Caleb Brantley
Defensive tackle| Florida| Redshirt junior
Height:6-foot-3 | Weight: 307 pounds
College Stats
2016: Brantley played all 13 games and made 11 starts for the Gators in 2016. He tallied 31 tackles (16 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Brantley's tackles for loss and sack totals were team leads, and he was selected to the All-SEC Second Team by the league's coaches, *AP, *Athlon Sports, Gridiron Now and Pro Football Focus.
Career: Over 38 games (22 starts) at Florida, Brantley totaled 81 tackles (30 solo), 20 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. After redshirting in 2013, he made his first start at defensive tackle in 2014.
Combine Results
40-yard dash: 5.14 seconds
Bench press: 21 reps of 225 pounds
Broad jump: 8 feet, 9 inches
Vertical jump: 27 inches
3-cone drill: 7.66 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.62 seconds
View images of Florida DT Caleb Brantley.
Profile
Summary:Even when he wasn't seeing any game action, Brantley earned the attention of Florida coaches. He redshirted the 2013 season but was the recipient of the Most Valuable Offensive Scout Team Award. In his first active year for the Gators, Brantley played in all 12 games and earned his first start in the team's bowl game, a win over East Carolina. In his final two seasons, Brantley started all but three games. In 2016, he was part of a Florida defense that held opponents to an average of 148.5 yards and 16.8 points per game.
According to **his NFL.com draft profile**, Brantley has "tremendous play strength and can dislodge guards with hip torque." The tackle is described as a passionate and aggressive player, and he holds a lot of power in the initial step off the line. It's also said that Brantley is a better pass rusher than his sack totals may imply.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein said Brantley could fit at either the three-technique or the nose tackle position.
"Brantley has the talent and traits that should appeal to both two-gap and one-gap defenses," Zierlein said. "While we haven't seen Brantley play in even half of Florida's defensive snaps in a single year, the talent is there to become an early starter and a defensive force up front."
Stacking up: NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock ranked Brantley as the second-best interior lineman in this year's draft class behind Alabama's Jonathan Allen, and his counterpart Bucky Brooks listed Brantley at No. 3 on his list of defensive tackles behind Michigan State's **Malik McDowell** and Michigan's Chris Wormley. Chris Burke of *Sports Illustrated *ranked Brantley third, placing Allen and McDowell at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
In good company:Brantley is one of five Gators who opted to forego their senior season and enter the 2017 NFL Draft. He joins linebacker Alex Anzalone, offensive tackle David Sharpe, cornerback **Jalen “Teez” Tabor** and cornerback Quincy Wilson.
