Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea Tops Mayock’s list

NFL.com’s Mike Mayock is one of the most respected names in the NFL scouting business. So when he gives a player a nod, it carries a lot of weight. And as a matter of fact, he just nodded towards Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea

The 2018 NFL Draft is one filled with quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs. So much so that some potential draft selections like Washington Football quarterback Jake Browning, running back Myles Gaskin, and Stanford running back Bryce Love all have elected to remain in the NCAA for another season. But an area which does not boast as much depth in the talent pool this season is the defensive interior line. And that suits Washington Football’s defensive tackle Vita Vea just fine.

Vea is no surprise to NFL scouts. Before the start of the 2017 football season, he had already appeared on the radar as a potential first-round draft selection in early mock drafts. And as the season wore on, that late first round slot seemed awfully conservative.  Eventually, Roman Tomashoff waded in with some solid analysis why Vita Vea should be a Top-10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.  Could it be that Mike Mayock read that article?

Mayock loves Vea.   And why shouldn’t he?

The fact is, Vea jumps out at you when you watch his film.

Summary

Vita Vea is a young man who can do it all on the defensive line.

He is a wunderkind. That special athlete who comes along once in a decade, whose performance exceeds expectations so significantly that scouts struggle to truly gauge the upside.

Strengths

Strong, fast, immovable. I can go on and on if you have the time. But several aspects of this young man’s game stand out.

He is Herculean strong. His 41 repetitions in the bench press was second to first place Harrison Phillips.  And he uses that strength to ward off or gobble up blockers. He routine faced double teams, but occasionally he faced three or four offensive linemen on one play. Why? To ground him before he could launch into a rocket like pursuit.

A Cheetaphant!  Or an Elephtah?!?

Mobile

He is incredibly mobile when he chooses to be. In fact, his range is sideline to sideline and he is coming with an incredible load when he makes contact with a ball carrier. Or perhaps when he chases down a scrambling quarterback.

That versatility allowed him to play anywhere on the defensive line, and afforded the Huskies a defense stout against both the run and the pass.

And he is invariably immobile when he makes his stand at the line of scrimmage. That means the offense will have lots of trouble when they choose to run. And to no surprise, that is exactly the outcome of the 2017 season.

Weaknesses

Vita Vea is an incredibly versatile player whose role and skillset defies categories. He can excel at the nose tackle, defensive tackle, or defensive end position in the NFL. Why so confident? Because he excelled at all thos positions in NCAA football. And therein lies the rub.

As a do-all player for the Washington Huskies, he did not put up the “marquis lights” statistics which so many home-den-gms gravitate towards. He didn’t lead the NCAA in sacks, tackles, interceptions, forced fumbles, or interceptions.  For many of the NFL fans racing through hundreds of names to find “THE” guy for their team, that’s enough to keep him masked in the obscurity of the NCAA shadows.

Is that enough to move the needle where NFL scouts are concerned? Not in the least. But it does translate into Vea’s need to land with the RIGHT NFL defense. Not all can make use of that versatility. But for those teams able to do so? This guy is the gold standard of prospects.

College recruiting

Vita Vea is not an exclusive defensive lineman in his football development. In fact, he was also a running back in his high school playing days. As such, he developed speed and agility along with that bulked up strength.

* Highlights
* Rivals Profile
* MaxPreps Profile
* 247Sports Profile

NFL Draft reviews

NFL Draft scouts are mixed when they discuss Vea. Some project him in the top 10. Others like what they see, but haven’t much experience projecting his wide spectrum of skills to the NFL. Still others get stuck on box stats, and do not understand the role and responsibilities of Vea as a Husky.

But in the end, he is a consensus first round option in an NFL Draft thick with skill players and shallow at the line of scrimmage.

* Highlights
* NFL.com
* Walter Football
* NFL Draftwire