Defensive Line Rankings 2027 NFL Draft

101 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: 11/08/2026

Player Rankings - Defensive Line

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
37

DE/ED
Williams
Nwaneri

6-7 270lbs 4.88
DE/ED
Nebraska   Mascot
Nebraska Mascot
270lbs 6-7 4.88 54 310
81.0
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...
96

DE/ED
Kamran
James

6-6 278lbs 4.78
DE/ED
Florida   Mascot
Florida Mascot
278lbs 6-6 4.78 120 671
62.0
James is an experienced edge rusher who led Florida in sacks in 2025. He has two more sacks this season, including one against FAU when he...
63

DT
Dominick
McKinley

6-6 297lbs 5.05
DT
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
297lbs 6-6 5.05 66 378.5
74.2
McKinley has the explosiveness of a former five-star recruit, and he has made the most of limited snaps this season. He fires off the snap,...
53

DE/ED
LJ
McCray

6-6 277lbs 4.86
DE/ED
Florida   Mascot
Florida Mascot
277lbs 6-6 4.86 63 360.5
77.0
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...
47

DL/ED
Bryce
Young

6-6 260lbs 4.69
DL/ED
Notre Dame   Mascot
Notre Dame Mascot
260lbs 6-6 4.69 40 230
78.5
Young has the length, speed and bloodlines that get attention, and his best moments show it. He can turn the corner quickly, he finishes...
38

DL/ED
AJ
Green

6-6 250lbs 4.62
DL/ED
Louisville   Mascot
Louisville Mascot
250lbs 6-6 4.62 44 270
80.2
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...
28

DL
Horace
Lockett

6-6 355lbs 5.25
DL
UCF   Mascot
UCF Mascot
355lbs 6-6 5.25 25 126.6
82.1
Lockett is one of the biggest human beings in college football, a 6-foot-6, 355-pound nose tackle with the strength to absorb double teams...
18

DE/ED
Anthony
Smith

6-6 280lbs 4.75
DE/ED
Minnesota   Mascot
Minnesota Mascot
280lbs 6-6 4.75 20 93.5
84.7
Smith is a big, powerful edge rusher who broke out in 2025 with 17.5 tackles for loss and 44 pressures, earning first-team All-Big Ten...
17

DE/ED
Emmanuel
Oyebadejo

6-6 299lbs 4.72
DE/ED
Florida   Mascot
Florida Mascot
299lbs 6-6 4.72 19 87
84.7
Oyebadejo has one of the most unusual paths in the class, and his tools are equally rare. A former England youth basketball player who was...
16

DL/ED
Quincy
Rhodes Jr.

6-6 273lbs 4.90
DL/ED
Arkansas   Mascot
Arkansas Mascot
273lbs 6-6 4.90 15 66.2
84.7
Rhodes is a long, productive edge who broke out in 2025 with the most tackles for loss by an Arkansas defender in a decade. He led the team...
12

DE/ED
Kenyatta
Jackson Jr.

6-6 263lbs 4.65
DE/ED
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
263lbs 6-6 4.65 11 50.9
84.9
Jackson is a long, explosive edge whose first step and frame give him two ways to beat a tackle. He has rare timed speed for his size and...
7

DE/ED
Will
Heldt

6-6 260lbs 4.80
DE/ED
Clemson   Mascot
Clemson Mascot
260lbs 6-6 4.80 6 39.2
85.6
Heldt is a complete, well-rounded edge who sets the edge against the run and rushes with length and power. He topped Clemson in sacks and...

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.