The defensive line class for the 2026 NFL Draft has been a bit of an enigma this year. Prospects who were highly rated before the season failed to meet expectations, yet several underclassmen who saw little action one year ago have stepped to the forefront. The class has a lot of potential on paper, especially at the top, as it’s filled with large, athletic linemen who are effective in all facets of playing up front.

Here’s a look at the top eight defensive linemen who will be headlining the 2026 NFL Draft.

Keldric Faulk/DE/Auburn: Faulk was graded by NFL scouts as one of the top next-level prospects entering the season, regardless of position, despite being an underclassman. And while he played up to that billing at times in 2025, the 20-year-old was not as consistently dominant as scouts expected. He’s a big-bodied defensive end who possesses a great combination of athleticism, quickness, and strength.

He displays himself as a devastating pass rusher with the movement skills necessary to pursue the action laterally, then make plays in space. Faulk, who is much more than just the edge rusher many have pigeonhole him to be, comes with tremendous upside and the body type necessary to line up in a variety of defensive schemes.

Peter Woods/DT/Clemson: Woods is another big-bodied athlete who failed to live up to expectations this season. He’s incredibly quick, shows the ability to beat blockers off the snap, and possesses terrific change-of-direction skills that allow him to make plays all over the field. This 20-year-old tackle lined up at fullback for Clemson this season during short-yardage or goal-line situations and posted two rushing touchdowns. The problem for scouts is the lack of production, as Woods combined for 56 tackles the past two seasons and has just five sacks during his college career. He’s more bark than bite at this point, and if he enters the draft, teams will have to do a lot of digging.

Kayden McDonald/DT/Ohio State: McDonald rarely saw the field in 2024, as the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes had a pair of seniors at defensive tackle who were selected in last April’s draft. Yet he’s taken hold of the starting job this year, dominating play and being a nuisance for opponents. He’s slightly more athletic than former teammate Tyleik Williams, who was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 28th pick of April’s draft, and is just as much of a playmaker as Williams. McDonald significantly improved as a run defender this season and has made an unexpected leap up draft boards.

A’Mauri Washington/DT/Oregon: Washington, another who played behind a first-round pick in 2024 (Derrick Harmon), is also benefiting from increased playing time as a starter this season. He has a body type similar to McDonald’s and equals the Ohio State junior as far as quickness off the snap and movement skills. Though not a disruptive force like McDonald, Washington has terrific upside potential on the inside of a four-man line.

LT Overton/DE/Alabama: An oversized defensive end who will get consideration in certain three-man fronts and even inside at tackle, Overton is a fiery player with great quickness. He possesses a terrific first step that allows him to beat blockers off the snap and shows a closing burst to the action. Overton shows speed moving in any direction and brings an athletic game to the field.

Anthony Smith/DE/Minnesota: Another disruptive force with scheme versatility, Smith is a tall defensive lineman who is a proven pass rusher. This season, he posted 13.5 TFLs as well as 10.5 sacks playing in the Gophers’ three-man line, and he shows the athleticism to make plays in any direction of the field. Smith struggles standing up against the run, but he has a frame that should get bigger and stronger in the future.

Caleb Banks/DT/Florida: Graded by scouts as a second-round prospect entering the season, Banks had his campaign interrupted by injury and played in just two late-season contests. The Florida Gators’ lineman is a tall, big-bodied defensive lineman who measures 6-foot-6 and almost 330 pounds, but he moves like a power forward on the football field and showed pass-rushing skill last year. He’s accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl, which will have a big impact on where he’s eventually selected in the draft.

Zane Durant/DT/Penn State: Like the team he plays for, Durant is coming off a disappointing season. Explosive, intense, and athletic, Durant is a smaller three-technique/one-gap defensive line prospect who fires off the snap, plays with speed, and relentlessly chases the action. He measures just 6-foot-1 and a hair over 290 pounds and is unlikely to get bigger, yet Durant has potential in certain four-man fronts.