by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Georgia Athletics.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Georgia, Defensive Tackle, Nazir Stackhouse
Name- Nazir Stackhouse
Pos- Defensive Tackle
Team- Georgia
HT/WT- 6’3” 320 lbs.
Born- 4/18/2002
Home – Stone Mountain, GA
Nazir Stackhouse played football at Columbia High School in Georgia. He was selected to play in the USA Football 2020 International Bowl and was named the 2019 Region Defensive Player of the Year. He was a consensus 4-star rated prospect and committed to Georgia as a sophomore.
As a freshman in 2020, Stackhouse saw action in 6 games in a reserve role. In 2021, he saw action in 10 of 15 games as a reserve DL. He finished with 9 tackles and his first career sack.
In 2022, Stackhouse became a starter and started all 15 games, tallying 32 tackles. He continually helped the defense by taking on double teams and opening up the field for the Bulldogs' linebackers to make tackles. In the SEC Championship game, he blocked a field goal against LSU that was returned 96 yards for the opening touchdown of the game.
Stackhouse is one of the strongest players in the draft. He has violent hands and can power through offensive lines. He takes on double teams and does a great job of freeing up his teammates to make plays. He plays hard on all downs and doesn’t quit.
For a man his size, he plays with amazing flexibility and balance. He recognizes plays quickly and has a high football IQ. He has the body to be a 3-down defensive lineman in the NFL right now.
On the downside, Stackhouse lacks the acceleration to chase down plays away from the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t possess the speed to present a legitimate pass rush in the NFL and struggles to put constant pressure on the quarterback. Though he has strong hands, he struggles at times to disengage the blocker and pursue the ball carrier. He is not a guy who will fill up the stat line at the end of a ballgame.
Nazir Stackhouse does a great job of taking up space and helping his teammates make plays. He reminds Draft 412 of Penn State defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, who now plays for the Buffalo Bills. He’s never going to be a sack leader or a double digit tackle guy, but he’s a player that any defensive coordinator would love to have.
Strengths
Power
Reads plays well
Takes on double teams
Weaknesses
Lacks speed
Trouble disengaging
Pass rush moves
Non-existent off of line of scrimmage
Final Analysis
Nazir Stackhouse would have been a definite round one pick back in the “running days” of the NFL. His lack of pass pressure will drop him, but he is still going to be a force in the NFL.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - 2nd or 3rd round