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Draftanomics
Prospect dossier

Ben Roberts

DT · Michigan State · via Oregon · 2027 NFL Draft class

Public Draft Board rank #110·12 contributing sources·Board as of August 31, 2026
Draftanomics scouting
Revised preseason edition · September 6, 20264 min readReport role: DT · Michigan State

Master scouting report

Ben Roberts is a Michigan State interior defensive lineman whose evaluation begins with a substantial frame and an incomplete run of healthy college work. At 6-foot-3 and 325 pounds, he has the dimensions for an interior role built around keeping the defensive front firm against the run. The sensible NFL case is developmental interior depth. Earning a more confident projection requires sustained availability and evidence that his size consistently helps the defense control the line of scrimmage.

By Draftanomics · Sources & edition · Print report

01What the college record establishes

Michigan State’s biography credits Roberts with 26 career appearances and 24 tackles through 2025, including nine games at Oregon and 17 for the Spartans. He made seven appearances in 2025 and recorded 11 tackles. His 2024 Michigan State season produced eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack across 10 games. These are useful pieces of a rotational history, but they do not describe a long, uninterrupted record of high-volume interior production. A larger workload will test whether he can keep contributing as offenses return to the same matchup throughout a game.

02A larger role, interrupted

The university’s March 2026 defensive preview identifies Roberts as a senior interior leader and records six starts in 2025, with five games missed. A healthy run of starts would let him build continuity alongside the other interior defenders and carry greater responsibility within the rotation. Robbie Bettelon’s position preview also emphasizes his importance to the returning line and the need for health after interrupted seasons. Leadership and an expected role provide context for opportunity. The football question is how much of that responsibility he can handle while keeping his gap secure and retaining enough energy to finish the play.

03The original athletic foundation

A 2021 recruiting evaluation by Matt Solorio, published by Max Torres, described a large but mobile defender who was still playing on the edge. Solorio saw disciplined responses to blocks and a considered approach to combinations, with a future inside as Roberts grew. This is historical evidence, not a current college film grade. It helps explain the original developmental appeal: size accompanied by movement and awareness. The years since then must establish how much of that foundation remains useful against stronger, more technically advanced interior blockers.

04The role that would make the frame valuable

For a player with Roberts’ current build, early-down value would come from occupying useful space without surrendering control of the gap. The development plan should begin with a stable base at contact, keeping his shoulders useful to the assignment and separating in time to affect the runner. A reserve who handles those responsibilities can keep linebackers working through clearer lanes and preserve the front even when the play produces no tackle for him. The challenge is making his size serve that assignment from snap to snap.

05Keeping the pass-rush projection proportionate

Roberts enters the NFL discussion with a stronger developmental case on early downs than as an interior pass-rush specialist. His 2024 sack supplies a starting point, but a larger third-down role needs repeated pressure and a response when the guard stops the initial action. A developmental plan should therefore prioritize useful run-defense snaps before assigning substantial third-down responsibility. Developing that second answer would help him stay involved when an offense passes from a personnel grouping the defense expected to run.

The case for the player

Strengths

  • A substantial interior frame and an established place in Michigan State’s returning defensive-line group provide a credible developmental starting point.

  • The recruiting evaluation documented movement and thoughtful responses to blocks, offering a specific historical foundation for the projection.

The questions that remain

Concerns

  • Interrupted availability has limited the sustained college sample needed for a firmer NFL role assessment.

  • Current anchor consistency and a repeatable interior rush remain unestablished by the available technical evidence.

Building the fit

NFL role and scheme fit

The appropriate starting projection is developmental defensive-tackle depth, with early-down work earned through consistent gap execution. A team considering him should value a clearly demonstrated job over an expansive versatility label. Maintaining availability for a sustained rotation would create the opportunity to evaluate that job more confidently and determine whether additional passing-down work is justified.

The Draftanomics view

Bottom line

Roberts offers a plausible route to useful interior depth, with availability and control at contact deciding how much of a rotation he can carry. The priority is converting size, an encouraging early foundation and a senior opportunity into dependable college play. If he can keep his gap intact and finish nearby plays over a sustained workload, a team can build a practical role around him while the pass rush develops.

Sources & edition

The Draftanomics assessment, synthesized from attributed reporting. Role and development language expresses scouting opinion.

Preseason assessment using college evidence through 2025 and subsequent roster, practice and scouting reporting. This edition does not evaluate 2026 regular-season games or claim a new Draftanomics film study.

Edition reviewed September 7, 2026. Replaces the extremely brief original with the correct Michigan State defensive-tackle identity, verified participation and a clearly dated developmental assessment.

The original August edition remains preserved. This is a revised Draftanomics assessment, with supporting sources attached to each statement.

View the 4 referenced sources
Read statement references

Every passage remains linked to its supporting sources. Open a section to inspect the assessment and its evidence.

Sources for scouting overview
  1. House assessment

    Ben Roberts is a Michigan State interior defensive lineman whose evaluation begins with a substantial frame and an incomplete run of healthy college work.

  2. House assessment

    At 6-foot-3 and 325 pounds, he has the dimensions for an interior role built around keeping the defensive front firm against the run.

  3. House assessment

    The sensible NFL case is developmental interior depth.

  4. House assessment

    Earning a more confident projection requires sustained availability and evidence that his size consistently helps the defense control the line of scrimmage.

Sources for what the college record establishes
  1. Reported fact

    Michigan State’s biography credits Roberts with 26 career appearances and 24 tackles through 2025, including nine games at Oregon and 17 for the Spartans.

  2. Reported fact

    He made seven appearances in 2025 and recorded 11 tackles.

  3. Reported fact

    His 2024 Michigan State season produced eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack across 10 games.

  4. House assessment

    These are useful pieces of a rotational history, but they do not describe a long, uninterrupted record of high-volume interior production.

  5. House assessment

    A larger workload will test whether he can keep contributing as offenses return to the same matchup throughout a game.

Sources for a larger role, interrupted
  1. House assessment

    The university’s March 2026 defensive preview identifies Roberts as a senior interior leader and records six starts in 2025, with five games missed.

  2. House assessment

    A healthy run of starts would let him build continuity alongside the other interior defenders and carry greater responsibility within the rotation.

  3. House assessment

    Robbie Bettelon’s position preview also emphasizes his importance to the returning line and the need for health after interrupted seasons.

  4. House assessment

    Leadership and an expected role provide context for opportunity.

  5. House assessment

    The football question is how much of that responsibility he can handle while keeping his gap secure and retaining enough energy to finish the play.

Sources for the original athletic foundation
  1. House assessment

    A 2021 recruiting evaluation by Matt Solorio, published by Max Torres, described a large but mobile defender who was still playing on the edge.

  2. House assessment

    Solorio saw disciplined responses to blocks and a considered approach to combinations, with a future inside as Roberts grew.

  3. House assessment

    This is historical evidence, not a current college film grade.

  4. House assessment

    It helps explain the original developmental appeal: size accompanied by movement and awareness.

  5. House assessment

    The years since then must establish how much of that foundation remains useful against stronger, more technically advanced interior blockers.

Sources for the role that would make the frame valuable
  1. House assessment

    For a player with Roberts’ current build, early-down value would come from occupying useful space without surrendering control of the gap.

  2. House assessment

    The development plan should begin with a stable base at contact, keeping his shoulders useful to the assignment and separating in time to affect the runner.

  3. House assessment

    A reserve who handles those responsibilities can keep linebackers working through clearer lanes and preserve the front even when the play produces no tackle for him.

  4. House assessment

    The challenge is making his size serve that assignment from snap to snap.

Sources for keeping the pass-rush projection proportionate
  1. House assessment

    Roberts enters the NFL discussion with a stronger developmental case on early downs than as an interior pass-rush specialist.

  2. House assessment

    His 2024 sack supplies a starting point, but a larger third-down role needs repeated pressure and a response when the guard stops the initial action.

  3. House assessment

    A developmental plan should therefore prioritize useful run-defense snaps before assigning substantial third-down responsibility.

  4. House assessment

    Developing that second answer would help him stay involved when an offense passes from a personnel grouping the defense expected to run.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    A substantial interior frame and an established place in Michigan State’s returning defensive-line group provide a credible developmental starting point.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    The recruiting evaluation documented movement and thoughtful responses to blocks, offering a specific historical foundation for the projection.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    Interrupted availability has limited the sustained college sample needed for a firmer NFL role assessment.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    Current anchor consistency and a repeatable interior rush remain unestablished by the available technical evidence.

Sources for nfl role and scheme fit
  1. House assessment

    The appropriate starting projection is developmental defensive-tackle depth, with early-down work earned through consistent gap execution.

  2. House assessment

    A team considering him should value a clearly demonstrated job over an expansive versatility label.

  3. House assessment

    Maintaining availability for a sustained rotation would create the opportunity to evaluate that job more confidently and determine whether additional passing-down work is justified.

Sources for bottom line
  1. House assessment

    Roberts offers a plausible route to useful interior depth, with availability and control at contact deciding how much of a rotation he can carry.

  2. House assessment

    The priority is converting size, an encouraging early foundation and a senior opportunity into dependable college play.

  3. House assessment

    If he can keep his gap intact and finish nearby plays over a sustained workload, a team can build a practical role around him while the pass rush develops.

College record & draft context

College production, measurables, experience, and the prospect's place on the sealed Public Draft Board.

Public Draft Board

Public Draft Board rank
#110
Position rank
DL10
Contributing sources
12
Movement since prior snapshot
Down 28

Sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026 · equal-weight aggregation of public boards, minimum 3 sources for a rank · The Public Draft Board

College production

No season of college production is included in this dataset for this prospect.

Evidence notes

  • The retained data contains no season of college production for this prospect.
  • The newest college season in the retained data is 2025; the 2026 season is not yet included.
  • No verified athletic testing is included in the sealed dataset for this prospect.
  • 12 contributing public boards rank this prospect; the Public Draft Board places him at #110.
  • The aggregate public rank fell 28 spots between the two most recent sealed weekly snapshots.

Each note restates a displayed fact. None is a forecast of NFL performance.

Experience and measurements

Listed height
6'3"
Listed weight
325 lb
Class
Senior
Age
Not in dataset
Recorded school
Michigan State
Former school
Oregon
Hometown
Lakewood, WA
Jersey
#55
Recruiting stars
4-star
Recruiting rank
#380 nationally

"Not in dataset" means the value is absent from the sealed dossier dataset, not that it does not exist.

Athletic testing

Not included in the sealed dataset. No combine, pro-day, or RAS value is retained for the 2027 class; absence here does not mean no testing has taken place.

Listed roster height and weight (CollegeFootballData); no verified athletic testing is retained. Bio captured August 29, 2026.

Historical comparisons

Historical profile comparisons are being rebuilt.

Sources and methodology

  • Retained bio and measurements: Draftanomics prospect ingest (CollegeFootballData rosters and recruiting), retained seed data/seed/prospects_upcoming_full.parquet.
  • Retained college production: CollegeFootballData season statistics via the retained player cross-reference; position-relevant categories only; all-zero category rows dropped.
  • Age: unavailable — no birth date or age is retained for the 2027 class.
  • Transfer history: not retained — the page shows the current school and, where the frozen id names a different school, the former school.
  • Public Draft Board: sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026; per-source ranks are not published under the aggregate-only source policy.

Board methodologyDossier methodologyResearch status

Board position reflects aggregated public opinion; the scouting report is a separate editorial assessment.