Big Blue View
The 2027 NFL Draft class is expected to be a very talented one at multiple positions, and defensive tackle is one of them.
Oregon’s A’Mauri Washington considered declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, and could have been a high second-round, or even first-round, selection had he come out. Instead, he returned to school with the rest of Oregon’s veteran defensive front.
The New York Giants were widely expected to add a defensive tackle highly in the 2026 NFL Draft, particularly after trading star nose tackle Dexter Lawrence. Instead, the Giants waited until the sixth round to add a defensive tackle and opted to sign a bevy of veterans to fill the void left by Lawrence.
There’s going to be a good competition over the course of the 2026 college season and the upcoming draft process as to who is the top defensive tackle. The first one off the board could depend entirely on the eye of the beholder and the individual needs of teams, but Washington has the potential to be the first tackle selected.
Washington is strikingly similar to Lawrence at this point in his development. Could he be a future Giant as well?
Washington brings a prototypical 6-foot-3, 338-pound frame for a nose tackle. He also plays up to his size with truly impressive play strength and power. He’s able to command one-on-one block as well as hold up to guard-center double teams. Washington has the strength to hold blockers in the run game — and make plays off of those blocks — as well as the power to put guards on skates and drive them into the backfield.
What you can’t tell just by looking at Washington is that he’s a surprisingly explosive athlete. He plays with uncommon twitch for a player with his size and frame, which is immediately apparent in his get-off at the snap. Washington explodes out of his stance and is easily able to distort the line of scrimmage when he keeps his pads low through his first two steps.
In fact, Washington ranked fourth in the 2025 edition of Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List.
Feldman wrote:
His numbers made me do a triple-take when the staff sent them over. To be that massive and clock 20.89 mph and vertical jump 36 inches is mind-blowing. Washington squatted 755 pounds, bench pressed 475, and power cleaned 385.
That explosive power gives Washington pass rush upside.
He finished with 4.5 tackles for a loss as well as 1.5 sacks last year. While that isn’t an eye-popping number, it does show growth and improvement over previous seasons. Washington has heavy, violent hands and can dominate offensive linemen when he gets under their pads. He also shows an understanding of how to clog passing lanes as well as rushing lanes, and led the Big 10 with eight pass deflections last year.
In some ways, Washington is similar to Dexter Lawrence coming out of Clemson. He’s obviously...
