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By John Clayton
ESPN.com

For a three-year period, the hottest commodity in the NFL draft was defensive tackles. Big bodies who could play the "three technique" or the nose were hotter than quarterbacks.


Who could forget 2002 when the Vikings, juggling trade options or the chance to draft defensive tackle Ryan Sims from North Carolina, let the 15-minute decision period pass and had the Chiefs run to the table to select Sims? Four defensive tackles went in the first 15 picks. In 2003, the Jets and Saints traded up in the first round to get Dewayne Robertson and Johnathan Sullivan respectively. Five defensive tackles were among the first 13 picks. Six defensive tackles went in the first round of the 2001 draft.


But what happened to all of those defensive tackles?


“ Defensive tackles have been every bit as tricky to draft as quarterbacks in the first round for years. There are about as many failures taking a defensive tackle high as there are quarterbacks, and maybe more. What happens is teams go off workouts or go off flashes that they see instead of going for players at that position who play every play. �
— Ozzie Newsome, Ravens general manager


Some of the stories are bleak.



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