2027 NFL Draft Prospects: 3-4 Defensive End

10/21/26: Gilliam has been a beast for Tennessee in 2026 with impressive performances against Texas, Georgia Tech, and Alabama. Thus far, he has 22 tackles with five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pass batted. In 2025, he had 16 tackles with .5 sacks and a forced fumble while playing with Penn State. Gilliam (6-2, 305) is fast, athletic, and strong. Off the snap, Gilliam has rare explosion to fire past blockers and cause disruption in the backfield. He is a dangerous interior pass rusher and is stout against the run. Gilliam is reminiscent of Quinnen Williams at Alabama. He could be a riser through the process.

10/21/26: Gilliam has been a beast for Tennessee in 2026 with impressive performances against Texas, Georgia Tech, and Alabama. Thus far, he has 22 tackles with five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pass batted. In 2025, he had 16 tackles with .5 sacks and a forced fumble while playing with Penn State. Gilliam (6-2, 305) is fast, athletic, and strong. Off the snap, Gilliam has rare explosion to fire past blockers and cause disruption in the backfield. He is a dangerous interior pass rusher and is stout against the run. Gilliam is reminiscent of Quinnen Williams at Alabama. He could be a riser through the process.

10/21/26: Moten missed some time to start the 2026 season. Thus far, he has five tackles and one sack. Moten was a key contributor and an interior pass rusher on the tough Hurricanes defense that carried them to the National Championship. In 2025, Moten totaled 4.5 sacks with 31 tackles. Moten has a good skill set with upside to develop.

10/21/26: Washington has 20 tackles and five passes batted in 2026. In 2025, Washington had 31 tackles with 1.5 sacks and seven passes broken up. Washington is known to have an excellent skill set and upside. He is very strong, physical, and has surprising speed and athleticism for a heavy defensive tackle. Last year, Washington was a rotational backup behind Derrick Harmon. In 2024, Washington totaled 10 tackles and two passes broken up.

10/21/26: In 2026, Stone has 22 tackles and .5 sacks. Stone flashed some next-level ability in 2025. He was a disruptive run defender with 43 tackles. Stone had 1.5 sacks as a sophomore. Improving as a pass rusher would help him to rise.

10/21/26: Thus far in 2026, Thompkins has been a disruptive force for Alabama. He has 29 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. In 2025, Thompkins was a quality defender for USC, contributing in both phases. He recorded 31 tackles with three sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes defended. Thompkins is quick and athletic, but could stand to add some weight and strength for the NFL.

10/21/26: In 2026, Rhodes has 13 tackles and three sacks. Rhodes was a bright spot for Arkansas in 2025, racking up eight sacks with 43 tackles. He has good size to set the edge with height and length. Rhodes could have entered the draft, but decided to return to Arkansas.

10/21/26: Smith has talent but has not produced up to it yet. In 2026, Smith has eight tackles with one pass broken up thus far. He has flashed some disruptive ability in the early going of 2025. Smith had 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks with Alabama.

10/21/26: Thus far in 2026, McKinley has 10 tackles. In 2025, McKinley has nine tackles with a sack and a pass batted. McKinley was a reserve as a sophomore in 2024, but he flashed a special skill set with excellent physical talent. He had three sacks as a backup and could be poised to rise in 2026.

10/21/26: Thus far in 2026, Abasiri has 16 tackles and one sack. In 2025, totaled 26 tackles with 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble. It was his first season as a starter, and Abasiri could rise as he gains experience.

10/21/26: In 2026, Oke has 11 tackles and .5 sacks. Oke has a skill set and upside to rise as a senior. He only played in three games and redshirted in 2025. In 2024 with Abilene Christian, Oke totaled 63 tackles with 9.5 tackles for a loss.

10/21/26: Bledsoe has eight tackles and one sack in 2026. In 2025, Bledsoe had 28 tackles with 1.5 sacks. He was a backup at Texas for three seasons before transferring to the Bulldogs. Bledsoe played well enough to land on NFL team’s preseason watch list.

10/21/26: In 2026, James has 15 tackles with two sacks and one forced fumble. James is a big, strong base end that lacks some speed and athleticism for the NFL. In 2025, James totaled 44 tackles with 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes batted. James could rise if he shows more pass rush ability in 2026.

10/21/26: Smith has 13 tackles with 1.5 sacks. Smith lacks some physical talent for the NFL, but he is a big end who was productive for the Golden Gophers in 2025. He totaled 38 tackles with 12.5 sacks and three passes batted. The previous season he had 27 tackles with six sacks. Smith should be a riser if he stays consistent in 2026.

10/21/26: In 2026, he has 11 tackles. Hall had 12 tackles in 2025 as a rotational backup for the Bulldogs. He has the upside to rise, but needs to lock down a starting job and produce more in 2026.