Defensive Line Rankings 2026 NFL Draft
| # | Player | Pos | H/W/S | Team | Weight | Height | 40YD | AVG POS RANK | AVG OVR RANK | Rating | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
6-2
263lbs
4.72
|
DE/ED |
|
263lbs | 6-2 | 4.72 | 1 | 5.5 |
91.1
|
The positional conversation around Bain will carry through April because his body type does not fit a single box. At around 265 pounds... |
2 |
|
6-6
276lbs
4.67
|
DE/ED |
|
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... |
3 |
|
6-2
326lbs
5.15
|
DT |
|
326lbs | 6-2 | 5.15 | 4 | 30.8 |
87.4
|
McDonald is a throwback nose tackle in an era obsessed with pass rushers, and there is real value in that. Watch his film against... |
4 |
|
6-4
263lbs
4.68
|
DE/ED |
|
263lbs | 6-4 | 4.68 | 5 | 31.7 |
87.2
|
Put the tape on from 2024 and you see a defender who bends games to his will. The Pittsburgh performance alone shows what Parker is capable... |
5 |
|
6-2
253lbs
4.59
|
DE/ED |
|
253lbs | 6-2 | 4.59 | 6 | 32.4 |
87.1
|
Indianapolis changed the calculus on Howell, and anybody who tells you otherwise is not being straight with you. The 30 1/4-inch arms and... |
6 |
|
6-2
298lbs
4.75
|
DL/ED |
|
298lbs | 6-2 | 4.75 | 3 | 23.7 |
86.3
|
Woods possesses the kind of first-step quickness and athletic ability that simply cannot be taught, and his verified testing numbers back... |
7 |
|
6-2
241lbs
4.67
|
DE/ED |
|
241lbs | 6-2 | 4.67 | 14 | 46.7 |
86.2
|
Thomas is a pass rush weapon, full stop. That first-step explosion, the ability to bend the corner at absurd angles, and the violent... |
8 |
|
6-3
259lbs
4.90
|
DE/ED |
|
259lbs | 6-3 | 4.90 | 8 | 33.3 |
85.9
|
There is a lot to like about what Mesidor puts on tape. His pass rush toolbox ranks among the deepest in this entire draft class, and the... |
9 |
|
6-6
327lbs
5.04
|
DL |
|
327lbs | 6-6 | 5.04 | 7 | 32.9 |
85.7
|
Watch the tape on from his LSU and Ole Miss games in 2024 and you will see a player who can wreck an offensive game plan when everything... |
10 |
|
6-6
262lbs
4.75
|
DE/ED |
|
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... |
11 |
|
6-3
242lbs
4.73
|
DE/ED |
|
242lbs | 6-3 | 4.73 | 17 | 65.6 |
85.5
|
Watch him play and you see an edge defender whose athletic profile makes coordinators drool. The combination of 4.6ish speed, 34-plus inch... |
12 |
|
6-4
318lbs
5.18
|
DT |
|
318lbs | 6-4 | 5.18 | 16 | 53.8 |
85.3
|
Hunter is a run-stuffing nose tackle, and there is no reason to pretend the projection is anything more complicated than that. What he... |