The 2026 defensive line group figures to be a pretty deep and talented one, with prospects to fit almost any need or niche.
Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corleone, fittingly nicknamed the “Godfather”, has been the rock in the middle of the Cincinnati defense for several seasons. He’s a stout and powerful nose tackle who offers some pass rush upside.
The New York Giants have a very talented defensive front, and are hoping it only becomes more so with the development of Darius Alexander. However,
there was a noticeable drop in play when star nose tackle Dexter Lawrence was off the field. Could Corleone help?
Prospect: Dontay Corleone
Games Watched: Colorado (2024), Baylor (2025), Arizona (2025)
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-⅝
Weight: 335 pounds (unofficial)
Arm length: 31 ⅝
Hand size: 9 ⅞
Strengths
Best traits
- Play strength
- Run defense
- Hand usage
- Competitive toughness
- Short area quickness
Corleone is a thick, stout, and powerful nose tackle prospect.
Corleone is built like a cinderblock at 6-foot-1, 335 pounds, and makes full use of his natural leverage and mass to maximize his play strength. He does an excellent job of playing with great pad level, anchoring against blockers and refusing to be moved in the middle of the defense. He is able to command, and control, center-guard double teams or control both A-gaps if he’s one-on-one with the center. Corleone is next to impossible for individual blockers to move off the line of scrimmage and is difficult for double-teams to uproot as well. That allows linebackers to flow to the ball, teammates to enjoy one-on-one matchups, or for blitzers to have free runs into the backfield.
Corleone isn’t a speedy defender, however he is quicker and more agile than expected based on his physique. He has a good first step and is surprisingly agile within a short area. He’s able to stay in phase and not be stressed by outside-zone runs, and is quick to make plays off of blockers when a running back attempts to access one of his gaps. Likewise, he showed solid quickness when rushing through the A-gap as a pass rusher in 2024. He has short arms, but shows a clear understanding of how to use his hands to keep himself clean when moving laterally or attacking into the backfield.
Finally, Corleone offers very good competitive toughness. He gives good effort in pursuit and is quick to redirect against screens or if a runner cuts back. He won’t be running anyone down from behind, but the effort is certainly there.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Athleticism
- Pursuit range
- Pass rush
Corleone’s primary weakness is a lack of overall athleticism.
He’s surprisingly quick in a short area, however that area is very short. His play speed slows dramatically over any kind of distance, and his pass rush tends to stall if he can’t take the absolute shortest distance to the quarterback. Corleone’s athletic limitations will also likely limit him to being a “nose tackle only” in the NFL. And while he certainly can play in a one-gap scheme that asks linemen to penetrate into the backfield, he doesn’t have the traits to be a B-gap defender or a 5-technique.
That will limit his appeal to teams that are looking for a nose tackle, and teams that value overall athleticism in their defensive linemen will likely look elsewhere.
Likewise, Corleone lacks length at 6-foot-1 with 31⅝-inch arms. That too will limit his ability to be a disruptive penetrator at the NFL level, even with good hand usage. His best use may be to clear pass rush lanes for teammates or be an anvil on stunts or twists.
There are also concerns as to his weight. Corleone is listed at 335, which is heavy for a man 6-foot tall, and while he didn’t weigh in at the Shrine Bowl, there’s speculation that he was over 350 pounds. His future team may need to make an effort to monitor his weight to make sure it doesn’t creep up and his athleticism (and health) isn’t compromised.
Game Tape
(Corleone is the Cincinnati nose tackle wearing number 2)
Projection
Corleone projects as a rotational nose tackle at the NFL level.
He has the scheme versatility to play a true 0-technique in a 3-man front or a 1-technique in a 4-man front. Likewise, he has the strength to two-gap as well as enough pass rush ability to play in an attacking defense. Even failing his own pressure, he can collapse the pocket to prevent a quarterback from stepping up or occupy blockers to create opportunities for his teammates.
Corleone’s lack of length and general athleticism will likely limit his draft stock, and could make him a Day 3 pick. He’ll likely have to start his career as a rotational player who earns his keep on short-yardage downs. However, he has the upside to grow into a regular contributor or even starter in the right situation.
Does he fit the Giants? Yes
Final Word: An early Day 3 pick
