Bryson Eason DT Tennessee |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #20 SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 04/11/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 5.09 seconds (54%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #20 | |
| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |
| Last Updated: 04/11/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 5.09 seconds (54%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 80.8 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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53% |
| Pass Rush: |
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69% |
| Run Defense: |
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74% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
7th
Overall Rank:
#221
Position rank:
#50 (DL)
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| College Games: 56 College Snaps: 1470 | ||
ESPN RATING: 78/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 91/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Atkins - Fresno State |
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85% |
| Cory Durden - NC State |
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78% |
| Jay Tufele - USC |
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74% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Tennessee signed Bryson Eason in 2020 as a 265-pound inside linebacker out of Whitehaven High School in Memphis, where he was a two-time all-state selection and helped his team reach the Class 6A title game twice. A four-star prospect per 247 Sports and Rivals, he chose the Vols over Arkansas after drawing SEC interest as early as his freshman year.Eason's college path is defined by reinvention. He played outside linebacker as a sophomore, shifted to defensive end in 2021 while earning a redshirt, and settled at defensive tackle in 2022. That move stuck. He worked from a one-start reserve into a full-time starter by 2023, holding that role for three straight seasons in Tim Banks' four-down front, rotating between 2i-, 3-, and 4i-technique alignments.
Over his final two years, Eason started all 26 games and posted 56 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks along with eight quarterback hurries and four pass breakups. His best game came in the 2025 SEC opener against No. 6 Georgia, where he played a career-high 66 snaps, tied his career high in tackles, and recovered a fumble that set up a fourth-quarter field goal. He graduated in December 2024 and accepted invitations to both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Plays with a low center of gravity and rarely gets stood up at the point of attack.
- Finds the right gaps quickly against zone-blocking schemes and works laterally with purpose.
- Heavy hands at initial contact; stuns single blockers and resets the line of scrimmage.
- Showed a real feel for splitting double teams in the Georgia game, slipping between two blockers to disrupt the backfield.
- Athletic background at linebacker still shows up in his short-area burst and ability to redirect.
- Durable three-year starter who handled increased snap loads without drop-off in his final season.
- Flashes the ability to find passing lanes when his rush stalls; batted three passes in 2025.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Tackling is a consistent problem; too many arm tackles and whiffs at the second level.
- Gets sealed and washed out by bigger guards on kick-out blocks, losing his edge entirely.
- Pass rush lacks a plan beyond the initial punch; wins early or not at all.
- Slow to react off the snap at times, putting himself in chase mode against pulling linemen.
- Zero sacks as a senior despite nearly 300 pass-rush snaps raises real finishing concerns.
- Undisciplined moments on tape, including a roughing penalty against New Mexico State.
Scouting Report: Summary
Eason's value at the next level is straightforward: he can eat blocks and keep linebackers clean in the run game. His low pad level and thick lower half make him tough to move on single blocks, and he showed enough feel for double teams to avoid being completely neutralized when guards and centers work in tandem. In a four-man front that asks its interior linemen to hold gaps rather than penetrate, he can fill a role from day one. The linebacker-to-tackle conversion gave him a movement base that most 320-plus-pound linemen simply do not have, and his shuttle time at the combine backed up what the tape already showed in short spaces.The concerns are real, though. Eason recorded zero sacks in his final college season on a meaningful number of pass-rush reps, and there is not much evidence of a counter move or a rush plan developing over six years of college football. His tackling has been below average throughout his career, with too many attempts ending in arm tackles or missed contacts at the second level. He needs to finish better in the open field for a defensive coordinator to trust him on early downs.
The ceiling here is a rotational interior lineman who can spell a starter in base packages and contribute on run-heavy downs. The floor is a practice squad body who provides depth during camp and gives coaching staffs a versatile alignment piece to work with. Eason is not going to win a roster spot with splash plays; he will need to prove he can do the dirty work consistently enough to justify keeping him around.
Bryson Eason percentiles vs other Defensive Tackles (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Bryson Eason (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
227.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
56.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.