2014 NFL Draft Profile: Louis Nix, DT Notre Dame
By Adam Carlson
Apr 20, 2013; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish nose tackle Louis Nix (1) gestures before a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not very often in the NFL draft that a man with the size and talent of defensive tackle Louis Nix comes along. He’s coming into the league at a great time when he will be looked at as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense or as a big run stuffer in a 4-3 defense. This will only help his cause for being an early draft pick.
However, a knee injury kept him out of action for a large portion the season last year for the Fighting Irish. He has been getting therapy on it, but if he can’t prove that the injury is fully healed and ready for action, he may see himself slipping in the draft.
Nix is a huge man. He stands 6’2″ tall and although his weight tends to fluctuate, he was last weighed in at 345 pounds.
Here are his statistics over three seasons at Notre Dame:
Oct. 13, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish nose guard Louis Nix (9) pressures Stanford Cardinal quarterback Josh Nunes (6) in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
34 games played
43 solo tackles
122 total tackles
14 tackles for loss
2.5 sacks
8 passes defended
1 forced fumble
Strengths
- HUGE man
- Powerful
- Quick feet
- Great at using leverage
- Excellent character
Weaknesses
- Knee injury may hurt his stock
- Weight is an issue
- Gets frustrated when initial moves don’t work
Fit For The Vikings
While the Vikings still have Letroy Guion to play opposite Sharrif Floyd, they could definitely use a big body to stuff up the middle and still get pressure.
My Take
Nix would be an excellent player for the Vikings to add to their defensive line, but selecting him at #8 with better options available would be a bit of a reach.