The longer you watch the NFL you start to realize that most players end up playing to their size and athletic ability. While NFL comparisons are not perfect, using a player’s physical profile gives us a good look into how they would fit into the NFL. The Chicago Bears drafted a few players with strong NFL comparisons. What about the seventh-round pick Khyiris Tonga?
Below you can see how Tonga compares to other defensive tackles. You can see that he is a bit of a rarity, even in NFL standards with his size.
He has below average height, but nearly the heaviest player you can find. Beyond that, he excelled in the bench, but also showed some burst in the 20-yard split. Overall, there is a not long list of players at the size, but we used some overall filters to break this down a bit further.
Height: 6’1”-6’3”
Weight: 320-327
40-yard dash: 5.02-5.3
Vertical: 26-32”
Broad: 99-108”
3-cone: 7.6-8s
Using only players who fit these criteria, we got a list of about ten players. This is smaller than most of the other players we got, which shows how rare the combination of height and weight is. Still, we were able to get a decent list including:
Sione Pouha, DJ Reader, and Zach Kerr. Pouha was a nose tackle from 05-12. Reader is currently on the Bengals after signing a big extension last offseason while Kerr is currently a solid role player for the Colts.
Early into his career, the best comparison is going to be Zach Kerr. Kerr only gets rotational and special teams snaps but makes them count with his violence and the first step. He is entering his eighth NFL season with the Carolina Panthers.
Khyiris Tonga is not going to be a known name across the league, but like Kerr, we could see an eight-year career as a trusted nose tackle in the NFL.