Daviyon Nixon 2021 NFL Draft Profile

The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Daviyon Nixon 2021 NFL Draft Profile.

Daviyon Nixon Background

Position: Defensive Tackle

Size: 6-foot-3, 313 pounds

Class: Redshirt Junior

2020 stats: 45 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 touchdown

Nixon only spent two shorts seasons on the field for the Hawkeyes, but became a solid draft prospect. He is now preparing for the next level.

Out of high school, Nixon went to junior college for one year at Iowa Western. He then signed on at Iowa and redshirted for a season. In 2019, Nixon registered 29 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He helped Iowa go 10-3 that season, which ended with a win over USC in the Holiday Bowl. For 2020, Nixon had 45 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. His play aided Iowa in going 6-2 on the year.

Although he only had two seasons of Division I football, Nixon made an impact. Now, he is a projected second to fourth round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Strengths

At 6-foot-3 and 313 pounds, Nixon has good size for a defensive tackle at the pro level. Being that he will likely be a 4-3 defensive tackle and not a nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme, he is bigger than most at his position. He also has massive arms for an interior lineman at 35.125 inches. The Iowa-product has great measurables for a defensive lineman.

Nixon has a unique ability to get skinny and to penetrate gaps well. He slips in between blockers and can completely disrupt plays by pushing into the backfield. His aggressive nature can completely blow up running plays and helps to push the pocket against the pass.

For his size, Nixon is extremely quick. He gets off the line of scrimmage with some speed to get plays started off right. Nixon then has the agility to move laterally to really test an offensive lineman. He can than pursue the quarterback or ball carrier with good speed for his size.

Weaknesses

His awareness could improve for the next level. Nixon can get so caught up in penetrating the gaps that he loses sight of what is going on around him. For the most part, his contributions still have a net-positive impact on the play, but he could make more plays if he had more awareness.

While he does a great job of disrupting gaps, Nixon has a tough time fully shedding blocks. He will put pressure on the gaps, but struggles to break free of blocks in full to make the play. Nixon will need to work on using his technique and long arms to free himself in order to have an even bigger impact on plays.

Adding more pass rushing moves to his arsenal will make him a more complete player. On tape, he did demonstrate a good swim move, but he needs to add others, along with some pass rushing counters, so that he is less predictable in his pass rushing plan. More pass rushing moves will make him more than just a pocket pusher and gap disruptor.

Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Fourth Round Pick

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