2026 NFL Draft Prospects: Defensive Tackle

8/4/25: Overton is a tough defender at the point of attack with height, length, quickness, and athleticism. In 2024, he totaled 42 tackles with two sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass defended.

8/4/25: Woods got his season off to a strong start against Georgia, and he was disruptive for Clemson all year. In 2024, he had three sacks and 26 tackles. Woods has upside to be better in 2025. He is strong, quick, and athletic at the point of attack.

8/4/25: In his second season with the Gators, Banks is a large interior defender who flashed some pass-rush ability in 2024. He recorded 4.5 sacks with 21 tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass defended. He had 19 tackles with a sack in 2023. Prior to that, Banks had two tackles with a sack while playing at Louisville. Banks has a good skill set with upside.

8/4/25: In 2024, Jackson had a quality season for the Seminoles as one of the replacements for Braden Fiske. Jackson totaled 31 tackles with 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. His 2023 season was lost to NCAA transfer rules after Jackson left the Miami Hurricanes for the Seminoles. He had 27 tackles and three sacks in 2022.

<> 8/4/25: In 2024, Durant was an active defender at the point of attack, totaling 42 tackles with three sacks and one pass broken up. He is short and quick at the point of attack, but Durant could stand to get stronger to be more stout for the NFL.

8/4/25:In 2024, Capehart had 21 tackles and two passes batted. Clemson had a rotation of defensive linemen in 2023, but Capehart played well enough to impress the NFL advance scouts. In 2023, Capehart totaled 15 tackles, five tackles for a loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and one pass broken up. Capehart has a good skill set with upside. He is a bear at the point of attack in the ground game.

8/4/25: 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 high in the years to come.

8/4/25: Halton is an undersized interior defender, but he has quickness and athleticism that make him dangerous as an interior rusher. In 2024, Halton totaled 30 tackles with five sacks and two forced fumbles. He could stand to get stronger for the NFL.

8/4/25: In 2024, Orange totaled 24 tackles with one sack and one pass batted. Orange is a big nose tackle and needs to produce more in 2025 to rise.

8/4/25: Corleone is a solid defender for the Bearcats on the inside of the line. In 2024, he had 26 tackles with 3.5 sacks. In the previous two seasons, Corleone had three sacks in each of those two years.

8/4/25: In 2024, Cleveland had a quality season as a run defender for the Wolfpack notching 36 tackles. He had only .5 sacks, but he did have three sacks and 28 tackles in 2023. Cleveland needs to produce more in the pass rush to rise as a senior.

8/4/25: In 2024, McClellan totaled 39 tackles with 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes batted in his debut with the Tigers. In the previous years, McClellan was a rotational backup at Florida. He had 23 tackles in each of the previous two seasons with the Gators.

8/4/25: Regis was a stout nose tackle for the Aggies in 2024, recording 36 tackles with .5 sacks. He did a nice job of disrupting throwing lanes as Regis logged six passes batted. Regis needs to improve his pass rush production in 2025.

8/4/25: Marshall had a breakout year for the Bears in 2024 and was a disruptive defender at the point of attack. He totaled 42 tackles with 6.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Marshall missed the 2023 season after suffering an injury in spring practice. Marshall could stand to get stronger for the NFL.

8/4/25: Washington is known to have an excellent skill set and upside. Last year, Washington was a rotational backup behind Derrick Harmon. In 2024, Washington totaled 10 tackles and two passes broken up.

8/4/25: Oke had good production at Abilene Christian in 2024, totaling 64 tackles with two sacks and a forced fumble. It will be interesting to see how Oke handles the jump in competition in 2025.

8/4/25: Ball had 46 tackles with 1.5 sacks in 2024. He was a heavy nose tackle and run lane plugger at the point of attack. If Ball can increase his pass production, he could be a riser.

6/24/26: 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 interior 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.

<> 8/4/25: Keenan was a solid nose tackle for the Crimson Tide in 2024, totaling 40 tackles with 2.5 sacks. The previous season he had 38 tackles with one sack. Keenen needs to do more in the pass rush in 2025 to rise, but he could be a backup nose tackle candidate for the NFL.

8/4/25: Benny had 29 tackles with 1.5 sacks and two passes defended. In 2023, Benny flashed NFL ability as a rotational player with 27 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and one pass batted. He is expected to take on a bigger role in 2025 with Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant off to the NFL.

8/4/25: Alexander had five tackles and zero sacks. He went out for the season in late September. Alexander totaled 47 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two passes batted for USC in 2023. In 2022, he played with Georgia as a backup and recorded nine tackles, two sacks, and two passes batted. Alexander has talent with the upside to produce more.