2026 NFL Draft Prospects: Defensive End

8/5/25: Faulk was a beast for Auburn in 2024, with a big-time presence behind the line of scrimmage. He had seven sacks, 45 tackles, and one forced fumble. He has shown speed and power as a pass rusher while being a big-bodied lineman to defend the run. The 6-foot-6, 288-pounder has upside to develop as he gains experience. He could grow into being a full-time tackle or drop weight to be a full-time end. Faulk is very versatile with the ability to line up at end, tackle, and play a variety of techniques. On top of being a very talented player, sources say he is a great kid and has good character.

8/5/25: Parker has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season for the Tigers with 57 tackles, 11 sacks, and six forced fumbles in 2024. The 6-foot-3, 265-pounder has quality size and impressive instincts for a young player. In his freshman season, Parker had 5.5 sacks and 33 tackles.

8/5/25: Uiagalelei was a beast for the Ducks in 2024, recording 10.5 sacks with two forced fumbles, one interception, one pass batted, and 38 tackles. The 6-foot-5, 270-pounder has good size, strength, and athleticism.

8/5/25: Bain had an excellent freshman season for Miami, totaling 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 44 tackles. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder has the upside to be better as he gains experience. Bain was injured to start 2024 and didn’t debut until early October. He had 23 tackles with 3.5 sacks thus far.

<> 8/5/25: Jackson was a solid defender for the Buckeyes in 2024, rotating behind Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau. In 2024, Jackson totaled 16 tackles with 1.5 sacks and a pass batted. He could produce more as a starter in 2025 with the potential to rise. Sources say that Jackson has a good skill set and could rise.

8/5/25: Traore is said to be extremely talented with an early-round skill set. In 2024, Traore had 12 tackles and three sacks and looked like he was just scratching the surface of his potential.

8/5/25: Jacas has played really well for the Fighting Illini this season, providing a big impact at the point of attack. In the ground game, Jacas has functional strength to hold his ground and get in on runs outside of his gap. Jacas is strong and quick in the pass rush, showing the ability to get after the quarterback as a versatile rusher. He had eight sacks, 74 tackles, and three forced fumbles in 2024. Jacas is a riser with early-round potential.

8/5/25: While teammate Abdul Carter gets a lot of attention justifiably, Dennis-Sutton is also on the radar of NFL teams. Dennis-Sutton (6-5, 272) is a big body at the point of attack, and he has upside with untapped potential. In 2024, he recorded 36 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three passes defended, and a forced fumble. He had 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2023. Dennis-Sutton has day-two ability and could be an impressive tester in pre-draft workouts.

8/5/25: Sapp was a disruptive defender for the Gators in 2024, and provided consistent play throughout the season. He totaled seven sacks with two forced fumbles and 46 tackles. Sapp is a tweener end/tackle but has some ability to rush from inside or outside.

8/5/25: Atkinson was an impact defender for North Carolina in 2024, totaling 35 tackles with 7.5 sacks. He had 3.5 sacks and 19 tackles in 2023. Atkinson could rise high if he has a productive season with the Buckeyes. He plays hard and is tough, but could have questions about speed and stiffness.

12/14/24: In 2024, Payton had 35 tackles and four sacks with Florida State. Team sources were disappointed in his play, and he was wise to go back to school next year. Payton transferred to LSU. Payton was superb in 2023, making a lot of clutch plays for the Seminoles. He totaled 43 tackles, seven sacks, and nine passes batted. Playing across from Jared Verse, Payton was more disruptive than the numbers illustrate. In 2022, he totaled 31 tackles, five sacks, and three passes batted.

8/5/25: Kamara lacks height and length on the edge, but he has quickness and plays hard. In 2024, he had 47 tackles with 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass batted. The previous season, Kamara had 51 tackles with 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. At his size, Kamara is a tweener end/linebacker who may not have a position to be a three-down starter. Thus, he could be a designated pass rusher (DPR) candidate for the NFL.

8/5/25: In 2024, Young had 41 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble for the Tigers. He has good size, length, and upside to produce more in 2025.

8/5/25: Kennedy flashed some ability as a sophomore backup in 2024. While he only had 20 sacks and 1.5 sacks, Kennedy showed some speed, athleticism, and upside. Kennedy has been buried on the depth chart to some future pro defensive linemen, but after the Aggies lost players to the 2025 NFL Draft, Kennedy could break out in 2025.

8/5/25: Burnham was a tough defender at the point of attack for the Fighting Irish in 2024. He had 30 tackles with two sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass batted. Burnham could be a solid rotational candidate for the NFL.

8/5/25: Wilson was a rotational backup at Georgia in 2024, totaling 22 tackles with three sacks and two forced fumbles. He transferred to Missouri after the season, and he could be a riser with more playing time. Wilson is a former top recruit who has good speed and pass-rush potential.

8/5/25: After serving as a backup for three seasons, Guy flashed ability in 2024 with 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He could be riser if he builds on that, and Guy could be improved now that he has a year of experience.

<> 8/5/25: Llewellyn was a solid defender for Iowa in 2024, totaling 22 tackles with 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble. His pass-rush ability looked improved from 2023, and if he continues that trend, he could be a riser.

8/5/25: In 2024, Crawford had 22 tackles as a rotational backup for Auburn. However, Crawford has a skill set with upside to grow in 2025. The previous season, he had 44 tackles with 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles with Arkansas State.

<> 8/5/25: Lucas has a good skill set with the potential to rise in 2025. Even though he has zero sacks in his college career, Lucas was included on NFL teams’ preseason watch list by the advance scouts.

<> 8/5/25: In 2024, Reiger was a solid defender for the Badgers, recording 22 tackles with five sacks and a forced fumble. If he can build on that proudction he could be a riser in 2025.

<> 8/5/25: As a backup in 2024, Curry had 22 tackles with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He could rise if he produces more as a starter in 2025.

8/5/25: Burke had 27 tackles, two sacks, four passes defended, and an interception. He is a tough defender at the point of attack, but is not very productive. Burke played better in 2023, recording 41 tackles, one forced fumble, and 5.5 sacks. He ate up the Alabama offensive line in Week 2. Burke needs to improve his pass-rush production in 2025.

8/5/25: Alston had 19 tackles with 2.5 sacks, one interception, and one pass defended. Alston played at Marshall in 2023, where he recorded 45 tackles with six sacks, two forced fumbles, two passes broken up, and one interception. Alston is undersized but could be a potential designated pass rusher candidate if he produces well as a rusher with the Hurricanes.