With his 2025 NFL Draft scouting report, Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corleone might be one of the best natural nose tackle prospects in the 2025 class. Here’s what he offers within that specific role and where he might project next April.
Dontay Corleone’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 320 pounds
- Position: Defensive Tackle
- School: Cincinnati
- Current Year: Redshirt Junior
It’s fitting that Corleone’s nickname is “The Godfather” because watching his tape is truly like cinema at times.
Though he originally arrived at Cincinnati as a lesser-heralded three-star recruit and ultimately redshirted his first season, he quickly established himself as a formidable force once he joined the ranks on defense.
In 2022, Corleone picked up 45 tackles, three sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. In 2023, he nearly mirrored that production but achieved a career-high in TFLs with 6.5.
As the 2025 NFL Draft slowly approaches, Corleone is a prospect that naturally catches the eye with his specific role fulfillment, and as it so happens, he brings more than your average nose tackle under center.
Corleone’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Well-built nose tackle with a tremendous combination of mass, leverage, and length.
- Has great initial get-off and can use his leg churn and length to drive awesome power.
- Hyper-elite raw strength is a defining trait that allows him to suffocate movement.
- Brings enough lateral explosiveness to shade across gaps off the snap and reposition.
- Has enough bend to adjust rushing angles while channeling power on interior stunts.
- Has the ability to redirect on the front side of reach blocks and swallow running lanes.
- Can use his combined mass and natural leverage to absorb doubles and hold the line.
- Has shown he can violently torque through anchors and demolish gaps early in reps.
- Can quickly gain control of blocks in run defense with fast, violent, and precise hands.
- Hands have impressive authority and generate force at contact, grating the front.
- Able to generate displacement instantly off the snap with his deadly raw power element.
- Has suffocating anchor strength and is very difficult to escape once he latches.
- Has shown he can stack long-arms and rip moves when attacking interior blockers.
- Able to decouple extensions off the line with double-swipe and arm-over moves.
- High-motor defender who fights through contact and exudes energy all through reps.
Weaknesses
- Sometimes diverts too far upright when redirecting, which can nullify his base load.
- Is sometimes lumbering as a mover after initial contact, which can stall power rushes.
- Non-elite corrective athleticism can cause him to lose balance when engaging on stunts.
- Lateral agility, while solid, is visibly non-elite, which limits role versatility to a degree.
- Too often loses control when attempting to sustain power rushes vertically.
- Dense, squatty build sometimes detracts from hip flexibility when in recovery.
- Is surprisingly susceptible to properly-applied help blocks, losing balance at contact.
- Can be inconsistent managing his pad level when shading across gaps in the run game.
- Can be more consistent at efficiently stacking counters when stunting across gaps.
- Will be flushed out of pursuit on misdirection plays relatively easily.
- Was temporarily removed from football activities in spring 2024 with a blood clot issue.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Corleone grades out as a top-64 prospect and one of the best nose tackle talents in the 2025 class. He’s built to play at 0-tech and 1-tech, and he has an exciting two-phase upside for his body type and player mold.
A documented Feldman Freak who’s nicknamed “The Godfather,” there’s something prestigious about the way Corleone controls the line. He massacres solo blocks, and he’s a formidable opponent for combo blocks and double teams with his strength and leverage.
With his natural leverage, mass, and proportional length, Corleone is tailor-made for the nose tackle role as a run defender, and his first-step explosiveness and plowing power element make him a threat on passing downs as well.
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With his initial power exertion, Corleone can cave in the interior line and take away space from quarterbacks. And his motor runs hot on the attack. He can be more controlled at times, but an exciting framework is present to work with and build off of.
Though Corleone might not have much utility outside of 0- and 1-tech, he’s one of the best natural fits for the fulcrum on the defensive line. He can be an impact starter at nose tackle, with three-down utility and a unique disruptive quality.
