Defensive Line Rankings 2027 NFL Draft

49 defensive linemen ranked

DEFENSIVE LINE RANKINGS 2027 NFL DRAFT

The 2027 defensive line is led from the inside, which is unusual - only once before in the seven classes we have graded has an interior player topped this group, and three of this year's top five play inside.

Oklahoma's David Stone is the man at the top, a five-star who added eighteen pounds before his sophomore year and led the Sooners' interior in tackles. Oregon edge Matayo Uiagalelei follows with 52 pressures and six sacks across 726 snaps, a year after leading the Big Ten in sacks. Ole Miss's Will Echoles broke out as a sophomore with pressure production almost no interior lineman in the country matched across 765 snaps, and Miami's Justin Scott reached Bruce Feldman's Freaks List before playing a college snap.

The size of the group is normal - five inside our top thirty-two, as in every year since 2021 - but the shape of it is not.
LAST UPDATED: 09/28/2026

Player Rankings - Defensive Line

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
18

DE/ED
Williams
Nwaneri

6-7 265lbs 4.88
DE/ED
Nebraska   Mascot
Nebraska Mascot
265lbs 6-7 4.88 34 253
83.3
Nwaneri is a developmental swing on rare tools, a former five-star with 79-inch length who led Nebraska in sacks as a redshirt freshman...
37

DE/ED
LJ
McCray

6-6 268lbs 4.86
DE/ED
Florida   Mascot
Florida Mascot
268lbs 6-6 4.86 41 304
77.9
McCray is a traits-and-medical evaluation, a former five-star with 78-inch length whose 2025 was wiped out by foot surgery that held him to...
26

DL/ED
AJ
Green

6-6 250lbs 4.62
DL/ED
Louisville   Mascot
Louisville Mascot
250lbs 6-6 4.62 24 168
80.6
Green is a pure pass-rush specialist who won as a rusher as well as anyone in this group, a long, bendy edge who wins the corner with speed...
15

DL/ED
Quincy
Rhodes Jr.

6-6 276lbs 4.90
DL/ED
Arkansas   Mascot
Arkansas Mascot
276lbs 6-6 4.90 10 51.4
84.5
Rhodes is a long, productive edge whose 78-inch frame is the swing trait, letting him keep tackles off his chest and convert reach into a...
14

DE/ED
Anthony
Smith

6-6 285lbs 4.75
DE/ED
Minnesota   Mascot
Minnesota Mascot
285lbs 6-6 4.75 15 77.5
85.1
Smith is a heavy, powerful edge whose 285-pound frame lets him win with a bull rush and kick inside on passing downs, and the production...
10

DE/ED
Kenyatta
Jackson Jr.

6-6 265lbs 4.65
DE/ED
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
265lbs 6-6 4.65 9 43.3
86.2
Jackson broke out in his first year as a full-time starter, pairing a quick get-off with 78-inch length to win the edge and turning it into...
8

DE/ED
Will
Heldt

6-6 260lbs 4.80
DE/ED
Clemson   Mascot
Clemson Mascot
260lbs 6-6 4.80 7 37.5
86.4
Heldt is a complete, well-rounded edge without a soft spot, leading Clemson with ten sacks after arriving from Purdue, using length to...
43

DE/ED
Braylan
Shelby

6-5 265lbs 4.65
DE/ED
USC   Mascot
USC Mascot
265lbs 6-5 4.65 44 505.5
76.4
Shelby is a speed-based edge who wins the corner with a quick first step, and he turned that burst into thirty pressures and five sacks as...
41

DL
Tavion
Gadson

6-5 298lbs 5.00
DL
Kentucky   Mascot
Kentucky Mascot
298lbs 6-5 5.00 17 90.7
76.4
Gadson came back from a major knee reconstruction and played at a high level, posting the best pass rush and the cleanest tackle finish in...
39

DL
Jehiem
Oatis

6-5 325lbs 4.90
DL
Ole Miss   Mascot
Ole Miss Mascot
325lbs 6-5 4.90 33 251
76.9
Oatis is a massive two-gap nose with rare movement for his size and disruptive flashes dating to his Alabama days, reuniting with...
30

DE/ED
Kam
Franklin

6-5 275lbs 5.00
DE/ED
Ole Miss   Mascot
Ole Miss Mascot
275lbs 6-5 5.00 30 224
79.9
Franklin is a high-volume, high-effort edge who produced at a rare rate of usage, with thirty-eight run stops and forty-eight pressures...
27

DE/ED
Da'Shawn
Womack

6-5 260lbs 4.67
DE/ED
Auburn   Mascot
Auburn Mascot
260lbs 6-5 4.67 42 451.5
80.5
Womack is a long, physically gifted edge with a five-star pedigree and SEC experience who lands at Auburn for 2026 as the projected leader...

2027 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.

2027 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.