Dante Stills, IDL West Virginia: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Stills was a four-star recruit from Fairmont Senior High School in Fairmont, W.Va. in the class of 2018

West Virginia’s Dante Stills is one of the most accomplished members of an interior defensive line draft class that looks stronger each week. With two All-Big 12 selections under his belt (and potentially a third one on the way), Stills enters the 2023 NFL Draft with a history of producing at a high level.

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Dante Stills, IDL West Virginia: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year senior defensive lineman from Fairmont, W.Va.

Background: Stills was a four-star recruit from Fairmont Senior High School in Fairmont, W.Va. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 124 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 116 for Rivals, and No. 120 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 187th in the nation with an 82 grade out of 100. ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports listed Stills as the top recruit in West Virginia. As a high school senior, he amassed 81 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. Stills produced 75 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks as a junior. He led his high school to back-to-back state runner-up finishes in his junior and senior seasons. Stills was selected as an Under Armour All-American in 2017. He is one of three children. His brother (Darius) was a Consensus All-American, the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, and a First-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2020. Stills’ father (Gary) was an All-Big East linebacker at West Virginia for Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen. He was a third round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft and spent ten years in the NFL, playing for the Chiefs, Rams, and Ravens. Gary Stills made the Pro Bowl in 2003.

2021 Production: 13 games, 36 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 29 pressures, 7 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception

2020 Production: 10 games, 35 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 23 pressures, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 passes defensed

2019 Production: 12 games, 26 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 18 pressures, 8 sacks, 1 pass defensed

2018 Production: 12 games, 14 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 12 pressures, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2018 Freshman All-American (ESPN & The Athletic), 2019 Second-Team All-Big 12, 2020 Honorable Mention All-Big 12, 2021 First-Team All-Big 12

Pros: Displays burst on stunts and games, motor runs hot, eliminated penalties from his game in 2021, moves around the entire defensive line, special teams experience on the punt return and field goal block units, closing burst to the ball, will grab and pull down linemen to win as a pass rusher, gets skinny to shoot gaps as a run defender, displayed some ability to bend around the edge against TCU (2021), spins back into the pocket when his rush goes too far upfield, uses a variety of swipes and arm-over moves, active arms and hands, compresses the line on inside runs, flows down the line to the football, attacks the tackle’s inside shoulder after swiping his hands, has a rip counter, when he times the snap well he displays a quick initial step

Cons: Missed tackles are a theme of his college career, playing weight will limit his assignments in the NFL, plays with inconsistent leverage (pad level), snap timing is inconsistent, washed away by double teams, struggles to maintain at the point of attack, his spins and hand swipes often seem poorly planned and don’t lead to an advantage, when lined up over the tackle he’s sealed outside on run plays, lacks the bend to consistently contribute off the edge, arm length might raise questions, hands lack pop, play strength must improve, sometimes he’s too patient when waiting to engage the offensive lineman, moved off the line against the power run, need to see more pass rush wins with power

Overview: Stills is unofficially listed at 6'4", 285 lbs. He applied pressure on roughly 9.5% of his pass rush snaps in 2020 and 8.4% in 2021. Stills shifts along the entire defensive line, playing everywhere from 5-tech to occasionally 1-tech. Most of his snaps over the past three years have come either as a 4-tech (lined up even with the tackle) or working in the B-gap. He displays burst on stunts and games up front. Stills has an excellent first step when he times the snap well, but there are instances of him getting off the line late. The fifth-year senior displays exciting closing speed when the ball is in his sights, but he slows down on extended plays. Stills has several pass rush moves and counters in his toolbox. He’ll grab and pull down linemen to open either interior or outside rush lanes and has an effective rip counter. Stills’ hands are very active, and he uses a variety of swipes and arm-over moves to create clear rush lanes. He spins back into the pocket when his rush carries him too far upfield. Unfortunately, Stills’ spins and hand swipes sometimes seem poorly planned and don’t lead to an advantage. He displays some bend around the edge but not at a high enough level to consistently threaten as a true edge defender. Stills’ active hands lack pop, and his short arms give offensive linemen natural advantages. The West Virginia native shows patience in some pass rush reps, but sometimes he’s too patient and fails to impact the play. As a run defender, Stills gets skinny and shoots gaps. This penetration style leads to big tackles for loss and creates opportunities for other defenders to make plays. Stills compresses the line on inside runs and flows down the line to the ball with urgency. He lacks the mass to hold the point of attack against the run consistently. Stills gets sealed by tackles and displaced on power run plays. He plays with an inconsistent pad level. Stills’ playing weight will limit his potential roles in the NFL. According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Stills runs a 4.42 20-yard shuttle.

Overall, Stills is a highly productive penetration-style defensive lineman who wins with a hot motor and some go-to pass rush moves and counters. He lacks the desired physical requirements NFL teams look for in early-round selections. Stills won’t serve as a true defensive tackle at the next level. He’ll play a tweener/hybrid role.

Role & Scheme Fit: Penetration style 3-4 defensive end

Round Projection: Early Sixth to Early Seventh

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 09-15-22