Defensive Line Rankings 2021 NFL Draft

DEFENSIVE LINE PROSPECT RANKING 2021 NFL DRAFT

If any NFL teams are desperate for help and need top-level talent across the defensive front, they will need to look elsewhere because this year's class doesn't possess any obvious instant Plug'n'Play NFL superstars. Our latest mock doesn't have defensive linemen picked until #14, which will buck a recent trend of early selections for them.

The likely first pick will be Gregory Rousseau from Miami who's a raw but exciting talent who posted some very impressive numbers in 2019 (19.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks) before he opted out of the 2020 season for covid reasons.

Michigan's Kwiry Paye is a similar raw prospect with intriguing potential and impressive physical ability. Showed a lot of improvement over the 2020 season. He is a quality pass rusher - which means that there will always be a demand for his services on draft day. Christian Barmore from Alabama, who recently produced Quinnen Williams is the top rating defensive tackle prospect. Capable of playing at a number of spots along the lines. Big and powerful but without a lot of experience there are gaps to his game but an impressive amount of potential.

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LAST UPDATED: 02/09/2022

Player Rankings - Defensive Line

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
102

DE/ED
Marquiss
Spencer

6-4 300lbs 4.92
DE/ED
DEN   Mascot
DEN Mascot
300lbs 6-4 4.92 88 375.3
30.0
Quarterbacks and ballcarriers feel his strength when he plants them in the backfield. Delivers a strong punch and uses his hands to shed...
101

DT
Austin
Faoliu

6-3 292lbs 5.09
DT
Oregon   Mascot
Oregon Mascot
292lbs 6-3 5.09 75 309.3
30.0
Lower than offensive lineman on every short-yardage play. Good agility and ability to change direction for his size. Provides some...
100

DE/ED
Wyatt
Hubert

6-3 270lbs 4.85
DE/ED
CIN   Mascot
CIN Mascot
270lbs 6-3 4.85 57 244
32.0
Flashes strength at the point of attack with active, violent hand use. Forceful with his upper body to defeat blocks. Strong hustle...
99

DE/ED
Cameron
Sample

6-3 280lbs 4.72
DE/ED
CIN   Mascot
CIN Mascot
280lbs 6-3 4.72 62 269.2
33.0
High-effort, thickly built defender with good strength and the leverage to create a pile. Locates_ the ball quickly and pursues with...
98

DE/ED
Malik
Herring

6-3 280lbs 4.92
DE/ED
Georgia   Mascot
Georgia Mascot
280lbs 6-3 4.92 45 207.4
35.0
More of a hustling pass rusher than an accomplished or natural one, he'll make his mark as a fifth or sixth defensive lineman. Average...
97

DT
Forrest
Merrill

6-0 322lbs 5.28
DT
LAC   Mascot
LAC Mascot
322lbs 6-0 5.28 83 345.6
41.0
Girth and wide-body size with a strong upper and lower body. Extremely strong with the raw power to overwhelm blockers at the point of...
96

DE/ED
Ta'Quon
Graham

6-4 294lbs 4.93
DE/ED
ATL   Mascot
ATL Mascot
294lbs 6-4 4.93 79 324.8
43.0
High-effort, thickly built defender with good strength and the leverage to create a pile. Locates_ the ball quickly and pursues with...
95

DE/ED
Janarius
Robinson

6-5 260lbs 4.78
DE/ED
MIN   Mascot
MIN Mascot
260lbs 6-5 4.78 77 316.5
50.0
Flashes strength at the point of attack with active, violent hand use. Forceful with his upper body to defeat blocks. Strong hustle...
94

DE
Quincy
Roche

6-3 245lbs 4.64
DE
PIT   Mascot
PIT Mascot
245lbs 6-3 4.64 24 116
51.0
Versatile enough to drop and could be viewed as a 3-4 linebacker. Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside....
93

DE/ED
Austin
Conrad

6-2 245lbs 4.83
DE/ED
Ohio   Mascot
Ohio Mascot
245lbs 6-2 4.83 180
52.0
Easily gains inside leverage by shooting gaps. Flashes strength at the point of attack with active, violent hand use. Forceful with his...
92

DL/ED
Leevel
Tatum III

6-1 285lbs 4.97
DL/ED
Arizona   Mascot
Arizona Mascot
285lbs 6-1 4.97 150 875
53.0
High-effort, thickly built defender with good strength and the leverage to create a pile. Locates_ the ball quickly and pursues with...
91

DL
Luc
Bequette

6-2 295lbs 5.15
DL
California   Mascot
California Mascot
295lbs 6-2 5.15
53.0
Strength gives ends a chance to twist inside and linebackers free lane to the passer on blitzes. Played with lean and leverage against...

2021 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Defensive Line

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.

2021 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Defensive Line

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.