Haloti Ngata

Entering his second season in Detroit, Ngata projects to once again be an integral part of the Lions’ defensive line as one of two starting defensive tackles in DC Teryl Austin’s 4-3 scheme. However, he collected just 2.5 sacks and 24 tackles in his first season with the team and is mainly responsible for keeping linebackers DeAndre Levy, Tahir Whitehead and Kyle Van Noy clean from blockers. Ngata is not on the IDP radar in 2016.

The instinct is to make direct comparisons between Ngata and the man he is essentially replacing, Ndamukong Suh. That would be a mistake as they are drastically different players, Suh being a penetrator while Ngata has made his money occupying blockers. That doesn't mean that Ngata won't be disruptive. The 340-pound plugger collected 15.5 sacks from 2010 to 2012 and set a career high in passes defensed in 2014 with seven while matching career highs in interceptions and forced fumbles with two each. Ngata has told reporters that he anticipates to be used more aggressively in Detroit than he was in Baltimore, so expect increases in some of those stats.

Ngata is still a valuable piece, capable of playing nearly any technique on the interior defensive line. However, he's declined in recent seasons, and is no longer one of the league's dominant linemen. Coming off of a 1.5-sack, 52-tackle campaign, Ngata could bounce back to some extent, if he's able to avoid the nagging injuries that have been an issue for the last two years.

Even if he plays more often at nose tackle than he did in years past – something that won't necessarily happen given the draft pick of nose prospect Brandon Williams in the third round – Ngata is still a player whose length, strength and athleticism should lead him to the 60-tackle range. Ngata made it to that mark in both 2010 and 2011, and he had a good chance last year had he not missed two games. While his tackle production is stable, Ngata unfortunately doesn't have much pass-rushing upside, as he has only 15.5 sacks in the last three years.

Ngata's impact has always been much more evident on film than in the box score, but even his statistics have started to jump out the last couple years. He has 127 stops (82 solo) and 10.5 sacks since the 2010 season, and his 10 passes defended are a nice touch in leagues that reward points for that category. Ngata has a chance to post career year numbers in 2012, as the at least partial absence of Terrell Suggs (Achilles) this year will leave more stats up for grabs in the Baltimore defense. It might be counter-intuitive to expect Suggs' injury to help Ngata's numbers, but with Suggs out of the picture there's a 14-sack void in the Ravens defense. Without the speedy outside rusher in the race, Ngata should be the first one to the finish line a couple more times than usual.

While he’s not much of a pass-rushing threat at the end spot in Baltimore’s 3-4, Ngata has done a steady job of piling up tackles over the years. He finished with at least 55 tackles in three of his five NFL seasons, including 63 (46 solo) with a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2010. Ngata’s IDP upside is a bit limited since Baltimore has a ball-control offense that chews clock and a defense that gets off the field, but his steadiness makes him a low-risk option.

Ngata is one of the premiere space-eaters in the NFL, but he'll never put up huge numbers in the Ravens' 3-4 scheme. He had 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season but caused plenty of disruption for opposing ball carriers.

Ngata recorded 55 tackles and one sack while anchoring a defensive line that led the league's second-best run defense last season. He's on the cusp of becoming one of the NFL's elite defensive tackles, but isn't a productive enough pass rusher to be considered a top IDP.

Ngata should start at defensive end opposite of Trevor Pryce, though the sacks will be tough to come by in Baltimore's 3-4 system.

Ngata's size, power and quickness make him a run-stopping machine. After playing a full season under the tutelage of Kelly Gregg and Trevor Pryce, Ngata will help keep this defense as scary as ever.

The Ravens hope that Ngata can be the run-stuffer that Ray Lewis clamored for in the offseason. He certainly has the size, although he was accused of occasionally taking plays off while at Oregon.