NFL Draft 2015 Prospect Profile: Defensive Tackle Eddie Goldman

The 2015 NFL Draft will be held on April 30 through May 2 in Chicago, and it is a time where the 32 NFL teams will look to add some pieces to improve both this year and in future years.  The Indianapolis Colts currently have nine picks in the Draft, including at least one in each round, and therefore they should be active on Draft day.  Who might they target?  We're taking a look at a number of different prospects, and today we take a look at Florida State defensive tackle Eddie Goldman.

Background

Goldman (6-4, 320 pounds) was a two-year starter along the defensive line for Florida State, and in his career he played in 36 games and made 27 starts, notching 62 tackles (12 tackles for loss) and six sacks.  He was named third-team All-American in 2014 as a junior and was also named first-team All-ACC.

Pros

Goldman has great size and knows how to use it, as he plays very strong and balanced on the interior of the defensive line.  He is particularly strong against the run, where he can truly dominate the trenches.  With Goldman as well, he has a lot of potential and plenty of room to continue to improve at the NFL level.

Cons

He still has some technique issues that he'll need to work on at the NFL level, and he's also not a great pass rusher.  He can sometimes generate pressure, but not consistently whatsoever.

Big Board Rankings

NFL.com (Mike Mayock) - tied for number 5 interior defensive lineman

CBSSports.com - 33rd overall, number 5 defensive tackle

Mocking the Draft - 13th overall, number 2 defensive tackle

Mock Draft Predictions

Stephen Reed's most recent mock draft:  selected by Cincinnati Bengals, 21st overall

Josh Wilson's most recent mock draft: selected by New Orleans Saints, 31st overall

How Would He Help the Colts?

The Colts' "Achilles heel," according to head coach Chuck Pagano, is their run defense.  Their emphasis this offseason has clearly to get better against the run, which is why they brought in Kendall Langford and Nate Irving on the defensive side of the ball.  They still likely aren't where they'd like to be yet, however, and so adding a powerful run defender like Goldman would make a ton of sense.

It's not easy to find a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense in today's NFL.  The Colts have been searching for one since Chuck Pagano first brought that defense to Indy in 2012, and while Josh Chapman has shown promise, he hasn't been able to be a dominant force consistently.  Eddie Goldman can be that for Indianapolis.  He has great size and can make a huge impact in the run defense even this season, and another huge positive is that he still has plenty of room to improve and a ceiling that is significantly higher than where he's at right now.

Eddie Goldman won't be the pass rusher that the Colts also need, but they wouldn't be drafting him to do that.  The Colts would be drafting him to help stop the run, and that will likely be one of the top emphases for the Colts moving forward.  Because of that, and because of the type of player that Goldman is, the Florida State defensive tackle would make a ton of sense for the Colts at pick number 29 if he's still available.