1. Peter Woods
Clemson • Junior • 6’3 • 315
Woods is a super fun watch and one of the most athletic players in the draft. His quick feet and dominating power combine to make him a wrecking ball in the middle of the defense, and he is a brutal matchup for any offensive lineman. Woods has elite quickness for a defensive tackle and has some experience playing on the edge, where he fits perfectly despite weighing over 300 pounds. Against the pass, Woods is one of the better players I have ever seen as an interior defensive lineman, and his power allows him to make his presence felt in the run game as well. Very possible we could see him sneak into the top 10 come April.
2. Caleb Banks
Florida • Senior • 6’6 • 335
Banks is near the top of every analyst’s freaks list, with scouts raving about his upside and potential to be a dominating 3-tech defensive lineman. The highlights for Banks are incredible, showing dominant strength, an elite rip-through move, and excellent lateral quickness for a player of his size. Florida has often used Banks as a nose tackle, but with the depth of talent on the Florida line over the last few seasons, he has been moved around. Along with the highlights, there are plenty of lowlights as well, and Banks is still an incredibly raw prospect. He will need to work on his pad level to prevent linemen from getting into his chest and getting early leverage. I see a lot of similarities to Deone Walker from the 2024 class, who also displayed an incredible frame with unique movement skills, but often played too high and struggled to get low early leverage. He will need to use his length more often, and the hope is that he can play a role similar to that of another former Florida prospect, Gervon Dexter.
3. Kayden McDonald
Ohio State • Junior • 6’3 • 325
McDonald has become one of my favorite names in this year’s class lately because of his incredible athletic profile. McDonald feels like the prototype for the modern NFL 3-tech defensive tackle because of his dominant size and impressive ability to win with lateral burst at the line of scrimmage. He does a great job using his hands to keep linemen away from his pads, and he often works his way around guards before they even know what has happened. McDonald is not the best tackler and is known more for his ability to shed blocks and affect the lanes players run in. He can collapse the pocket and make quarterbacks uncomfortable, and in the run game, he impacts gaps with great discipline. I love the skills I have seen from McDonald on film, and while he is a little bit raw, I think he could become a premier 4-3 DT in the NFL.
4. Christen Miller
Georgia • Junior • 6’4 • 305
Finding play time on the Georgia defensive line is a tall task for anyone, but at just 19 years old, Christen Miller saw himself not just getting limited reps, but was a full-time starter on the Bulldogs’ interior. The former four-star defensive end recruit was brought to Georgia as a defensive end, but the coaching staff had him add weight and move to a three-tech defensive tackle. Miller excelled and, on film, was constantly wreaking havoc in the backfield. As a pass rusher, Miller brings speed, quickness, and length to get early leverage and attack quickly to collapse the pocket. In the run game, Miller hits gaps quickly and eats up double teams. He is over 300 pounds, but some people may ask him to add some weight and power when he gets to the NFL. He is plenty strong and knows how to use his frame to get leverage and make an impact. He is not quite Jalen Carter, but he will be popular on draft day.
5. Domonique Orange
Iowa State • Senior • 6’2 • 330
The big Kansas City kid nicknamed “Big Citrus” has proved to be one of the best interior defensive linemen in the Big 12. Orange is an actual nose tackle with upside, also a quality interior pass-rusher in the NFL. He showed off his impressive lateral quickness and ability to win with both speed and power early in the season, putting on a show in ISU’s big Week 1 win against Kansas State. Orange is best used as a run blocker, where he uses his power to get in the backfield and uses his quickness to force double teams on the interior. He will be a top-100 pick because of his athletic profile alone, but on film he looked great and has shown more discipline than expected, making him a versatile fit in any NFL defensive scheme.
6. Ahmad Moten
Miami • Junior • 6’3 • 325
Moten is one of my favorite players in this years class at a position group that has been heavily slept on this season. The Miami defensive line was the best in football this year with three guys that I will likely have graded in my top 100 on draft day. Moten is one of those names and this year he has been the Canes’ most reliable interior guy both rushing the passer and stopping the run. His big stocky build is incredible and he does a great job fitting in gaps and keeping lineman on their heels. He has impressive quickness for a man of his size, but what really impresses me is his pure strength to engage blockers but also make impact tackles in the backfield. He is incredibly talented and will be a day one contyributor in the NFL.
7. Cameron Ball
Arkansas • Senior • 6’3 • 325
With the addition of David Oke, the Arkansas defensive line was expected to see significant improvement in 2025. Ball is one of the more experienced players in college football, entering his fifth season at Arkansas. He has held a consistent role with the team since 2022 and has proven himself to be a game wrecker on the interior of the Razorbacks’ defense. When you turn on the film for the Arkansas defense, you notice the ball quite often on the inside of the defense, making an impact in both the run and the pass game. He is listed as a little over 320 pounds, but moves much faster than that and may come in a little lighter during NFL testing. He does a great job splitting double teams and causing the quarterback to step around in the pocket, as well as changing a running back’s trajectory. Consistency is what NFL teams love to see from defensive tackles, and Ball brings that against both the run and the pass. He should be a solid part of a 3-tech rotation in the NFL.
8. DeMonte Capehart
Clemson • 6yr Senior • 6’5 • 315
One of the more experienced players in this year’s class, Capehart came to Clemson’s campus in 2020 as a highly touted high school prospect looking to make an immediate impact. But he was redshirted in 2020 and then missed almost all of 2021 with a knee injury. Capehart returned but was not quite what Clemson had hoped at first, struggling to find consistent play and production. Over the last 4 years, Capehart has been a leader and a rotational player on one of the nation’s best defensive lines. He has a massive frame and, on film, flashes of the athlete he projected to be when he came out of high school. Should be a solid late-round addition who can be a rotation DT.
9. Brandon Cleveland
NC State • Senior • 6’3 • 320
Cleveland is a unique prospect with NFL scouts having a wide range of projections for him. At NC State, Cleveland was dominant on the interior, especially as a run defender, where he does a great job keeping his eyes in the backfield and using his strength to get back to the ball. He was often lined up at nose tackle, a role he could play in the NFL, but is not one that I think is ideal for his future. Cleveland does not eat blocks as well as I would like, and I would argue he is significantly better in one-on-one situations, where he can use his dominant strength to shed a block and get to the running back. This skill projects better as a three-tech DT, but a lack of pass-rush ability could limit his effectiveness in that role. It is tough to project a role for Cleveland, which is a big part of why there is such a wide range of projections for him in the NFL. Cleveland feels like a great DT3, and he could even be a nose tackle in the NFL with the right DEs around him.
10. Chris McClellan
Missouri • Senior • 6’3 • 315
The defensive line for Missouri was headlined by two top players, McClellan and Wilson, with McClellan being one of the more dominating players on the interior in the SEC. His impressive burst inside allows him to win early with strong hands, and he also uses dominating power to get into the chest of guards and can often push them laterally to get to the quarterback. In the run game, he’s about average and will not eat up a lot of blocks, but does keep his eyes in the backfield and fills his gap consistently. McClellan seems like an immediate fit in the NFL for a 4-3 defense that wants to generate interior pressure without sacrificing much in the run game.
11. Jacobian Guillory II
LSU • Senior • 6’2 • 315
When you turn on the film for the LSU defense, Guillory II may not be a guy that you first notice, but when you start to really take a look for him on the field, you begin to see the impact that he has on a defense. He’s not the type of player to light up the stat sheet or make the highlight plays, but he’s a grinding interior defensive lineman who fights for every inch and makes an impact for everybody around him. He has a great bend and a wrecking-ball build to get low, generate leverage, and really push guards back into the backfield. Guillory II is an incredibly experienced player, and someone I think will be an excellent late-round pick-up, able to rotate in along the defensive line and fill in on almost any down.
12. Albert Regis
Texas A&M • Senior • 6’1 • 310
Regis is a strong defensive lineman who may not blow you away with big measurables, but does a great job using his compact frame to generate power and work through blocks. He is the best run defender on the Aggies’ dominating defensive line, and this year really caught my eye with his ability to get into the backfield and impact the game. As a pass rusher, he is just average and does a good job of having lane discipline and keeping quarterbacks contained. He has a good burst but will not be known for his speed or first-step quickness. Great rotation guy.
13. Rayshaun Benny
Michigan • Senior • 6’3 • 300
When I was watching the Michigan defense this season, I found myself often drawn to number 26… Rayshaun Benny. I would have sworn, before seeing his weigh-in, that he was at least 315-320, given how much power he has on the inside and his ability to push offensive linemen onto their heels. He also moves impressively well, and I was often impressed by his ability to win on stunts and clear out lanes for his edge rushers to come inside and get to the quarterback. Benny will not blow you away with his physical traits, but his instincts and play strength/speed are impressive, and they show up early and often on film. He has spent five years at Michigan and has been a reliable part of their defense for the last half-decade. I think he comes into the NFL and is immediately a great depth third defensive tackle.
14. Zane Durant
Penn State • Senior • 6’1 • 290
Durant is an undersized defensive tackle who uses his compact strength to make impacts at every level of the game. His agility and lateral quickness are excellent, primarily attributed to his more petite frame and explosive strength. Durant is imposing in the run game, something you wouldn’t expect from someone with less size and coming in under 300. His explosiveness makes it hard to predict his movement and keeps lineman on their heels. He uses his hands well and is relentless in getting into the backfield. His lack of size makes his upside minimal, so he could be a good third IDL in the NFL who can play a rotation role.
15. Keeshawn Silver
USC • Senior • 6’4 • 330
Truly, just a big, strong and consistent, defensive lineman, Silver will be a great late round pickup in this years draft. His big frame provides the power that is necessary to play at the NFL on the interior, but his ability to keep his eyes in the backfield, and work to the ball makes him very tough to block. He does a great job using his legs to anchor himself and does not allow offensive lineman to push him back into the second level without a double team. While he is not much of a pass rusher, he consistently is able to impact the game by forcing double teams and getting to the ball in the run game. This is not a guy that you’re going to add expecting him to be a superstar, but he is more so a high-quality complementary piece on a defense that will help allow elite players around him to succeed. Just one of those guys that every team is looking to have on their roster.
NOSE TACKLES
1. Lee Hunter
Texas Tech • Senior • 6’4 • 330
Texas Tech will likely send all four of their defensive line starters to the NFL this off-season as they have one of the best groups in the Big 12. Hunter is the anchor of that defensive line and does a great job eating blocks on the inside as a true nose tackle. Hunter will not generate a lot of pressure on the quarterback, but does his job impacting the game by forcing double teams on the interior. He does a decent job getting to the ball in the run game, but could do better about keeping his eyes in the backfield. He moves pretty well to get to the ball, but we need a bit of a better package to win in the pass game when he gets one on one.
2. Darrell Jackson Jr
Florida State • Senior • 6’5 • 340
Coming out of high school Jackson Jr was just a three star recruit who committed to the University of Maryland. After getting a lot of playtime in his freshman season, he elected to transfer to Miami where he found some success but wanted an even bigger role and elected to leave for Florida State. In 2023 Jackson made his debut at Florida State but only played limited snaps because the NCAA denied his hardship waiver to play immediately after his transfer. Jackson transferred back to the Florida area because he wanted to be near his mother who was sick and he wanted to be close to her. Since arriving in Florida State, Jackson Jr has been impressive, using his massive frame to wreak havoc in the middle of the defense. I personally think that he fits best as a nose tackle in the NFL who uses his violent hands to make an impact in both the run and the pass game, but he could fit in just about any defense and will likely have an immediate role in the NFL.
3. Markis Deal
TCU • Sophomore • 6’5 • 325
When I watch Deal, it is clear that I am watching one of the best run defenders in this years draft and he is a dominating presence on the interior of the defensive line. His strength is remarkable and it is very possible he will have one of the best bench presses at the combine. He simply moves people forward, sideways or however he wants, making him one of the hardest guys to block one on one in this years class. Sacks are what fans are looking for nowadays, and Deal may not log many of them in the stat sheet, but he is very well responsible for several of them with his ability to eat up blocks on the interior. He is stunningly quick for a guy of his size and there is no doubt in my mind that his skillset will translate to the NFL.
4. Damonic Williams
Oklahoma • Senior • 6’1 • 320
I list Damonic Williams as a nose tackle because I think that on film that is where his skillset shows up the most, but don’t let that fool you, he is far more than just your traditional run stuffing nose tackle. Since his transfer to Oklahoma from TCU in 2023, Williams has been a mainstay on the Sooners defensive line and has been an especially stout run defender who fights through solo blocks and keeps his eyes in the backfield to keep track of the running back. But where Williams caught my eye the most was in the pass game, where he performed far better than I expected. For a player of his size, elite run defense is expected, if not necessary for success, but it is rare you see a player of Williams’ stature have the athleticism and pass rush ability he has. While I think he can line up in the 0 tech primarily, and is capable of eating double teams, I think he also can be used as a 1–3 tech that can hit gaps hard, win up the middle, generate pressure in pass rush and muddle the pocket with consistency.
5. Zxavian Harris
Mississippi • Senior • 6’7 • 330
Very simply, Harris is just a massive man, with long arms and likely coming in a little over 330 pounds. His insane size allows him to generate power incredibly well and he is an absolute game wrecker in the run game. Having as much size as Harris carries often limits his ability to generate pass rush production, which is why I think he will likely fit in best as a nose tackle in the NFL. His long arms allow him to get early leverage on offensive lineman and push them into the pocket or the backfield. The biggest concern you’re going to have with Harris is his pad level as he can play a little bit high and often can be pushed off balance if double teamed from the side. If he is going to be successful at the NFL level, he will need to be able to drop his hips, get lower, and produce leverage on the interior.
