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Most of today's NFL is about hybrids and matchups, with players filling in at multiple positions and in multiple roles based on scheme, talent and need. This is true for defensive tackles as well—guys who can stop the run and rush the passer are more valuable than those who specialize in one or the other.

In the modern NFL, versatility provides opportunity.

If you're a light interior defender who can slip through gaps and get pressure, that's great. You'll be valuable in nickel and dime fronts on obvious passing downs. The good news for you is that in 2018, most downs are obvious passing situations. But if your team is facing an old-school rushing attack, you might not see much of the field that week. Similarly, if you're a 330-pound hole-plugger without much mobility to get after the quarterback or perform a stunt outside your gap, your functionality will be limited and your playing time likely will reflect that.

The best and most important defensive tackle are the ones who do it all—push guards and centers back with ideal leverage and upper-body strength, use their quickness off the snap to move into the pocket before a blocker can do anything about it, move laterally with speed and accuracy and even drop into coverage once in a while. If you can do all these things at a high level as an interior defender, you're going to see as much playing time as your coaches can manage. You'll also likely be at or near the top of our NFL1000 defensive tackle rankings for the 2017 season.

NFL1000 scout Brandon Thorn has been watching every defensive tackle do his thing throughout the season, and here are his final player rankings and scouting reports for interior defenders for the 2017 year. The following criteria determined the players' final scores:

Snap Quickness: 25 points. How quickly does this tackle react to the snap? Can he get out of his stance and move forward before his blockers take him on, or does he work at a disadvantage because he's a step slow too often?

Pass Rush: 25 points. When asked, does this player display the required palette of pass-rush moves? Does he have the combination of power and agility required to break through to the pocket, and can he arrive with a suddenness at the quarterback?

Run Defense: 25 points. The base attribute for any interior defender. Can this player split double-teams to come down with the ball-carrier? Can he work through a zone slide? How conversant is he with the abilities needed to be a consistent run-stopper?

Tackling: 15 points. Does this player exhibit form tackling, or are his coaches always holding their breath when he's about to tackle someone?

Position Value: 7 points. The base value of this player's position versus other positions.

Make sure to check out all of the NFL1000 rankings from the 2017 season.