Sedrick Ellis

Positional Rankings:
Offense: QB RB FB WR TE OT OG C
Defense: DT NT DE Hybrid DE/OLB OLB ILB FS SS CB
Special Teams: K P RS LS

Position: Defensive Tackle

School: USC

Status: Senior

Height: 6-1

Weight: 310

40-Yard Dash: 5.25 (EST)

Scouting Report: Despite lacking ideal height, USC's Sedrick Ellis is a disruptive force at the defensive tackle position. Although he didn't post a great time in the 40-yard dash (an overrated stat for defensive tackles) at the NFL Combine, he did display great strength by bench pressing 225 pounds 34 times.

Ellis does offer some versatility as a defensive lineman, but is probably best suited as an under-tackle in a 4-3 set. He has a quick first step and often gets good penetration, disrupting plays in the backfield, and is ideal as a one-gap defender. He could potentially line up as an end in a 3-4 defense and has played some nose tackle, but neither of those positions play to his strengths.

Ellis also displays solid instincts in reading the play as it unfolds, and seems to have a knack for sniffing out the screen pass. He is tremendous in pursuit and displays very good closing speed for a guy his size. Scouts also love his intangibles, which include his non-stop motor, competitiveness, and willingness to work hard.

Projection: There has been some speculation that Ellis could be the top defensive tackle off the board, even before LSU's Glenn Dorsey. Either way, though, he's sure to be taken somewhere in the top ten of the 2008 NFL Draft.