2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Nazir Stackhouse (DL – Georgia)

With being more than halfway through the College Football season, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in March. Here’s a look at Nazir Stackhouse.

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2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Nazir Stackhouse

Nazir Stackhouse (DL – Georgia)

6’3” – 320 lbs.

Background:

Georgia native and four-star recruit who played sparingly as a freshman and sophomore before taking over a starting job in 2022, totaling 473 snaps and finishing with a 33-3.0-0.0 line. Reprised his starting role in 2023.

Positives:

Two-year starter for a premier program. Massive nose tackle who will meet any team’s size requirements. Comes out of his stance with some explosiveness to overpower and control opposing blockers when two-gapping. Excellent leg drive to walk back interior linemen like blocking sleds. Nice awareness to locate the ball and flow toward the play direction. Gets good extension to lock out opponents, and easily anchors at the lien when asked to read and react. Lateral quickness is above-average for a player with his size. Gives solid effort in pursuit and is a little rangier than anticipated. Can demand double-teams on passing downs, especially when lined up as a zero-technique. Has surprisingly more quickness out of his stance than anticipated for a player of that size, showing the ability to generate pressure on stunts and twists. Works in a rip move that looks pretty effective. Stays active when his initial move isn’t successful, using his hands and hunting for lanes.

Negatives:

Has never been a major threat on passing downs, although he often stayed on the field; didn’t record his first college sack until this year. Can rely too heavily on finesse approaches to rushing the passer. Probably lacks the closing burst to finish his rushes at the next level. Gets a bit upright out of his stance. Some minor issues with balance; can get overly aggressive. Overwhelms opponents with power, but isn’t always as active with his hands as you’d like to see and doesn’t disengage as easily as his strength would suggest. Would like to see him keep his shoulders square to the line more consistently.

Summary:

A two-gap nose tackle who has an excellent combination of size and strength, and who plays with more explosiveness and quickness than is usual for a player with his build. He’ll probably never develop into a major threat on passing downs, but has the look of an effective early-down run stuffer who can attack blocks and reset the line of scrimmage. Seems like a relatively safe selection who appears to have a good chance of coming off the board some time on the second day. Could fit as either a zero- or one-technique.

Projection: Round 3