Demonte
Capehart.
Demonte
Capehart.
Clemson· 6'5"· 313 lb· 4.85s 40
R5 · #155 · Tampa Bay Buccaneers"Late-blooming Clemson gap-eater whose 9.96 RAS at the combine turned a Day 3 grade into a Day 2 conversation, with power and length still outrunning polish."Pre-draft read
Plays as a two-gap 1-technique in base fronts, kicking inside as a 3-technique in nickel, and rushing as a 4i on obvious pass downs. His primary win trait is a violent long-arm/bull rush, collapsing pockets and stacking the A-gap against double teams. He also utilizes a heavy-handed cross-chop when maintaining low pads. His first step is average, so wins are often engineered through effective leverage at the snap, quick hip-flip through contact, and late hand replacement for disengagement.
His eyes effectively track pullers in run defense, though his anchor can be compromised when his base narrows. As a pass rusher, his plan is currently one-dimensional; if the initial jolt is neutralized, he tends to stall. His athletic ceiling is evident on stunts and loops, where his straight-line burst is more apparent.
This player exhibits traits best suited for a one-gap 3-4 penetrating front as a strong side end, or a two-gap 4-3 defense at the 1 or 3 techniques.
Year 1 rotational interior lineman who can contribute on early downs, with the ceiling to become a starting two-gap nose or strong-side end in a complementary pass-rush role.
An attacking one-gap 4-3 scheme that asks its defensive tackles to win with quickness off the ball.
Capehart's rare athletic profile for his size suggests significant upside as he refines his pass-rush moves, making him a high-upside developmental piece for a power-run defense.
Clemson DL DeMonte Capehart | 2026 NFL Draft Tape
Full 2025 draft-tape cutup showing the long-arm bull and two-gap anchor.
Steelers Draft Target? DeMonte Capehart | Clemson DT Sleeper With Serious Power
Positional breakdown highlighting fit as a 3-4 base-down interior lineman.
2026 NFL Scouting Combine: DeMonte Capehart, DT, Clemson
Combine media session covering the 9.96 RAS week in Indianapolis.
Demonte Capehart projects as a versatile interior defensive lineman, offering a two-gap nose tackle presence on early downs with potential sub-package upside if his pass-rush repertoire develops. His blend of physical attributes and athletic testing, highlighted by a 9.96 RAS score, suggests a raw but high-ceiling prospect, appealing to teams seeking explosive traits to mold into a consistent contributor. This player represents a bet on significant untapped potential rather than extensive collegiate production.
After five years as a rotational piece, Capehart became a full-time starter in his final collegiate season. His career statistics, including 88 tackles and 3.0 sacks over 57 games, reflect his rotational usage behind several high-profile interior linemen. He gained significant experience, with 894 snaps and contributing to three ACC championship teams, demonstrating understanding of various schemes and techniques.
Evaluation concerns centered on an underdeveloped pass-rush plan and average initial get-off, outweighing his modest counting stats. Yet, his combine performance elevated his draft stock from a fourth/fifth-round projection into the top-100 conversation due to his rare physical tools. He was ultimately drafted in the fifth round.
- 01
Exceptional Athleticism
Explosive traits are evident, highlighted by a 9.96 RAS score, a 4.85 forty-yard dash, and a 33.5" vertical jump.
- 02
Powerful Bull Rush
Utilizes a violent long-arm/bull rush with 33 7/8" arms to collapse pockets and effectively stack the A-gap.
- 03
Reads Pullers Well
Eyes effectively track pullers in run defense, demonstrating good recognition against misdirection schemes.
- 04
Scheme Versatility
Demonstrates flexibility playing as a two-gap 1-technique, 3-technique, and rushing as a 4i.
- 05
Maintains Low Pads
Employs a heavy-handed cross-chop when maintaining low pads, indicating good technique through contact.
- 01
One-Dimensional Pass Rush
His pass-rush plan is currently one-dimensional; he tends to stall if his initial jolt is neutralized.
- 02
Average Initial Get-Off
His first step is average, meaning wins are often engineered through leverage rather than initial quickness.
- 03
Anchor Can Be Weak
His anchor can be compromised in run defense when his base narrows, making him vulnerable to being pushed.
- 04
Raw Pass Rush
He tends to revert to hand-fighting when stalemated, indicating an underdeveloped repertoire of counter moves.
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
- 4.85sp50
- Vertical
- 33.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 107inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Clemson | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Clemson | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Clemson | 13 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Clemson | 11 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | Clemson | 14 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | — | 57 | 66 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Base-down rotational nose with rare athletic testing who carves out a 30-snap role on a contender.
Similar build and long-arm base with late-career pass-rush growth if the plan catches up to the frame.
Testing standout whose one-note pass rush and average get-off keep him as a short-yardage specialist only.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context: Capehart arrived at Clemson in 2020 as a four-star from Hartsville, S.C., then spent five years buried behind a rolling cast of first-round interior linemen — Bryan Bresee, Tyler Davis, Ruke Orhorhoro and true freshman phenom Peter Woods. He redshirted in 2021, was a rotation piece through 2024, and only became a full-time starter as a sixth-year graduate senior in 2025. His career line (88 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks over 57 games) never matched the frame, and by January most boards had him as a fourth- or fifth-round two-gap nose. Then Indianapolis happened: a verified 9.96 RAS at 6-5, 313 with 33 7/8" arms, headlined by a 4.85 forty and 33.5" vertical, forced every team to re-open the tape.
NFL fit — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The defensive scheme in Tampa Bay is exactly the situation that benefits from a base-down nose with athletic upside. Vita Vea remains the anchor, Calijah Kancey the interior disruptor, but the Bucs have needed a true 1-tech behind Vea for two years. Capehart projects as the immediate rotational nose on early downs and short yardage, with sub-package snaps in the team's five-man simulated pressures where his straight-line burst can play up on twists. Realistic Year 1 is 20-25 snaps a game with special-teams field-goal-block work; Year 2 could see him displace Greg Gaines as the primary Vea backup if the pass-rush plan expands.
Retrospective: The pick at 155 was a bet on rare traits over college production — the kind of swing the Bucs have made before with Logan Hall. Whether Capehart hits will hinge on whether the long-arm bull ever earns a real counter; if it does, this is a top-100 steal in retrospect, and if not, he is a functional two-down body who justified the fifth-round investment on special teams and short-yardage snaps alone.