knows where he wants to push them as the play unfolds in front of him. And then he forces them there. He is the personification of defensive havoc, the type of player who singlehandedly blows up the line of scrimmage.
He can be fooled once, but don’t expect him to be fooled twice. And throughout his time with the Washington Huskies, he displayed incredible versatility as he lined up at virtually every defensive line position. And once there, he produces in a big way. So far, he is projected to the Dallas Cowboys at 18 by Mel Kiper. But the Washington Redskins, selecting at 13, have a huge need for a big bodied interior defender. And if Vea falls to them, he would be an absolute steal, even at 13.