NFL defenses are in a curious, and difficult, spot in 2026.
Offense are increasingly sophisticated and explosive, weaponizing every aspect of play design to move the ball and score points. In a response to explosive passing attacks, NFL defenses have shifted to two-deep coverages, but that in turn has led to a renaissance for rushing attacks.
Could that mean run defense specialists will see their draft stock rise? Players like nose tackle Tim Keenan III of Alabama certainly hope so.
The New York Giants, on the other hand, could be hoping that the stock of players like Keenan III stays depressed. They could certainly use a defensive tackle like him, but would much rather use a later pick. So which will it be? And could Keenan III be on the Giants radar?
Prospect: Tim Keenan III (96)
Games Watched: vs. Vanderbilt (2024), vs. Tennessee (2024), vs. South Carolina (2025)
Red Flags: “Lower leg” (required Tightrope surgery to repair, August 2025)
Measurables
Height: 6-foot 1 ⅛ inches
Weight: 332 pounds
Arm length: 31 inches
Hand size: 8 ¾ inches
Strengths
Best traits
- Strength and power
- Run defense
- Competitive toughness
Keenan III is a squat, massive, and powerful nose tackle prospect. Keenan III is built like a potbelly stove at 6-foot-1, 332 pounds, and he’s similarly hard to move when he doesn’t want to be moved.
He is a run defense specialist who excels at controlling interior gaps, creating piles, and generally eliminating an A or B-gap (or one of each) from the play. Keenan III typically keys the snap well, and has a pretty quick first step. He generally does a good job of keeping his pads low – to go with great natural leverage – and routinely able to anchor against double teams or drive individual blockers into the backfield.
Keenan III also has a powerful upper body which allows him to control blockers when he establishes inside leverage, as well as discard blocks at will to make plays when a blocker presses his gap. Runners frequently appear as though they’ve run into a wall when attacking a gap that Keenan III is defending, and he’s also able to keep linebackers clean to flow to the ball or blitz.
And despite his frame and mass, Keenan III offers truly excellent effort in pursuit. He’s very quick to diagnose the run, disengage, and redirect to pursue the ball. He’s willing to chase ball carriers down across the field, even though he has little hope of catching them.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Athleticism
- Pass rush
- Endurance and conditioning
- Length
- Ankle health
Keenan III is great at what he does, however is a very limited prospect overall.
He’s massively powerful with an awesome anchor, but not much in the way of explosiveness or foot speed after his second step. Keenan III has very little upside as a pass rusher or as a penetrator for a team that uses a four-man rush. Likewise, he has a very stocky frame at 6-foot-1 with 31-inch arms, which limits his ability to defeat blockers on his way into the backfield. Those traits could also make it difficult for him to disengage from blockers at the NFL level.
Keenan III offers amazing effort in pursuit, however his range is predictably limited and he simply isn’t a factor beyond a couple yards. He also isn’t a factor as a looper on stunts and twists, nor can he scrape laterally to impact runs outside of his gap.
Teams will also want to do their due diligence on the health of his surgically repaired leg. He suffered a “lower leg” injury in practice before the season and had tightrope surgery to repair the injury. Keenan III was able to return, but didn’t hit his stride until the latter part of the season. The health of his leg could figure heavily into his draft stock.
Game Tape
(Tim Keenan III is the Alabama defensive tackle wearing number 96 and a long pant leg on his right leg.)
Projection
Keenan III projects as a rotational nose tackle at the NFL level.
There’s quite a lot to like about him, starting with the effort with which he plays. Keenan III’s energy level is infectious and he will absolutely have fans among coaches around the NFL. However, he is a true specialist on defense, and that could limit his draft stock.
Keenan III is an excellent run defender and a true nose tackle who can play in a 3 or 4-man front. However, he offers almost no upside as a pass rusher and his appeal could be limited for teams that depend on a four-man pass rush. Likewise, his ability to impact the play comes with a very limited range, and he quickly becomes a non-factor the further from his initial alignment the ball goes.
No team will be upset to draft Keenan III, however it should be understood that his athletic and schematic limitations will likely put a hard cap on the ceiling of his draft stock.
Does he fit the Giants? Yes
Final Word: A late Day 2 or early Day 3 value
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