Dante Stills 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• Enters 2022 as team leader in career sacks and tackles for loss (43.5 TFL)

• TFL production is currently third all-time in WVU program history
• Father, Gary, played in the NFL for the Chiefs, Ravens, and Rams as a linebacker

System: 

• 2022 projected role: Starting DT

Pros: The first word you have to use to describe him is “tireless.” Dante Stills has a red-hot motor and is relentless with his pursuit to the ball in the front. He’s fairly nimble on the interior but it is his effort that allows him to overcome only marginal flexibility and explosiveness. His stature can make him difficult to get square punches landed on, and that plays into his ability against spread offenses to push for the backfield. He’s been hyper-productive through his four years in Morgantown, with two seasons of double-digit tackles for loss. He’s been one of the staple players of the program through the Neal Brown transition years and feels like a culture “glue guy” for any team that gets him into the locker room moving forward.

Cons: The ability to play and stack at the point of attack isn’t an area in which I have a great deal of confidence when projecting Dante Stills’ game forward to the NFL. He’s effective in a penetration role and has fulfilled that role in the Big 12 for the past four seasons, but when you consider his athletic profile and functional strength, he might be a bit too much of a tweener for me to feel confident in seeing similar results. I wouldn’t charge him with stacking the point of attack or playing on early downs based on his early resume. Teams who dare to run right at him would likely generate bubbles on the front if they’re able to apply pressure and secure hands on his frame. For all of his production in the backfield, I thought Stills missed finishing opportunities frequently enough on the film to call into question how better competition would challenge him.

Dante Stills NFL Draft Scouting Report by Kyle Crabbs