Editor’s note: The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Eddie Brown is breaking down prospects, position by position, leading up to the NFL draft (April 23-25). Here are his top 10 defensive tackles, plus players he believes will be drafted or signed as a priority free agent:

1. Peter Woods (Jr., Clemson, 6-foot-2, 298 pounds)

Woods remains the most naturally gifted interior disruptor in this class, even if the production never quite matched the hype. The former blue-chip recruit was double-teamed constantly and still flashed rare burst, heavy hands and lateral quickness. He needs a more diversified pass-rush plan to unlock his full potential, but he already possesses a premium combination of strength and athleticism for his size. He was No. 5 on Bruce Feldman’s 2025 “Freaks List.” Consistency snap-to-snap is the key, but the traits say he can be a pocket-collapsing presence in an NFL rotation with Pro Bowl-caliber three-tech upside. Projected: Rounds 1-2

2. Kayden McDonald (Jr., Ohio State, 6-2, 326)

McDonald is hard to uproot once he drops anchor. He’ll hold the point and keep your linebackers clean. The former four-star recruit was a game-wrecker for one of the best defenses in the country, earning unanimous All-American honors. Anchored by the devourer of double-teams, the Buckeyes’ run defense was seventh in rushing yards allowed per game (89.36) and tied for seventh in yards allowed per carry (2.94). If you need someone to stop teams from living in second-and-4, he’s your guy. Projected: Rounds 1-2

3. Christen Miller (Jr., Georgia, 6-4, 321)

Miller brings the dense build to eat blocks while still flashing enough quickness to dent the pocket. He unloads brute force upon an offensive line, and at very least, will free up other defenders to make plays. Miller will be an impactful run defender on Day 1; it’s easy to envision him eventually becoming a disruptive pass-rusher in the pros despite only producing four sacks in three seasons with the Bulldogs. Projected: Round 2

4. Lee Hunter (Sr., Texas Tech, 6-3, 318)

Hunter had a good showing in Mobile, but tested poorly at the NFL Combine in Indy. The former top-100 recruit originally redshirted at Auburn (2021) before becoming a multi-year starter at UCF (2022-2024) and transferring to Lubbock last year, where he was an All-American. The “space-eater” is one of the premier run-stuffers in this draft class, anchoring a Red Raiders’ run defense that ranked first nationally. Despite his size, Hunter features a potent first step, even if his 3.72 RAS suggests otherwise. His production followed him from stop to stop, which tends to matter when scouts are sorting through Day 2 trench players. Projected: Rounds 2-3

5. Caleb Banks (Sr., Florida, 6-6, 327)

Banks features prototypical size and length (35-inch arms), and he backed up the frame at the combine with a 5.05 40 and 32-inch vertical (9.84 Relative Athletic Score). That is rare movement for a man built like a loading dock, especially considering he reportedly did it on a broken foot he suffered the night before. Banks underwent surgery and is expected to be cleared in time to participate in training camp with his future NFL team. Still, the break marks his third foot injury and second surgery in the last year. The concerns are durability, consistency and whether the disruption turns into enough finishing. The ceiling is sky-high if the medicals check out. Projected: Rounds 2-3

6. Gracen Halton (Sr., Oklahoma, 6-3, 293)

Halton is built for NFL sub-packages. The former four-star recruit racked up 33 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss and 3 1/2 sacks in 2025, added a fumble-return touchdown, earned second-team All-SEC honors and was named a team captain his senior season. He helped his cause by producing a 4.82-second 40-yard dash time and strong explosive testing at the combine (8.45 RAS). He’s not the guy you want living in double teams snap after snap, but he can absolutely stress guards as a penetrating 3-tech who wins with quickness and body control. If the pass-rush plan keeps evolving, the product of St. Augustine High School is the type of prospect who will outplay his draft slot. Projected: Rounds 2-4

7. Zane Durant (Sr., Penn State, 6-1, 290)

Durant is a former four-star recruit who became a three-year starter and two-time All-Big Ten honoree for the Nittany Lions. He was a team captain his senior year, posting 25 tackles, four sacks and an interception, which speaks to how often he was around the football. He is the reminder that not every dangerous defensive tackle has to look like a refrigerator. Durant is lighter than most of this group, but a 4.75-second 40 with an elite 1.66 10-yard split at the combine (9.27 RAS) is a “disruptor” indicator. He is not built to absorb double teams all day, and he can get absorbed by length when he loses first contact, but he can absolutely tilt a pocket with his explosive first step. Projected: Rounds 3-5

8. Darrell Jackson Jr. (Sr., Florida State, 6-5, 315)

Jackson is an imposing presence in the middle of a defense who can eat space and anchor when he plays with leverage. His measurables jump off the page: prototypical height and weight, 34 3/4-inch arms and 11-inch hands. He also flashes enough quickness to play like a disruptor instead of a statue. When Jackson lands his hands first, guards stop moving forward and start holding on for balance. He can play through blocks and dent the pocket with power. The pressures are there, but he isn’t always a clean finisher. Big-bodied rushers can win early and still leave plays alive if the counter plan isn’t consistent. This is the next step from “disruptive” to “dominant,” and why his sack totals aren’t the headline. Darrell’s uncle, Dexter Jackson, was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Projected: Rounds 3-4

9. Chris McClellan (Sr., Missouri, 6-4, 313)

McClellan spent two years at Florida before joining the Tigers for his junior and senior seasons. He’s improved every year, and grew into one of the SEC’s better interior defenders. He offers a pretty clean blend of gap control, strength and enough pass-rush fluidity to matter (six sacks as senior). He may not be electric, but he’s a player who can help a defensive line room quickly. Projected: Rounds 3-5

10. Domonique Orange (Sr., Iowa State, 6-2, 322)

Orange is a former three-star recruit who became a three-time All-Big 12 honoree with the Cyclones. The NFL sell is simple for the “Big Citrus”: elite run defender, two-down tone-setter, odd-front friendly. How much pass rush do you actually get? Not much. But the “Freaks List” alum is the type of player whose value usually shows up more clearly in a linebacker’s stat line than his own. Projected: Rounds 3-4

11. Rayshaun Benny (Sr., Michigan, 6-3, 298)

Benny made third-team All-Big Ten his senior season with the Wolverines after being stuck behind Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant for much of his time as an underclassman. The former four-star recruit was one of the top interior defensive line standouts during Senior Bowl week. The pass-rush numbers are modest (only four in his career), but Benny’s a disciplined run defender with a strong lower half and 50-plus games of big-program experience. His size, arm length, initial quickness off the line and power profile point towards a bright future. Projected: Rounds 3-5

12. Albert Regis (Sr., Texas A&M, 6-1, 295)

Regis put up 49 tackles and two sacks for the Aggies in 2025. He wins with leverage, effort and sturdiness, which gives him a pretty clear NFL path as a rotational run defender with some passing-down utility, even without elite length. Pro Football Focus credited him with an 82.6 run-defense grade that ranked among the better interior defenders in the country. Regis’ shorter frame does limit his margin for error, but he also has a knack for getting hands into throwing lanes, accounting for 10 batted balls at the line over the past two seasons. Projected: Rounds 4-6

13. Kaleb Proctor (Sr., SE Louisiana, 6-2, 291)

Proctor won Southland Player of the Year after a senior season that featured nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Then he helped himself further with a 4.79 40 and 33-inch vertical at almost 300 pounds in Indy (9.14 RAS). He was just the fifth player in school history to earn an invitation to the NFL Combine. If the level-of-competition jump does not swallow Proctor, the former no-star recruit at linebacker projects as a lighter, twitchier interior disruptor capable of impacting passing downs. Interior defenders who can actually rush don’t grow on trees. Projected: Rounds 3-5

14. DeMonte Capehart (Sr., Clemson, 6-5, 313)

Capehart was the fifth-ranked defensive lineman in the 2020 class and No. 34 recruit nationally. His frame will buy him plenty of patience as a developmental nose/3-technique. He’s an inconsistent finisher with limited polish, but he features the length, size and enough movement skill to hold up in a rotation. Capehart’s more steady than spectacular, but he’ll make sense on Day 3 for defenses that want size without sacrificing too much mobility. He produced a 4.85 40 and 33 1/2-inch vertical at the combine (9.96 RAS). Projected: Rounds 4-5

15. Dontay Corleone (Sr., Cincinnati, 6-0, 340)

“The Godfather” is a former three-star recruit who became a freshman All-American and earned all-conference recognition three times, in both the AAC and Big 12, for the Bearcats. Corleone still carries one of the widest draft ranges in the class, but the size, mass and raw force still give him a path into an NFL rotation as an early-down nose tackle and short-yardage specialist. The conditioning, history of blood clots and range are issues, and his pass-rush utility is narrow, but with his rare size and density, and the natural ability to clog interior gaps, somebody will bet on the power profile and past tape. Projected: Rounds 4-7

16. Tyler Onyedim (Sr., Texas A&M, 6-3, 290)

Onyedim followed a productive multi-year run at Iowa State that included honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition with another solid season at Texas A&M, reinforcing his value as a proven trench player. The former three-star recruit isn’t dominant in one phase, but he’s useful in several. He’s not a rare mover, but he’s active, experienced and offers enough alignment flexibility to fit a number of fronts. Projected: Rounds 4-5

17. Rene Konga (Sr., Louisville, 6-4, 298)

Konga was buried on the depth chart at Rutgers for four years before becoming a starter with the Cardinals and earning second-team All-ACC honors his final season. He isn’t a finished player, but there’s enough size, strength and flashes of disruption to earn him draftable grades in the back half of the board. At almost 300 pounds, Konga put together a pretty impressive pro day with a 4.79-second 40, a 1.60 10-yard split, a 37-inch vertical and a 10-foot-2 broad jump (9.78 RAS). He’s still developing feel and consistency, but Konga showcased the type of explosiveness teams will bet on late if they believe the coaching can clean up the rest. Projected: Rounds 5-6

18. Landon Robinson (Sr., Navy, 5-11, 293)

Robinson is one of the more fun evaluations in this group because he’s built differently and plays like a forklift. He was selected as a team captain and won the American Conference Defensive Player of the Year with 58 tackles, 8 1/2 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks in 2025. He’s a two-time All-AAC and three-time “Freaks List” honoree. Robinson’s impressive pro day featured a 4.87 40, a 32 1/2-inch vertical and 30 reps on the bench press (9.45 RAS). His short frame limits versatility, but he’s built low to the ground and plays even lower, which makes him an absolute nuisance for blockers. Projected: Rounds 6-7

19. Jordan van den Berg (Sr., Georgia Tech, 6-3, 310)

Van den Berg spent three years as a backup at Penn State before joining the Yellow Jackets his final two seasons and earning All-ACC recognition both years. He led Georgia Tech with 11 tackles for loss last season. Add in the rugby background and ridiculous pro-day testing, where he ran a 4.94 40, a 1.61 10-yard split, with 36-inch vertical and 35 bench reps (9.99 RAS), and he starts to feels like a sneaky Day 3 value. The rugby background makes sense once you watch how naturally the South Africa native plays with contact and balance. Projected: Rounds 6-7

20. Nick Barrett (Sr., South Carolina, 6-3, 312)

Barrett’s a reliable run defender who has an NFL-ready frame. He’s an underdeveloped pass-rusher, and his game looks more workmanlike than dynamic, but there’s enough size and sturdiness here to help on early downs. Projected: Rounds 5-6

21. Bryson Eason (Sr., Tennessee, 6-2, 323)

Eason is a former four-star recruit who made the transition from linebacker to defensive line in 2022 for the Vols. He plays exactly like you would expect an interior lineman with SEC mileage to play: sturdy, physical and hard to move. There isn’t a lot of pass-rush polish here, and he can look heavy-footed laterally, but Eason’s a functional run defender. Developing a rush plan in the pros could unlock his length and athleticism. Projected: Rounds 6-7

22. Zxavian Harris (Sr., Ole Miss, 6-8, 330)

Harris looks like two defensive linemen stacked on top of each other. This is a rare body with rare length, and watch out if the technique ever catches up to the frame. Obviously, he plays too tall at times, and his raw hand usage and pad level needs to be addressed, but he’s a towering, disruptive force when he wants to be. He also has six career blocks on special teams (four field goals and two PATs). There are questions about Harris’ maturity, which really amps up the boom-or-bust energy, but later in the draft, a player like him becomes a siren song for GMs. Projected: Rounds 4-7

23. Tim Keenan III (Sr., Alabama, 6-1, 327)

Keenan is a former four-star recruit who served as one of four team captains in 2025, and finished the season with two sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked punt despite missing time early in the year. He’s not a flashy mover, but he’s stout, disciplined and pro-ready as a rotational run defender. Keenan probably offers modest pass-rush upside, but a team could do much worse in the late rounds getting a mature, assignment-sound player. Projected: Rounds 6-7

24. Anterio Thompson (Sr., Washington, 6-2, 306)

With stops at Iowa Western, Iowa and Western Michigan before joining the Huskies, Thompson logged 30 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks in 2025, and at Washington’s pro day threw up 30 bench reps to go with a 4.73 40 (9.38 RAS). He’s not a finished pass rusher, but the strength, interior versatility and special teams experience (three blocked punts in college) make him a decent dart throw late. Projected: Rounds 6-7

25. Aaron Hall (Sr., Duke, 6-4, 297)

Hall is a former three-star recruit who became a two-year starter and two-time team captain for the Blue Devils. The two-time All-ACC honoree produced 19 tackles for loss and six sacks in his last two seasons. Hall tested well at his pro day with a 5.04 40 and 32-inch vertical (9.67 RAS). The ceiling may be modest, but he’s mature with a dependable approach, enough length and technique to compete for a role. Projected: Round 7-PFA

26. Jayden Loving (Sr., Wake Forest, 6-1, 309)

Loving is a sneaky late-round name because the production and testing came together at the end. He began his career at FCS program Bethune-Cookman before transferring to Western Kentucky after two seasons and finally ending up with the Demon Deacons. He produced 44 tackles, 8 1/2 tackles for loss, 2 1/2 sacks and three fumble recoveries to earn honorable mention All-ACC status his final season. Loving’s pro-day workout included a 4.82 40 with a 1.64 10-yard split, a 35-inch vertical and 33 bench reps (9.93 RAS). He’s still raw in his rush sequencing, and can lose control when playing too fast, but better block recognition and leverage could unlock another level in the pros. Projected: Round 7-PFA

27. Skyler Gill-Howard (Sr., Texas Tech, 6-1, 280)

Gill-Howard is a former walk-on who only started seven games in college, but was a team captain and earned All-MAC recognition at Northern Illinois before joining the Red Raiders last year. An ankle injury ended his final season prematurely after only six games. The question is whether he’s a true interior player or more of a sub-package tweener, but Gill-Howard’s disruptive enough to earn a look. He features quickness off the snap and the ability to penetrate and create negative plays. Projected: Rounds 4-7

28. Deven Eastern (Sr., Minnesota, 6-5, 315)

Eastern is a former four-star recruit who became a three-year starter for the Golden Gophers, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten in his final season. He’s a reliable early-down presence who features prototypical size and length. He has limited burst, and there’s not much evidence of high-end pass-rush upside. Projected: Round 7-PFA

29. Stephen Daley (Sr., Indiana, 6-1, 276)

Daley is a former three-star recruit who spent three years at Kent State before joining the Hoosiers for his senior season. The second-team All-American led the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 19, which is a huge number for a player without classic interior dimensions. He also tossed in 5 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles for good measure. He’ll need the right role, likely as a slanting, attacking front piece, but the backfield production will buy him opportunities. He could struggle to hold up against NFL power if miscast. Daley suffered a torn ACL in the Big Ten championship game, missed the College Football Playoff and didn’t have much of a pre-draft process. Projected: PFA

30. Malachi Cooper (Sr., San Diego, 6-5, 289)

Cooper is more of an edge/odd-front end than true NFL defensive tackle, but he belongs in this conversation because of the production and body type. He finished his career at USD with 105 tackles, 26 1/2 tackles for loss and 16 sacks, plus three all-conference selections. He features exceptional length (35-inch arms), heavy hands and the ability to absorb special teams effectively. If a team sees him as a movable front piece instead of forcing a pure tackle label on him, he has a chance. Projected: PFA

31. Uar Bernard (Nigeria, 6-5, 306)

The NFL identified Bernard as part of the 2026 International Player Pathway class. The former basketball player from Nigeria has never played organized football, but his recent testing was absurd for a 300-plus pound athlete. It included a 4.63 40, 39-inch vertical, 10-foot-10 broad jump and 31 bench reps (9.90 RAS). He possesses nearly 36-inch arms and 11-inch hands. Bernard is a pure upside swing whose evaluation starts with traits and ends with imagination. Projected: Round 7-PFA

____

©2026 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.