Will Sutton, Senior, Defensive Tackle, Arizona State
Overview:
Will Sutton is one of the more productive interior linemen in the country. The rising senior has been a nightmare for opposing offenses his whole career. In 2012 alone, he had 12 sacks. That’s a high number for someone coming from the tackle spot. He is athletic at 6 ft., 280 lbs. He carries less weight than a lot of tackles. Guards and centers are not used to his burst, and he can get in the backfield quickly. If he can put on a little more weight and maintain his athleticism, his stock will rise further.
Sutton has been an impact player every year he has competed for the Sun Devils. He does have an injury history though and some troubles off the field. He was deemed academically ineligible for the entire 2010 season. He trained all year and came back as a force plugging up the middle in 2011. He suffered a knee injury in the middle of last season and had to leave the Oregon game early on. Luckily, he played the next week, but he was not at 100 percent the rest of the year. He can prove that he’s all the way back this coming season.
Final Projection:
Sutton is certainly going to be considered for every major award this season for top defensive lineman. There is no reason to suspect that his production will drop off this season. It would really benefit him to have similar numbers to his 2012 campaign. Sutton is generally regarded somewhere in the fifth to seventh best tackle in the draft. He is undersized for NFL level linemen. That hurts his stock a bit. He will also have to prove durable this upcoming season. He may have to answer for his ineligibility in 2010, but it should be far enough in the past that he will not have to worry about scouts questioning his dedication to the game and to his responsibilities. The Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year will most likely be a second day pick next May.
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