Aaron Graves DT Iowa |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #95 SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/16/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 5.30 seconds (13%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.1 DOB: 07/14/2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #95 | |
| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |
| Last Updated: 03/16/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 5.30 seconds (13%*) | |
| Age: 23.1 DOB: 07/14/2003 | |
| Overall Rating: | 81.1 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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61% |
| Pass Rush: |
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89% |
| Run Defense: |
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62% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#200
Position rank:
#45 (DL)
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| College Games: 51 College Snaps: 1807 | ||
ESPN RATING: 82/100
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247 RATING: 94/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.9 (97%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Zacch Pickens - South Carolina |
|
88% |
| Rylie Mills - Notre Dame |
|
85% |
| Vernon Broughton - Texas |
|
80% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Aaron Graves committed to Iowa as a high school freshman out of Dayton, Iowa, holding four-star ratings from ESPN, 247Sports, and Rivals. He skipped a redshirt year, logging snaps across 12 games as a true freshman in 2022 and recording his first career sack against Nevada. His sophomore season brought a full-time role, with 37 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks across all 14 games.The 2024 campaign was his best all-around season. Starting all 13 games, Graves posted six sacks, eight tackles for loss, and a team-leading three forced fumbles. His two-sack, two-fumble performance against Washington earned him Co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition.
As a senior in 2025, Graves earned second-team All-Big Ten honors while anchoring a defense that ranked eighth nationally in scoring and ninth in total defense. He finished with five sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, and his first career interception, a 35-yard return that set up a touchdown in a shutout win at Wisconsin. Over four years in Iowa City, he totaled 122 tackles, 16.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles across 51 games.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Genuine pass-rush ability from the interior, with a clear feel for timing his get-off at the snap.
- Uses stemming and alignment tricks well to set up rush lanes before the ball is snapped.
- Flashes a swim move that creates separation against guards who sit heavy in pass sets.
- Good length for the position, able to get extension and control blockers at the point of attack.
- Pass-rush production improved every season, suggesting coachability and real development capacity.
- Decent athlete for his size with enough quickness to work both A-gap and B-gap assignments.
- Durable four-year starter who logged over 1,800 career defensive snaps without missing time.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Bends at the waist rather than the knees, costing him leverage and anchor against the run.
- Run defense tape is inconsistent; gets washed out of his gap on combo blocks too often.
- Hands are frequently late and wide when defending the run, exposing his chest to blockers.
- Slow to recognize and react to down blocks, leading to displacement inside.
- Hand usage as a pass rusher lacks precision and timing despite his production numbers.
- Tackling in the open field remains a concern, with too many missed attempts showing up on tape.
Scouting Report: Summary
Graves is a pass-rush specialist from the interior whose best path to an NFL role runs through his ability to pressure the quarterback. His production climbed each year at Iowa, from a raw freshman to a senior generating 22 total pressures. That trajectory suggests a player still developing rather than one who has already hit his ceiling. His stemming ability and swim move give him tools to work with, and his length lets him play with extension when he wants to. The question is whether those tools translate against NFL-caliber guards who will not let him win with effort alone.The run defense is the real obstacle. His waist-bending habit, late hands, and susceptibility to combo blocks all showed up consistently on tape, and those issues get magnified at the next level. He fits best in a scheme that lets him rush on obvious passing downs and limits his run responsibilities. A 4-3 defense that rotates its interior or a sub-package role in a 3-4 would give him the best chance to contribute early. Asking him to hold up as a three-down player right now would be asking too much.
The ceiling is a useful rotational interior rusher who can push the pocket on third down. The floor is a camp body whose run defense limitations keep him off a roster. His combine snub will force him to prove himself at a pro day, but the pass-rush ability is real enough to warrant a look. Development time with an NFL defensive line coach could smooth out the hand timing and pad level issues holding back the rest of his game.
Aaron Graves percentiles vs other Defensive Tackles (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Aaron Graves (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
250.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
62.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.