All or Nothing: Ole Miss Defensive Tackle Will Echoles

Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles has my attention.

He almost lost it.

But he did enough in the last three games of the 2025 season to regain it.

For the first six games, he grew on me.

He cooled off for the middle part of the Rebels’ schedule for the next six games.

But then…

He hit that switch in the three college playoff games.

This is the benefit of taking the time to study all 765 snaps Echoles played in last season (Pro Football Focus). Sure, it takes a lot longer than just watching his highlights or a handful of games, but it’s worth it. Watching all the games provides context you can’t get otherwise.

I marinated in his game film for three days.

Am I thrilled about the plays where he hit the brakes instead of the gas, and the games where he hit the snooze button, rolled back over, and played like there were 10 men on the field?

No.

Can I live with it?

Yes.

For the ones who put stuff like this on film, I can.

Drew A LOT of attention

• 105 double teams on pass plays
• 27 double teams on run plays

That’s what I charted in my notes throughout the season.

That’s how much his opponents respected him, and all those double teams helped his teammates make plays.

And yes, he did show the ability to crash through these double teams at times.

Elite traits

• Violent
• Flashes explosiveness
• Ability to lock out at the point of attack
• Strong hands
• Fluid
• Initial quickness
• Short-area quickness in the pocket

Some more of the criticisms

• Slower to get into his pre-snap stance
• Decent (not great) chase speed
• Rounded-looking change-of-direction

2025 production

Per Pro Football Focus:

• 6 sacks
• 1 quarterback hit
• 32 quarterback hurries
• 42 tackles (21 assists)

The numbers can help to confirm the tape, and in this case, they do.

Interesting fact

Would you believe that Echoles played on the offensive line in high school?

He did.

Echoles also played defensive line.

He was a two-way player for Houston High School in Houston, Mississippi, per 247Sports.

This further speaks to his athleticism.

Maliek Collins

That’s who Echoles reminds me of when he flips on the switch.

Dallas selected Collins in the third round (No. 67) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was a defensive tackle out of the University of Nebraska.

When I did an advance scouting report on the Cowboys in 2019, I evaluated Collins, and he was one of my highest-graded players on their roster.

Collins has produced a good NFL career while playing for several teams.

NFL projection

Getting pressure from the edge is great⎯

But getting a game changer on the interior of the defensive line is even better.

Do I think Echoles has top-10 ability based on the film I studied?

No, not yet.

However, when he goes into “Beast Mode,” he makes me wonder…

Right now⎯

At this point in his grading process⎯

My valuation of Echoles is somewhere between picks 11-20 on my board.

*Subject to change

#52 Will Echoles 6-foot-3, 315 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 October 5, 2026

2025 game film evaluated: Georgia State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tulane, LSU, Washington State, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Citadel, Florida, Mississippi State, Tulane, Georgia, and Miami (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Background story (Essentially Sports)

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Big presence standout who paces himself. Methodical. Alpha nature. Brute. Has enough power to take over. Opportunist. Active. Athletic build. Thick thighs. Stayed true to assignments to a fault. Shows some emotion. Knack for batting down passes at the line of scrimmage. Pass rush moves shown: swim (15x), head fake (4x), rip (3x), slap (3x), and spin (2x). Likes to throw his weight around. A lot of stunts. Shoots gaps. Presses space aggressively. They moved him around along the defensive line. Slight tendency to pursue in the wrong direction. Heavy hitter. Hardcore tackler on run plays.

What to watch for during the 2026 college football season

1. Motor?

2. Pass rush moves?

3. Pass rush productivity?

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.