Daviyon
Nixon.
Daviyon
Nixon.
Iowa· 6'3"· 313 lb· 4.90s 40
"A 6-3, 313-pound Iowa 3-technique with 13.5 TFLs and a pick-six in an eight-game 2020, plus an 8.52 RAS — a Round-2/3 penetrating interior projection where pad level and anchor were the flags."Pre-draft read
Plays primarily as a penetrating 3-technique, aligned in the B-gap. Exhibits first-step quickness, using slants and stunts to defeat isolation blocks by turning a shoulder. Hands are effective in flashes, utilizing a long-arm rip and violent chop-swim. Demonstrates unusual playmaking instincts, including ball skills and short-area burst. His pass-rush relies on penetration and effort rather than a developed repertoire of moves.
His pad level tends to rise in the second half, weakening his anchor against low double-teams, making him a risk in a two-gap nose alignment. Plays too tall against down-blocks in wide-zone, limiting his effectiveness as an every-down player. While his burst and ball skills are distinctive, inconsistent pad-level discipline restricts him to a sub-package interior rusher role.
The Carolina Panthers run a 3-4 front, relying on versatile defensive linemen to disrupt by penetrating gaps and controlling the line of scrimmage with a mix of one-gap and two-gap techniques.
Nixon's ceiling is an impact pass-rushing 3-technique who can hold his own against the run in a rotational role early, growing into a starter by Year 2 or 3.
Nixon would struggle in a two-gap 3-4 base defense that asks interior linemen to primarily absorb blocks and anchor against double-teams, as his pad level and anchor are inconsistent.
Nixon's best fit is as a penetrating 3-tech in a one-gap, attacking front, where his first-step quickness and playmaking instincts can be maximized.
Top 31 Plays of Iowa DT Daviyon Nixon | 2021 NFL Draft
Pre-draft career reel: B-gap wins, stunt finishes and the Purdue pick-six that framed his Day-2 grade.
Daviyon Nixon 2020 Iowa Highlights
Big Ten DPOY season — 13.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and the interior burst that drove the projection.
Carolina Panthers: Daviyon Nixon
NFL cutups from his rookie rotation in Carolina before the 2022 ACL injury reset the timeline.
Nixon projects as a disruptive 3-technique for an attacking defensive front. Teams acquire a player capable of consistently winning gaps and generating interior pocket pressure, primarily due to his elite first-step quickness at 313 pounds. There is a potential path for him to develop into a higher-snap player if he refines his technique.
He joined Iowa from Iowa Western CC and played two seasons, culminating in a productive eight-game 2020 season. During this season, he recorded 13.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks, earning Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. Iowa deployed him at both 3-technique and shaded nose alignments across various fronts, highlighting his positional versatility. However, his most significant impact came as a penetrator.
Evaluators raised concerns about his single full starting season and the inconsistent pad level that affected his anchor late in games. His pass-rush repertoire was seen as limited beyond his quickness. Consensus draft boards positioned him as a top-60 prospect, and the Panthers ultimately selected him in the fifth round, valuing his traits as a sub-package rusher with potential for a starting role.
- 01
Elite first-step quickness
His first step consistently beats guards to the landmark on B-gap slants and stunts.
- 02
Playmaking instincts
He demonstrates ball awareness, screen recognition, and short-area burst with the ball.
- 03
Effective interior counters
He flashes a violent chop-swim and a functional long-arm rip when initial moves stall.
- 04
Positional versatility
He aligned at 3-technique and shaded nose in both even and odd fronts at Iowa.
- 05
Strong 2020 production
He recorded 13.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks in eight games during his 2020 college season.
- 01
Inconsistent pad level
He often rises out of his stance, impacting his anchor against interior blocks in the second half.
- 02
Anchor against blocks
He struggles to anchor against double-teams and down-blocks, getting walked back when hit low.
- 03
Limited pass-rush plan
His sack production relies on penetration and effort, not a developed set of repeatable moves.
- 04
Hand placement consistency
Offensive linemen lock on when his initial move is unsuccessful due to inconsistent hand placement.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.90sp50
- Vertical
- 28.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 106inp50
- Three-cone
- 7.68sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.70sp50
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Iowa | 13 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | Iowa | 8 | 45 | 5.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | — | 21 | 74 | 8.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
The realistic outcome: a rotational interior rusher who logs 500-plus snaps as a passing-down 3-technique, produces 3-5 sacks a year and lives on a one-year veteran deal.
The ceiling: an undersized-frame 3-technique whose first step and hand quickness let him play above the length limit and grade as a plus sub-package starter.
The floor: a rotational nose/3-tech whose pad-level and anchor issues cap him at spot-duty depth on run-down packages without an ascending pass-rush role.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Bust. Rotational Year 1 (12 games), tore ACL in 2022 preseason, never returned to form. Cut in 2024. Signed with the Cardinals on a futures deal, out of the league by 2025.
Pre-draft context. Nixon transferred from Iowa Western CC and, after redshirting, exploded in a shortened 2020 season: eight games, 45 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, an interception returned 71 yards for a touchdown against Purdue, and the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year award. His two-year Iowa line — 21 games, 8.5 sacks, 19 TFLs — mixed with a 6-3, 313-pound Pro Day frame that ran a reported 4.90 forty with a 28.5-inch vertical, 106-inch broad, 7.68 three-cone and 4.70 short shuttle (8.52 RAS). Consensus boards had him inside the top 60, in the disruptive 3-technique family with Osa Odighizuwa and Levi Onwuzurike.
NFL fit — Carolina Panthers. The Panthers took him in the fifth round — a widely flagged value slide — to pair with Derrick Brown as an interior sub-package rusher in Phil Snow's front. He earned rotational snaps as a rookie (14 games, no starts), then tore his ACL in August 2022 and missed the entire season. He returned for 2023 in a reduced role, was released and re-signed, and by 2024 was on the roster fringe as a depth piece.
Retrospective. The pick-six tape from 2020 remains the ceiling flash — a 313-pound interior lineman running a 71-yard return — but the ACL derailed the timeline exactly when a Year-2 leap was the expected outcome. He remains employable as a rotational nose/3-tech, but the disruptive-starter arc never materialized.