Defensive End Rankings 2026 NFL Draft

LAST UPDATED: 04/27/2026

Player Rankings - Defensive End

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
35

DE
Dylan
Brooks

6-4 245lbs 4.60
DE
Kansas   Mascot
Kansas Mascot
245lbs 6-4 4.60 85 397
73.8
Quick to read run, showing good agility and speed to get past blockers and finish. Experienced in coverage and gets a strong jam on outside...
37

DE/ED
Khordae
Sydnor

6-4 266lbs 4.68
DE/ED
Vanderbilt   Mascot
Vanderbilt Mascot
266lbs 6-4 4.68 87 441
65.0
Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either side...
25

DE/ED
Nyjalik
Kelly

6-5 256lbs 4.88
DE/ED
UCF   Mascot
UCF Mascot
256lbs 6-5 4.88 75 319.3
81.1
Kelly is one of those players who looks the part at first glance. The height, the arm length, the speed, the combine invite. You watch...
26

DE/ED
Logan
Fano

6-5 257lbs 4.59
DE/ED
Utah   Mascot
Utah Mascot
257lbs 6-5 4.59 52 220.2
80.7
Making a 53-man roster is going to be a fight for Fano. He is a one-dimensional player at this stage: useful against the run, limited...
28

DE/ED
Zach
Durfee

6-5 256lbs 4.58
DE/ED
JAX   Mascot
JAX Mascot
256lbs 6-5 4.58 63 259
79.5
29

DE/ED
Patrick
Payton

6-5 260lbs 4.65
DE/ED
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
260lbs 6-5 4.65 60 241.3
79.0
Payton's tested speed is outstanding for an edge rusher his size, and it shows up on tape in chase situations. At his height, that kind of...
36

DE/ED
Clayton
Smith

6-5 255lbs 4.64
DE/ED
Arizona State   Mascot
Arizona State Mascot
255lbs 6-5 4.64 120 531
72.0
Smith shows good quickness off the line of scrimmage and flashes the violent hands to win around the edge. He’s a capable blitzer with...
38

DE/ED
Cade
Denhoff

6-5 260lbs 4.68
DE/ED
Clemson   Mascot
Clemson Mascot
260lbs 6-5 4.68 130 543.5
62.1
Denhoff has an excellent motor and shows the stamina to last deep into the fourth quarter. He explodes off the line with a quick first...
2

DE/ED
Keldric
Faulk

6-6 276lbs 4.67
DE/ED
TEN   Mascot
TEN Mascot
276lbs 6-6 4.67 2 20.7
88.4
The tape on Faulk tells two very different stories depending on which side of the ball is in focus. In run defense, this is one of the...
7

DE/ED
Zion
Young

6-6 262lbs 4.75
DE/ED
BAL   Mascot
BAL Mascot
262lbs 6-6 4.75 11 39.2
85.6
Young's tape at Missouri tells the story of a player whose impact on the game goes well beyond what the box score captures. The sack...
13

DE/ED
Dani
Dennis-Sutto...

6-6 256lbs 4.63
DE/ED
GB   Mascot
GB Mascot
256lbs 6-6 4.63 22 75.1
84.7
Dennis-Sutton's combine performance changed the calculus on this evaluation. His explosion and agility numbers ranked among the best ever...
15

DE/ED
Anthony
Lucas

6-6 256lbs 4.85
DE/ED
USC   Mascot
USC Mascot
256lbs 6-6 4.85 34 124.3
84.6
Lucas is a prospect whose physical profile and year-over-year improvement tell a more interesting story than his counting stats. The...

2026 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Defensive End

We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.

For a much improved viewing experience (with more players) please view on a larger screen.

2026 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Defensive End

We've compared players 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.