Final 2026 NFL Draft Interior DL Rankings: The hole at the top of the board isn’t getting any smaller

Kyle Crabbs’ final 2026 NFL Draft interior DL rankings highlight a vacancy at the top of the board.

The 2026 NFL Draft is upon us. We’ve reached the final calm before the storm and with it comes the final grades and projections for literally hundreds of players. The 2026 NFL Draft’s defensive tackle group is an odd one. There’s some missing star power at the top of the charts. But even the deeper portions are a challenge. Here are my 2026 NFL Draft Interior DL rankings in full.

Make of it what you will.

Advertisement

Kyle Crabbs’ Final 2026 NFL Draft Interior DL Rankings

1. Christen Miller, Georgia Bulldogs: 79.50/100 (Second Round Value)

Miller isn’t quite as dominant against the run as Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald, but I do think he’s going to offer a little bit more in the way of pass rush juice. Miller feels like a front-multiple talent with big-time power and the ability to grow in all phases.

2. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State Buckeyes: 79.50/100 (Second Round Value)

McDonald is, for my money, a better player than Tyliek Williams was last year. The Lions made him a first-round pick. I don’t know if the same fate awaits McDonald this year, but I do know that whoever drafts him is going to get an anchor in the middle and will see their run defense prosper for it.

Advertisement

3. Caleb Banks, Florida Gators: 79.00/100 (Second Round Value)

Banks is the most physically talented defensive tackle in the class. He missed nearly all of 2025 and now has endured a fresh injury to boot. Even before this swell of injuries, there was frustrating lapses with inconsistency. Conversations aren’t based exclusively off the top-20 play reel; if they were, Banks would be sitting at No. 1 on this list. But that same reel has me wondering “what if”…

Advertisement

4. Peter Woods, Clemson Tigers: 78.00/100 (Second Round Value)

Woods was a summertime darling who, much like the entire Clemson program, failed to meet expectations in 2025. Woods is an interesting blend between a 3-tech and a cap-control defender in the middle. His pre-draft process has steered him towards the 3-tech; but he’d ideally have either a little more mass and length or a little more explosiveness to be a high projection in the role.

The Rest Of The Top-100

5. Gracen Halton, Oklahoma Sooners: 76.50/100 (Third Round Value)

Depending on the cost, you could convince me that Halton is the most exciting investment opportunity of a defensive tackle in this year’s class. I believe he is a stellar pass rusher and penetration defender and could be a quality starter down the line as a 3-tech.

Advertisement

6. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech Red Raiders: 75.50/100 (Third Round Value)

Hunter is a tough, physical brute in the middle. He prospered at Texas Tech in part due to a loaded group of pass rushers around him on the defensive front, a luxury that he won’t have in all likelihood in the NFL. Hunter projects, to me, as a piece of a defensive line rotation. He reminds me some of NFL defensive tackle Tim Settle.

7. Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M Aggies: 74.00/100 (Third Round Value)

Advertisement

6-foot-3, 290 pounds, 34″ arms and 80th percentile jumps at the NFL Combine. Onyedim is the most fascinating name in the top-100. He enjoyed a career breakout in 2025 with the Aggies after four seasons with the Iowa State program. This feels like a front-multiple talent who could play as a 4i/5 or also as a 3-technique.

The Best Of The Rest

I am, simply put, not overly enamored with this year’s class. I am highly intrigued by Kaleb Proctor, who I got rave reviews for from league personnel at the 2026 NFL Combine. He seems to be made of the right stuff to make the leap to the NFL – but the leap is a big one. Dominique Orange is a nose tackle who I believe can start in the league, too. There are other athletic, undersized options like Albert Regis, Zane Durant, Landon Robinson, David Gusta, and Rene Konga.

Perhaps the two most interesting Day 3 options are developmental options like Uar Bernard (Nigeria) and Jordan van den Berg (Georgia Tech). Both are players with international ties and newer to the game.

Advertisement

NFL Draft

Kyle Crabbs 8 hours ago