2026 NFL Draft Bible: Defensive Tackles

All Access Football counts you down to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh with our defensive tackle big board and scouting reports.

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2026 NFL DRAFT BIBLE: QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | OG | LB | CB | S | ST

OFFICIAL 2026 NFL DRAFT BIBLE: DEFENSIVE TACKLES

No position brings more uncertainty at the top of the board in this year’s draft than defensive tackle. Several candidates figure to land in the backend of the first round but the run is expected to occur on Day 2 of the draft.

The scouting community has been a bit slow to come around on Lee Hunter of Texas tech, despite flashes of dominance. Some evaluators feel that he is solely a two-down player at this stage of his career but beneath the surface, he possesses the athleticism and physicality to develop an interior pass-rush attack. His upside would seem to be the greatest amongst this year’s class.

Ohio State run-stuffer Kayden McDonald exploded onto the NFL radar as if he were shot out of a cannon this past season. The one-year wonder was a key cog for the Buckeyes and projects as a starter. Meanwhile, the season did not go quite as expected for Peter Woods of Clemson, as NFL scouts were looking for him to take the next step in his development. There is an underlining feeling that Woods may have plateaued at this point but he clearly owns top pedigree.

Florida gargantuan Caleb Banks is a bit of an enigma due to the medical concerns he caries. While the talent screams Day 1, availability is still the best ability and until Banks can prove to stay healthy, he comes with concerns. A pair of undersized, yet explosive defensive tackles who could yield great dividends are Zane Durant of Penn State and Kaleb Proctor of Southeastern Louisiana, two names worth noting beyond the first day.

The final day of the draft could produce some true gems, as combine snubs such as James Thompson Jr. of Illinois, Landon Robinson of Navy and Tyre West of Tennessee are a few names you need to know.

Below is the Official 2026 NFL Draft Bible Edge Rusher Big Board, along with 47 in-depth scouting reports on the top prospects in the draft. For our expanded big board, including verified measurements, be sure to pickup your copy of the Draft Bible here (now available).

2026 NFL DRAFT BIBLE: QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | OG | CB | S | ST

OFFICIAL 2026 NFL DRAFT BIBLE: DEFENSIVE TACKLES

RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | PROJECTION

1. #Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, Rd1

2. #Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, Rd1

3. #Peter Woods, Clemson, Rd2

4. #Caleb Banks, Florida, Rd2

5. #Gracen Halton, Oklahoma, Rd2

6. #Christen Miller, Georgia, Rd2

7. #Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State, Rd3

8. #Zane Durant, Penn State, Rd3

9. #Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana, Rd3

10. #Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss, Rd4

11. #Rayshaun Benny, Michigan, Rd4

12. #Domonique Orange, Iowa State, Rd4

13. #Tim Keenan III, Alabama, Rd5

14. James Thompson Jr., Illinois, Rd5

15. #DeMonte Capehart, Clemson, Rd5

16. #Chris McClellan, Missouri, Rd5

17. #Cameron Ball, Arkansas, Rd5

18. #Albert Regis, Texas A&M, Rd6

19. #Deven Eastern, Minnesota, Rd6

20. #Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M, Rd6

21. Landon Robinson, Navy, Rd6

22. #Damonic Williams, Oklahoma, Rd7

23. #Bryson Eason, Tennessee, Rd7

24. Tyre West, Tennessee, Rd7

25. Aaron Hall, Duke, Rd7

26. #Nick Barrett, South Carolina, HPFA

27. #Brandon Cleveland, North Carolina State, HPFA

28. Jeffrey M’Ba, SMU, Sr, HPFA

29. Aaron Graves, Iowa, HPFA

30. #Jackie Marshall, Baylor, HPFA

31. #David Gusta, Kentucky, HPFA

32. #Bobby Jamison-Travis, Auburn, HPFA

33. Jacobian Guillory, LSU, HPFA

34. Cole Brevard, Texas, HPFA

35. #Gary Smith III, UCLA, HPFA

36. #Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech, HPFA

37. #Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, HPFA

38. Kody Huisman, Virginia Tech, HPFA

39. Jahmeer Carter, Virginia, HPFA

40. DJ Withers, Kansas, PFA

41. Keeshawn Silver, USC, PFA

42. Sedarius McConnell, Boston College, PFA

43. Uso Seumalo, Kansas State, PFA

44. Jacob Busic, UCLA, PFA

45. Jared Dawson, Notre Dame, PFA

46. John Celiscar, USF, PFA

47. Gabriel Rubio, Notre Dame, PFA

48. Tommy Dunn Jr, Kansas, HPFA

49. Rene Konga, Louisville, PFA

50. Damon Payne, Michigan, PFA

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NFL DRAFT BIBLE DEFENSIVE TACKLE SCOUTING REPORTS

1. HUNTER, LEE | Texas Tech | DT | rSr | #2 | Mobile, AL | Day 1

Combine: HT: 6034 | WT: 318 | HD: 0928 | ARM: 3328 | 40-YD: 5.18 (1.79) | VJ: 21.5” | BJ: 8-4

Senior Bowl: HT: 6034 | WT: 320 | HD: 0900 | ARM: 3428

Evaluation: A one-gap interior defender, Hunter emerged as an unheralded key cog for Texas Tech. A massive space-eater, Hunter possesses a non-stop motor and incredible athleticism for his size. His propensity to absorb multiple bodies play-after-play, enables his fellow teammates to take advantage of one-on-one opportunities on the outside. Coming over from UCF via Auburn, the big man brings vast experience, along with sneaky, cat-like quickness. Hunter can split double teams in a jiffy and swarms ball-carriers, which should translate as a highly effective run-stuffer at the next level. At the snap of the ball, Hunter has a slow first two steps but compensates with a solid upfield burst. During block destruction, he utilizes his hands extensively after getting an extension, enabling him to take sharp angles when tackling and pursuing. Hunter owns impressive lateral quickness, which enables him to change direction and cross-face against down blocks. His best pass-rush move is the bull rush but he needs to have a plan for when to use counters, in order to unlock his talent to be a dominant every-down defender. That being said, the Mobile native was a force during Senior Bowl week, crashing the competition and showing no mercy. He is widely viewed as a two-down player by many NFL talent evaluators to this point but the sky’s the limit for ‘Big Game’ Hunter, who could wind up being one of the premier players from the entire draft class.

Quotable: “I ain’t at my best yet. I still got a lot of work to put. I still have to get better. I still got to grow and learn in many ways. I just want to keep getting better and do what I do best.” – Lee Hunter on his upside

Background: Senior Bowl participant. Appeared in 14 games for Texas Tech (2025) and 38 games at UCF (2022-24); redshirted as a freshman at Auburn (2021). All-American First-Team and All-Big 12 First-Team(2025); All-Big 12 Second Team (2024). A four-star recruit from Blount High School in Mobile, Alabama. The son of Shirley Tucker, has three siblings, and is a father to his daughter, Kaylee.

Stats: Played 14 games in 2025, had 41 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two and a half sacks, one forced fumble. In 52 career games, had 172 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, seven and a half sacks, one forced fumble, one pass deflection.

Q: What do you consider to be your greatest strength?

A: “Mindset. If an offensive lineman gets in front of me, I know I’m going to beat you. That’s just how I practice. That’s how I prepare myself throughout the week, Sunday-through-Friday. On Saturday, I take it to the field.”

Q: Why do you take so much pride in stopping the run?

A: “When you stop the run, they you get a chance to pass rush. Especially, when you’ve got dogs inside of your. You’ll get more one-on-one blocks. So, you can leave one-on-one, so I think I could beat my one-on-one blocks. But when you slide to me on third downs you’ve got 600 pounds to get off on. I feel if I’m one-on-one that I’m going to beat you.”

Q: What is one area of your game that you want to improve?

A: “I just want to become a better pass rush, attack the quarterback more. I want to touch the quarterback a little bit more. I’m working to do that, I’m going to do that.”

2. MCDONALD, KAYDEN | Ohio State | Jr | #98 | Suwanee, GA | Day 1

Pro Day: HT: 6021 | WT: 326 | HD: 0934 | ARM: 3214 | WING: 7818 | BP: 27

Combine: HT: 6020 | WT: 326 | HD: 0978 | ARM: 3228

Evaluation: A two-gap defender, McDonald explodes off the line with a quick two-step, flat back and upfield burst. As a run defender, he utilizes great arm length extension to generate tremendous push, knocking opposing linemen back and at times, forcing them to collide into their own ball-carrier. As a pass rusher, McDonald possesses a powerful bull-rush, while converting speed-to-power and finishing off with inside counter moves. One area of concern for McDonald is that he does a bit of stiff hips, which limits his ability to change direction. Overall, his wide frame, tremendous strength, production against top-caliber opponents, experience on the big stage and pedigree would seem to consist of a premier prospect capable of starting immediately. It would not be shocking to see McDonald declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. After a stellar senior 2025 campaign, in which he seemed to improve on a weekly basis, McDonald has suddenly found himself amongst first round consideration.

Quotable: “I’m that type of guy -- I welcome double teams. I command double teams and I’m going to free up the linebackers and whatever team decides to get me, that’s what you’re going to get.” – Kayden McDonald on his run-stuffing ability

Background: Appeared in 34 games during his three-year stint in Columbus; started in 2025. OSU Scholar-Athlete in 2023-24. Academic All-Big Ten Conference 2023. Honors include Gwinnett Daily Post defensive player of the year, all-region and Georgia High School Association all-state. A four-star recruit out of North Gwinnett, had 13.0 sacks and 40.0 tackles-for-loss as a senior. The son of Kristi Green; has an older brother, Jayden, who is a linebacker at Troy and also has a sister, Justice.

Stats: Played 14 games in 2025, had 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass deflection. In 34 career games, had 85 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three pass deflections.

Q: How has Ohio State prepared you for the next level?

A: “Ohio State is the standard, just every day being a pro, training like a pro, film study like a pro, just every day being the best that you can be. Being held accountable, that’s what I say helped me at Ohio State.”

Q: What do you consider to be your biggest strength?

A: “I’ll say my preparation. I believe I’m the best defensive tackle in this draft class, really pride myself on being consistent, competitive, holding my teammates accountable and I put it all together working on my diet and just staying consistent. Just doing what I got to do.”

Q: What else do you bring to the table?

A: “I would say my power, having violent hands. I’m that guy. I’m strong in the middle. My high school coach said be a war daddy, being that guy in the middle, just stopping everything and being disruptive on all downs.”

3. WOODS, PETER | Clemson DT | Jr | #11 | Alabaster, AL | Day 2

Combine: HT: 6024 | WT: 298 | HD: 0918 | ARM: 3128

Pro Day: HT: 6024 | WT: 298 | HD: 0918 | ARM: 3128 | WS: 7638 | VJ: 29” | BJ: 8-8 | SHTL: 4.54 | 3C: 7.70

Evaluation: Perceived to be the top defensive tackle prospect in the land entering the season, Woods saw a dip in production in 2025. After a career-high eight and a half tackles for loss (three and a half sacks) as a sophomore, he totaled just three and a half tackles for loss (two sacks) this season. One underrated stat which is a testament to the type of disruptive force Woods can be is his 42 career quarterback hurries. Blessed with a solid frame, Woods has showcased his versatility during his Tigers career, having lined up on the interior, as well as the edge (his pass-rush technique remains a work in progress). His size, get-off and ability to create pressure up the middle is what makes Woods so valuable. However, short arms could be a concern for some teams. An aggressive player, he can also tend to overextend himself when anticipating the run. A true athlete, the Alabama native also moonlighted on offense, carrying the ball eight times, for 15 yards and a pair of scores. Transitioning to the next level, Woods is still viewed as the top prospect at his position and would seem to bring a stable presence to the middle of any defensive line as a long-term, dependable starter.

Quotable: “I think I bring a lot of positional versatility to any team that I go to. Obviously, I’m very comfortable at the d-tackle space, playing the three-tech, some pass rush versatility, some run-game versatility. So I think it kind of varies. I think that’s one of the best parts of my game, just being able to do a lot of different stuff.” – Peter Woods on what he offers to NFL teams

Background: Appeared in 34 games (25 starts) in three seasons at Clemson. An All-ACC First Team selection (2025); became Clemson’s first All-American at defensive tackle since Christian Wilkins (2018). Only player in America in 2025 to record multiple games with both a sack and a rushing touchdown. Named 2023 Freshman All-American. Earned degree in sports communication in December 2025; completed a microinternship with SpringHill Company/Uninterrupted in spring 2024. An Under Armour All-American from Thompson High School; team won the state championship all four years.

Stats: Played 12 games in 2025, had 30 tackles, three and a half tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass deflection. In 35 career games, had 84 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass deflection.

Q: What makes you a top prospect in this year’s draft?

A: “I think that I’m a game disrupter. I’m the type of guy that causes offensive coordinators to lose sleep at night planning for me. You don’t really know where I’m going to line up, you don’t know where I’m going to be, but you’ve got to respect it and you’ve got to know where I’m at at all times. I think that I’m one of the best at shocking and shedding, getting rid of a man. I think that’s what our game is, to disrupt the offense.

Q: What do you think the reason was for your lack of production in 2025?

A: “I think 2024, I had a lot more versatility within the scheme but we brought in Will Heldt, who’s a dog; crazy production for us. I think a lot of it was just having those dogs around me, TJ Parker, Will Heldt, DeMonte Capehart, Stephiylan Green. And just having that year in ‘24 made me, for opposing offenses, nightmares when it’s time to game plan. You’re hearing stuff like that on the field, on-field communication and stuff like that, triple teams, double teams. You’ve heard the story but I would really just attribute it to the people I got around me, making amazing plays.”

Q: Have NFL teams made a fuss over your arm length?

A: “That’s never really came up. I mean, besides, like jokingly. I mean, it’s easy to say, ‘his arms are short,’ but, I mean, what’s on tape, is on tape. I think one of the best things that I do is getting control of a man who assumingly has longer arms than me and striking him and discarding him. So I don’t really see that as a problem.”

4. BANKS, CALEB | Florida | DT | rSr | #88 | Detroit, MI | Day 2