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: 03/09/2021

Player Rankings - Defensive Line

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
79

DL/ED
Michael
Pitts

6-3 230lbs 4.69
DL/ED
Western Kentucky   Mascot
Western Kentucky Mascot
230lbs 6-3 4.69 189
53.0
Fast in a straight line. Excellent wide and .bull rushes when he's first off the snap. Challenges inside with quickness and strong hands....
68

DE/ED
Tyriq
Harris

6-3 236lbs 4.79
DE/ED
Charlotte   Mascot
Charlotte Mascot
236lbs 6-3 4.79 173
55.0
Vision to locate the ball and recognize cut blocks. Can rip past blockers and pull down ballcarriers when he cannot fully disengage from...
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...
69

DL/ED
Alexy
Jean-Baptist...

6-3 245lbs 4.72
DL/ED
Campbell   Mascot
Campbell Mascot
245lbs 6-3 4.72 178
55.0
Relentless and strong off the edge as a pass rusher when fresh. Gets under the pads of tackles to bull rush them into the backfield. He...
46

DL/ED
Darius
Hodge

6-1 245lbs 4.71
DL/ED
CIN   Mascot
CIN Mascot
245lbs 6-1 4.71
59.0
Has the pursuit skills to stay in the action. Anticipates the snap. Country strong and very physical; seeks contact. Flashes nimble feet...
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....
11

DE/ED
Ronnie
Perkins

6-3 247lbs 4.71
DE/ED
NE   Mascot
NE Mascot
247lbs 6-3 4.71 16 88
82.0
Offers some versatility, rushing from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space. Flashes strength as a...
57

DE
William
Bradley-King...

6-4 248lbs 4.74
DE
WSH   Mascot
WSH Mascot
248lbs 6-4 4.74 49 221
58.0
Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either...
53

DE
Maximilian
Roberts

6-1 250lbs 4.82
DE
LAR   Mascot
LAR Mascot
250lbs 6-1 4.82 181
58.0
Challenges inside with quickness and strong hands. Run-and-chase defender who can leave a mark. Relentless and strong off the edge as a...
32

DE/ED
Malcolm
Koonce

6-3 250lbs 4.81
DE/ED
LV   Mascot
LV Mascot
250lbs 6-3 4.81 74 296
66.0
Challenges inside with quickness and strong hands. Run-and-chase defender who can leave a mark. Aggressive with good awareness to track...
51

DE/ED
Romeo
McKnight

6-4 252lbs 4.86
DE/ED
CLE   Mascot
CLE Mascot
252lbs 6-4 4.86 126 638.5
59.0
Challenges inside with quickness and strong hands. Run-and-chase defender who can leave a mark. Aggressive with good awareness to track...
14

DE/ED
Adetokunbo
Ogundeji

6-4 252lbs 4.75
DE/ED
ATL   Mascot
ATL Mascot
252lbs 6-4 4.75 32 163.8
77.0
Flashes upper-body strength to rip and has the punch to push through interior linemen on stunts and twists. Plays with leverage at...

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.