MOBILE, Ala. -- Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton has been one of the stars of the show this week during Reese's Senior Bowl practices. The consensus seems to be that the mammoth interior presence will be the first player drafted of the prospects competing in the Senior Bowl.
NFL Media's Mike Mayock was already touting Shelton as a possible top-10 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and it doesn't appear his opinion has changed after getting an up-close look at the defensive tackle over the past few days.
"When you put the tape on, you can't help but think of Haloti Ngata," Mayock said. "For a guy that's 343 pounds, his strength is outstanding. He's got a little hump move like Reggie White and Howie Long had, too. He has way more lateral quickness than people think he has and he played the majority of snaps at the University of Washington. Most big guys can't do that. He's had a special week."
The Ngata comparisons aren't new for Shelton, who has drawn rave reviews for his strength and ability to clog running lanes in college. However, his ability to stay on the field instead of going to the sideline to rest when facing an up-tempo offense could separate Shelton from other nose tackles.
Such stamina is one reason why Mayock believes Patriots star Vince Wilfork is perhaps an even more apt NFL comparison for Shelton.
"If you have a top-10 pick, the thing you have to ask yourself is will he consistently have an ability, when you go to sub-packages, to push the pocket," Mayock said. "I think he does. I would put him in the category with a Vince Wilfork."
That is high praise for the fast-rising prospect out of the Pacific Northwest. The team that selects Shelton will certainly hope he can live up to such high billing.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
