It’s draft day, y’all. Congrats, we made it.
And I wanted to take a closer look at the other Tennessee Vol that I believe will hear his name called before the final day of the draft on Saturday, and that’s DT Omarr Norman-Lott.
The talented defensive tackle has received interest in the pre-draft process from a number of teams and has been projected by many draft “experts” and pundits to be selected on day two of the draft (rounds 2-3).
Naturally, that’s led some (me included) to ask: why in the world wasn’t he used more in Knoxville? A fair question, I believe. Let’s get into why I believe that.
College production
When he was on the field, he delivered. According to Pro Football Focus, he saw 139 pass rushing snaps (which is absurdly low), but he turned those into 27 total pressures. That’s a pressure rate of 19.4%. By comparison, James Pearce, Jr. had a 21.9% rate, best among all FBS edge rushers. That’s impressive, and while UT rotated their defensive linemen a lot to keep them fresh, Norman-Lott deserved more snaps.
Physical measurements and Combine performance
One knock on Norman-Lott has been his size. Listed at the Combine as 291 pounds, that’s considered light for the position, but for a one-gap, three technique, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Norman-Lott didn’t run at the Combine, but he still acquitted himself well with a 31.5” vertical jump and 9’5” broad jump.
Draft profile
Normal-Lott’s projection by experts is wide ranging. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah doesn’t even have him among his top 150 prospects, which is wild to me, but to each his own. Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network, by comparison, sees him as a second-round pick, stating the following overall impression:
Overall, Norman-Lott possesses the tools desired in a disruptive interior defensive lineman at the NFL level. With detailed improvements to enhance his consistency, there is a clear path for Norman-Lott to become an impactful player in the league.
My prediction: early third round
I think Norman-Lott could go as early as the late stages of the second round, but I think someone will pull the trigger early, perhaps to the Las Vegas Raiders at 68 or the Jacksonville Jaguars at 70 – depending of course on what those teams do in the first two rounds of the draft.