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: 12/30/2021

Player Rankings - Defensive Line

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
38

DT
Quinton
Bohanna

6-4 357lbs 5.46
DT
DAL   Mascot
DAL Mascot
357lbs 6-4 5.46 67 276.5
62.0
Has the ability to create a pile in the middle, even showing the ability to split the occasional double-team. However, is just as often...
85

DL
Jordan
Whittley

6-1 348lbs 5.20
DL
Michigan   Mascot
Michigan Mascot
348lbs 6-1 5.20 191
53.0
Provides some secondary interior pass rush, getting most penetration when playing three technique. Combines strength and footwork to fill...
20

DT
Tyler
Shelvin

6-3 346lbs 5.40
DT
CIN   Mascot
CIN Mascot
346lbs 6-3 5.40 14 83
70.0
Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either...
63

DL
Tedarrell
Slaton

6-5 340lbs 5.09
DL
GB   Mascot
GB Mascot
340lbs 6-5 5.09 81 331.5
57.0
Played with good leverage, even on the nose, despite average bulk. Hustle defender with a good bull rush inside that can close and get...
34

DT
Jordon
Scott

6-1 326lbs 5.29
DT
MIN   Mascot
MIN Mascot
326lbs 6-1 5.29 72 294.7
65.0
Provides some secondary interior pass rush, getting most penetration when playing three technique. Played with good leverage, even on the...
43

DT
Lorenzo
Neal Jr.

6-3 325lbs 5.35
DT
Purdue   Mascot
Purdue Mascot
325lbs 6-3 5.35 97 442.5
60.0
Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either...
29

DL/ED
Bobby
Brown III

6-4 325lbs 5.18
DL/ED
LAR   Mascot
LAR Mascot
325lbs 6-4 5.18 36 174
66.0
Provides some secondary interior pass rush, getting most penetration when playing three technique. Quarterbacks and ballcarriers feel his...
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...
24

DL
Khyiris
Tonga

6-4 321lbs 4.99
DL
CHI   Mascot
CHI Mascot
321lbs 6-4 4.99 43 201.6
68.0
Quarterbacks and ballcarriers feel his strength when he plants them in the backfield. Looks the part with natural size and filledout...
23

DT
Alim
McNeill

6-2 320lbs 5.21
DT
DET   Mascot
DET Mascot
320lbs 6-2 5.21 25 122.8
69.0
Delivers a strong punch and uses his hands to shed blocks to make plays in the hole or outside the box. Uses lower-body strength to...
40

DL
Jonathan
Marshall

6-3 317lbs 4.75
DL
NYJ   Mascot
NYJ Mascot
317lbs 6-3 4.75 85 354.5
61.0
Big-bodied rusher with very good upper-body strength. Strong and stout at the point of attack with the measurables to occupy multiple...
27

DT
Naquan
Jones

6-3 313lbs 5.24
DT
TEN   Mascot
TEN Mascot
313lbs 6-3 5.24 70 289
67.0
Can make the impressive chest-to-chest bear hug tackle in the hole due to his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield. Provides some...

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.