2026 NFL Draft Prospects: Defensive End

12/6/25: Faulk had 29 tackles with two sacks and three passes batted in 2025. 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.

<> 12/6/25: Bailey is a fast edge rusher. In 2024, he recorded 31 tackles with seven sacks and five forced fumbles with Stanford. Thus far in 2025, he has 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 42 tackles. Bailey could be a riser through the 2026 draft process.

12/6/25: In 2025, Bain has 37 tackles, 4.5 sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. Bain had an excellent freshman season for Miami, totaling 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and 44 tackles. At the point of attack, Bain is strong and violent. He is tough to set the edge and battles hard as a run defender. In the pass rush, he shows some quickness and power, but some team sources feel that Bain is a tweener tackle/end. Bain was injured to start 2024 and didn’t debut until early October. He totaled 23 tackles with 3.5 sacks.

12/6/25: Thomas is a fast edge rusher with serious speed off the edge. He shows some variety in moves and some functional strength to fight off blocks. In 2025, Thomas has 23 tackles with 6.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass batted. In 2024, he totaled nine sacks with one forced fumble, one pass batted, and 23 tackles. Thomas is undersized to be a three-down base defensive end in the NFL, so we will have to be rotated and used in obvious pass-rushing situations. He could be a candidate to be moved to outside linebacker in base and move to rush off the edge in the sub package.

12/6/25: In 2025, Dennis-Sutton has 29 tackles with three sacks, two passes broken up, three forced fumbles, and a blocked punt. 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.

12/6/25: Young has 25 tackles with five sacks and two passes batted thus far, but has been among the nation’s leaders in pressures. In 2024, Young had 41 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Young has good size, length, and upside to develop. While Young has good size, he is also quick to close and shows good instincts as a rusher. Young could be a riser throughout the 2026 draft process.

12/6/25: In 2025, Wilson has 15 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and one interception thus far. 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.

12/6/25: This season, Howell has 10.5 sacks, one forced fumble, 21 tackles with three passes batted. Howell is fast off the edge with a repertoire of pass-rushing moves. Howell’s size might make him an odd fit as a linebacker/defensive end, but his production of getting after the quarterback is going to make him an early-round pick next April.

12/6/25: To open 2025, Jacas has 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass batted, and 31 tackles. 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.

<> 12/6/25: Thus far in 2025, Heldt has 29 tackles with four sacks and has played well for Clemson. Heldt played well for Purdue in 2024, recording 56 tackles with five sacks. He has good size and upside to be a potential riser.

12/6/25: In 2025, Traore had 37 tackles with 7.5 sacks. He has some serious speed and explosion at the point of attack. Traore is very talented with an early-round skill set and has a lot of upside to develop. He should go back to school. If he enters the 2026 NFL Draft, Traore would probably be a day-two pick In 2024, Traore had 12 tackles and three sacks and looked like he was just scratching the surface of his potential.

6/24/26: In 2025, Mesidor has 46 tackles with seven sacks and four forced fumbles. He has been a physical edge setter who has shown the ability to fight off blocks and get after the quarterback. Mesidor had 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He had a good game against Florida and was active behind the line of scrimmage. He was also active against Florida State and Louisville. Mesidor was a consistent pass rusher for the Hurricanes in 2020-2022. In 2022, he had 38 tackles with seven sacks, one forced fumble, and four passes defended. The previous season, he had 4.5 sacks after totaling five sacks in 2020. In 2023, Mesidor only played two games before going out for the season with an injury.

12/6/25: In 2025, Parker had 37 tackles with five sacks and a pass broken up. 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.

<> 12/6/25: Jackson was playing well before an injury knocked him out of the opener against Texas. After coming back to the lineup, Jackson has played well and was very good in the final games of the season. He has 27 tackles, two passes defended, and 6.5 sacks thus far. 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.

<> 12/6/25: Tuioti has played well and has been an active defender for Oregon this season. He has 57 tackles with seven sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass batted thus far. In 2024, Tuioti had 5.5 sacks with 58 tackles. Tuioti is strong at the point of attack and plays physical with a steady motor.

12/6/25: In 2025, Uiagalelei has 28 tackles, five sacks, and three passes defended. He has looked good on some plays, but has been inconsistent. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Sapp had 34 tackles and one sack. 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.

<> 12/6/25: Saka has 13 tackles, two forced fumbles, and three sacks. Saka has been banged up. looked like he was playing through injury in Week 3 against Oregon. Saka has good size and plays tough at the point of attack. He had 5.5 sacks in 2023 and 3.5 sacks in 2024.

<> 12/6/25: Anthony had a good season season, including a Week 2 performance where he victimized Illinois left tackle J.C. Davis for a couple of sacks. Anthony has 7.5 sacks, 34 tackles, a forced fumble, and two passes batted. He had five sacks and 25 tackles in 2024. Anthony is tough and plays hard.

<> 12/6/25: In 2025, Curry has 60 tackles with 11 sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes broken up. He has been a productive player who plays tough with a good motor. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Josephs has played well for the Volunteers. He has shown the ability to be a potential designated pass rusher at the pro level. Thus far, he has 33 tackles with four sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes defended. In 2024, Josphes had 39 tackles with 1.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.

12/6/25: In 2025, Atkinson has 11 tackles with one sack. 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.

10/15/24: Thus far in 2025, Payton has 30 tackles with one sack. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Kamara has 26 tackles and a sack. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Kennedy has 14 tackles with two sacks. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Guy has 18 tackles with 2.5 sacks and an interception. After serving as a backup for three seasons, Guy flashed ability in 2024 with 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He could be a riser if he builds on that, and Guy could be improved now that he has a year of experience.

<> 12/6/25: Llewellyn has played well in 2025 with six sacks and 23 tackles with five passes batted. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Burnham had 16 tackles with three sacks. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Crawford had 36 tackles with five sacks, one forced fumble, and an interception. 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.

12/6/25: In 2025, Burke has 40 tackles with three sacks and a pass batted. 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.

<> 12/6/25: In 2025, Lucas has 37 tackles with three sacks. 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.

<> 12/6/25: In 2025, Reiger had 32 tackles with five sacks. 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 production, he could be a riser in 2025.