You say that, but clearly the league feels differently. DTs are quickly becoming a top paid position for a reason. Even a smart organization like the Ravens paid up for their DT.
Exactly. When analytics becomes a thing, what does that tell you? It means the conventional wisdom has been brutally wrong for decades.
Likewise when positions like wide receiver and defensive tackle soar in price tag, it is league acknowledgment that those areas have been viewed incorrectly.
The issue is Christian Wilkins has always been red chip vs blue chip. A Clemson fan in this thread summarized perfectly. It was a solid pick but given his 5th year senior status and less than awesome size or athleticism, you knew what you were getting but the next level wasn't available. I don't mind the Raiders buying high.
Otherwise I don't pay attention to anybody who downgrades the value of a disruptive defensive tackle. I can remember all the related quotes, from Lombardi to Landry to Walsh and so forth. Jimmy Johnson had a phenomenal eye for defensive tackles. He recruited Cortez Kennedy out of North Mississippi Junior College. Russell Maryland became the first pick in the NFL Draft years after Johnson gave him the last scholarship available to the Canes. Before Johnson ever arrived, freshman Jerome Brown dictated the 1983 national championship game vs Nebraska just like Manny Fernandez dictated the Super Bowl vs. Washington. Then Brown as a senior was the best player on the field during the infamous 14-10 Fiesta Bowl loss to Penn State. His performance in that game isn't legendary only because Testaverde gave away the game via so many forced interceptions, and checking out of perfectly set up running calls during the final drive.
The key is pushing the pocket. Stationary defensive tackles like Raekwon Davis don't have a fraction of the value of guys who rearrange the interior. The Bill Walsh quotes are still online:
"The best defensive tackles move the offensive guard back into the quarterback. They won't have nearly as many sacks as others, but if they can move the guard back into the quarterback, then the quarterback has to avoid his own lineman as if he were a pass rusher before he throws the ball. So this is a key ability.
Dana Stubblefield would be a good example of a guy who can weigh the guard right back to the quarterback."