Defensive Tackle David Stone is a Real Handful

Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone hits people so hard it hurt watching him play in 2025.

My kind of guy.

For the first seven games of the season, Stone was practically unblockable. He was here. He was there. Stone was everywhere, hitting people like an electric battering ram.

What happened from there?

Well⎯

He cooled off a little.

He didn’t look quite as dominant during the final six games of the season.

How come?

Four reasons:

1. Increase in double teams as the season progressed.

2. They lined him up more in a four-point stance down the stretch (both hands down in the dirt pre-snap) as opposed to a two-point stance earlier in the season. He couldn’t get as much momentum into his blocks at the point of attack coming out of a four-point stance.

3. Played at too high a pad level.

4. Endurance issue?

Number four is an educated guess. Maybe that’s why they only played him “in the rotation?”

Regardless, opposing offenses needed to be aware of Stone and where he was lined up every time he was in the game. Even though he was coming in and out of the lineup, and despite all the “extra attention,” he still managed to produce two sacks, four quarterback hits, 20 hurries, and 27 tackles (Pro Football Focus).

Passing league

What’s most intriguing to me about Stone from an NFL perspective is the pass-rushing ability he showed as a defensive tackle. The NFL is a passing league, where 31/32 teams threw the ball more than half the time last season (teamrankings.com).

Most of the pass-rushing heat in the NFL comes from the edges. A lot of the interior guys are just guys. They clog the middle and generate pressure only once in a blue moon.

But⎯

It adds a whole other dynamic to an NFL defense having someone who is a legit source of pressure on the quarterback from the inside like Stone:

• Explosive strength to create separation from blocks
• Short-area burst
• Ability to adjust in the pocket

These are the kinds of traits this prospect brings to the party.

Rare stuff.

Complete three-down defensive tackle

Another nice thing about Stone⎯

He takes run defense as seriously as he takes pass rushing.

Stone will fight to the death to get to the ball carrier. Sometimes he gets there to make a difference; the rest of the time, he ends up around the pile.

Plus, he’s a devastating tackler.

Good effort level

This also stood out⎯

It wasn’t uncommon to see Stone chase down a running back out by the sideline or hunt down a screen play.

This is something that might go unnoticed by others⎯

But it’s not unnoticed or unappreciated by me.

NFL projection

At this point of the evaluation process⎯

My valuation on Stone is somewhere between picks 20-32.

I like him.

I like him a lot.

#0 David Stone 6-foot-3, 312 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2026 Fall Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of September 26, 2026

2025 game film evaluated: Illinois State, Michigan, Temple, Auburn, Kent State, Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, LSU, and Alabama (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Note: I counted 61 double-team blocks that he drew in passing situations and 10 on running plays

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Powerful big man. Dominant ability. Authoritative. Alpha nature. Brute. Big presence. High football IQ. Wide upper. Long arms. Elongated back. Thick thighs. Big bubble. Athletic. Stout. Excellent job of keeping his eyes in the backfield and being aware of the play flow as he’s engaged with blocks. Active. Competitive. Uses hands well. Hard presses gaps. Can split double teams. Showed rip (2x), swim (7x), and spin pass-rush moves (3x). Stunts a lot. Plays with inconsistent leverage. Makes high-impact run stops regularily.

What to watch for during the 2026 college football season

1. Consistent-looking throughout the entire schedule?

2. Showing pass-rush moves?

3. Playing at too high a pad level?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and Fearless with Jason Whitlock. Featured in USA Today. For more information, visit whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.