2026 NFL Draft Prospects: Nose Tackle

2/4/26: Banks helped himself with a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl. Banks was fast and athletic as an interior rusher while showing size and power at the point of attack. Banks has issues with leverage. When he plays low, he is very difficult to block, but Banks will stand up too high, and that leads to a loss of his quickness and power.

Banks injured his foot in September and missed over two months. He has six tackles in 2025. 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.

2/4/26: McDonald was a disruptive force and a dynamic run defender for the Buckeyes in 2025. He totaled 65 tackles with three sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pass batted. McDonald has size, quickness, and athleticism. With power and tenacity, McDonald could be an excellent starting nose tackle in the NFL. He has upside to improve as he gains experience.

2/4/26: In 2025, Woods had 30 tackles with two sacks and a pass batted. He has not been as good as the media hype suggests. 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.

2/4/26: In his first season with the Red Raiders, Hunter totaled 41 tackles with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 2025. He was excellent in the playoff loss to Oregon. He had 44 tackles with one sack in 2024 and 69 tackles with three sacks in 2023. Hunter is a big tackle and gap filler at the point of attack, but he has surprising quickness and athleticism in a strong and sturdy frame. Hunter helped himself with a good week at the Senior Bowl. Hunter was at Auburn in 2021 before playing three seasons at UCF.

1/9/26: In 2025, Jackson had 44 tackles with one sack. 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, McClellan had 48 tackles, six sacks, and two passes defended. He played well and was disruptive for the Tigers. 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.

2/4/26: Capehart had 20 tackles and a sack in 2025. 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Orange had 18 tackles and a pass batted thus far. He is a heavy gap-plugging nose tackle at the point of attack. In 2024, Orange totaled 24 tackles with one sack and one pass batted. Orange is a big nose tackle. Team sources say that he has talent but is not a good worker.

2/4/26: In 2025, Ball had 27 tackles. 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Cleveland had 35 tackles and two sacks. 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.

<> 2/4/26: Keenan had 16 tackles, two sacks, and one pass batted in 2025. 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Benny had 35 tackles with 1.5 sacks and two passes batted. 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Regis had 49 tackles with two sacks, three passes broken up, and a forced fumble. 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.

1/9/26: In 2025, Marshall had 30 tackles and two sacks. 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Oke had four tackles. He hasn’t played since late September. He 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.