2026 NFL Draft Prospects: Defensive End

<> 2/4/26: Bailey is a lightning-fast edge rusher with a dangerous repertoire of pass-rushing moves. In 2025, he had 14.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes batted, and 52 tackles. Bailey is an excellent pursuit player as he eats up ground in a hurry. He has some size limitations for the NFL as a run defender, but Bailey will battle in the ground game. In 2024, he recorded 31 tackles, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles with Stanford.

2/4/26: In 2025, Bain had 54 tackles, 9.5 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.

2/4/26: 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.

2/4/26: Young had an excellent week at Senior Bowl and drew rave reviews from team sources. Young had 42 tackles with 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two passes batted, and was 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.

2/4/26: 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 26 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.

2/4/26: Howell had 11.5 sacks, one forced fumble, 31 tackles with six 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Jacas had 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, one pass batted, and 43 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. Jacas helped himself with a strong week at the Senior Bowl.

6/24/26: In 2025, Mesidor had 63 tackles with 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He was 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. Mesidor is an older prospect and has some skill set limitations.

2/4/26: Parker helped himself with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl. 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.

2/4/26: Moore was very good at the Senior Bowl and really helped himself. Moore was a productive edge rusher for the Wolverines in 2025, putting some good pressure on the quarterback. Moore totaled 10 sacks with 30 tackles, two forced fumbles, and three passes defended. He had four sacks in 2024 and five sacks in 2025. For the NFL, Moore could be a rotational designated pass rusher to start out his career.

2/4/26: In 2025, Dennis-Sutton had 42 tackles with 8.5 sacks, three passes broken up, three forced fumbles, and a blocked punt. While teammate Abdul Carter gets a lot of attention justifiably, Dennis-Sutton was also on the radar of NFL teams as they liked his 2024 tape. 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. However, sources say they liked his 2024 tape more than his 2025 performance. 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.

<> 1/9/26: 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. At the Senior Bowl, Reiger had a good week of practice to help his draft stock.

2/4/26: In 2025, Height was a dangerous edge rusher and combined with David Bailey and Lee Hunter to help produce a lethal defensive line for the Red Raiders. Height totaled 10 sacks with 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a pass batted. Height showed some speed off the edge with functional strength to get off blocks. He was impressive against Oregon in the college football playoff game as well.

2/4/26: 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. Crawford could start out as a backup who grows into being a starter. The previous season, he had 44 tackles with 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles with Arkansas State.

<> 2/4/26: Anthony had a good season, including a Week 2 performance where he victimized Illinois left tackle J.C. Davis for a couple of sacks. Anthony recorded 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Fano was a solid defender for the Utes with 4.5 sacks, 44 tackles, and two passes batted. Fano plays hard and is physical. He could be a solid backup in the NFL.

2/4/26: 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. He looks like he could become a solid backup in the NFL. Sapp had a solid week at the Senior Bowl.

2/4/26: In 2025, Josephs played well for the Volunteers. He showed the ability to be a potential designated pass rusher at the pro level. He had 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Kamara had 34 tackles and two sacks. He had more pressure than the numbers indicate. 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.

2/4/26: 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.

<> 2/4/26: Llewellyn played well in 2025 with 6.5 sacks and 26 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 improved as he gained experience. He could be a solid mid-rounder with upside.

<> 2/4/26: In 2025, Curry had 66 tackles with 11 sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes broken up. He was a productive player who played 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Pyburn had 51 tackles with two sacks and two passes batted. He played well enough to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl. For the NFL, Pyburn looks like backup competition.

2/4/26: In 2025, Slone saw his pass rush production drop from 7.5 sacks in 2024 to 1.5 sacks, but he was a productive run defender as a senior with 61 tackles. Slone needs a strong postseason.

2/4/26: In 2025, Burke had 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.

2/4/24: In 2025, Payton had 34 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.

2/4/26: In 2025, Atkinson had 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.

<> 2/4/26: In 2025, Lucas had 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.