The Gang Green went defense in round 3, as they selected DT Nathan Shepherd from Fort Hays St. Shepherd, who is Canadian, played linebacker in high school and then defensive lineman in college. He registered 38 stops in 2017, 12.5 of those went for losses. He also had 4.0 sacks.
Shepherd, 6'4", 315 lbs, has a great size for a defensive tackle and is a perfect fit for a 3-4 defense. He began his collegiate career at Simon Fraser University in 2012 as a linebacker. Then, however, financial challenges forced him to leave school after just one year. He went back to Canada where he worked at a factory to save money and return to college.
According to scouting reports, Shepherd has tremendous upside, fluidly changes direction and makes a lot of athletic plays. He has proven to be a disruptive force. He's quick and explosive.
"He’ll need time to develop his game and improve his playing strength but if focused on the task at hand and properly coached, Shepherd should develop into a starter at the next level." © DraftAnalyst.com