The Best Draft-Eligible Defensive Linemen for the 2026 Season
The 2027 IDL draft class will be dominated by talented duos at big-time programs this year. Breaking down my Top-10 names to watch heading into the season.
Stone is the best of a handful of players who have been penciled in as early contenders to crack the Top-15 picks come April. At 6’ 3”, 310 pounds with close to 35” arms, he has a build that generates outstanding leverage in all facets of the game. When combined with high-level movement skills that feature tremendous burst and easy lateral agility, it’s easy to be enamored with his potential. Stone will have to prove he can translate his tools into a bigger role with more consistent production this year after only starting 2 games in 2025. He still needs to add more depth to his pass rush arsenal and access his natural power as a rusher on a down-to-down basis. Even if he is a bit of a project, Stone’s length, burst, and three-down impact make him an easy candidate for DL1 in this class.
Of all the linemen in contention for the #1 spot in this class, Echoles was the most productive of the bunch. As only a 20-year-old in the SEC, he posted 39 pressures and 6 sacks — both Top-10 marks at the position — while playing the third most snaps of any defensive lineman. Echoles isn’t just a college producer. He has NFL-caliber tools at 6’ 2”, 310 pounds with good explosiveness. His only real physical deficiency on paper is a lack of length with sub-33” arms. Echoles pairs his physical tools with some of the best handwork in the class. He is a heavy striker with lightning-quick hands to separate from blockers and get into the backfield. He is excellent at striking and shedding in the run game before blockers can close the space and take advantage of his lack of length. Echoles might lack the same ceiling as a player like Stone, but he is farther along technically and still only a true junior.
Scott was the least heralded player on a Miami defensive line that featured two first-round picks and another potential Top-50 pick last year, but he is no less talented. The overall numbers of 19 pressures and 2 sacks don’t jump off the screen, but most of his production came down the stretch once he earned the starting job. Scott checks in with around average mass at just over 300 pounds but combines long arms (33 3/8”) with good athleticism to create havoc in the backfield. His powerful hands and easy lateral movement skills allow him to run through or around blockers in all phases of the game. Teams will want to see him translate those tools into more consistent impact this year. Scott lacks much of a rush plan, and sloppy footwork as a run defender leads to some big losses, but his tools in a full-time role give him the potential to shoot up boards.
One half of the talented Miami interior duo, Moten was a player who many thought would declare last year after an All-ACC season that saw him finish with 27 pressures and 4 sacks. Moten has excellent size at 6’ 3”, 311 pounds — although he lacks length with 32.5” arms — and is an above-average athlete. Like most of the Jason Taylor-coached defenders that come out of the Hurricane program, his game rests on technically polished hand and footwork. Moten has powerful hands that are quick to strike and reset the line of scrimmage in the run game. He is an excellent grappler who is quick to shed and get upfield as a penetrator and pass rusher. Moten falls into the second tier of linemen in this class because he lacks the high-end juice or bend to be a high sack collector at the next level. He is above-average in most categories, but an inability to be a true game-wrecker as a run defender or pass rusher limits his ceiling.
Holmes is one of the oldest players on this list, but he is also the most productive. A two-year starter at Houston before transferring to Texas Tech in 2025, Holmes has posted three consecutive 20+ pressure seasons capped with an All-American campaign as a senior for the Red Raiders. He is undersized at 6’ 2”, 300 pounds but makes up for that with movement skills and hand usage. Holmes is an aggressive upfield player who leverages his burst and strong hands to disrupt the backfield. He does an excellent job of using his hands to open up blockers’ chest plates and control reps as both a rusher and run defender. Due to his lack of size, Holmes is a bit of a gambler, especially in the run game. He won’t fit every team’s scheme, but attacking even fronts that are okay with some mistakes in exchange for vertical juice will love him as a Day-2 target.
Washington is the best A-Gap and run defender in this class. He is a powerful defender with good mass (319 pounds) and length (33 7/8” arms). He blends heavy hands with naturally low pads to anchor his gap versus both solo and combination blocks. He is also a quality athlete with the lateral agility to cross the face of blockers and dart into the adjacent gap. Washington had some draft buzz last year as a junior but ultimately decided to return to school and will look to improve his pass rush impact to raise his stock. Despite playing close to 1,000 snaps over the last three seasons, Washington has only 2 career sacks to his name. He lacks the explosiveness and bend to consistently win up the arc and dip into the pocket, and doesn’t leverage his size into power pressures. Scouts will be looking to see if he can add more layers to his game as a senior in order to lift him from being a Day-2 pick to a Round 1 selection.
Ibirogba is the first transfer on this list, coming over to Texas Tech after appearing in 12 games for Wake Forrest last year. He is a long, explosive athlete who does his best work as an upfield attacker. His combination of burst and flexibility makes him a dangerous playmaker in both the run game and as a rusher when asked to shoot gaps. Ibirogba’s movement skills are excellent, but his profile has more holes than those above him. He is an older prospect at 23 years old and has never been tasked with being a full-time player at the FBS level. He is undersized at 6’ 3” and just a shade over 300 pounds. His lack of mass and anchor in the run game will remove him from teams’ boards who look for their interior players to eat more space. Ibirogba has the tools to be a difference-making pass rusher, but he will need to put that into practice in 2026 because he doesn’t impact the game in other areas at a high enough level.
Alexander has been a staple in college football headlines going all the way back to his time as a big-time high school recruit in large part due to his penchant for changing schools. Now at his third program in 4 years, Alexander has seemingly found his home at Oregon. The tools that made him a highly sought-after recruit are apparent from the jump. He is exceptionally quick at 311 pounds and has elite length (34” arms). His combination of strength and lateral agility makes him a disruptive run defender who can manage his gap versus all scheme types. 2025 was a good start in the right direction, but Alexander will have to find a way to be a more consistent rusher to fully live up to his potential. He lacks the upfield speed or burst to win purely with tools, and his pass rush arsenal is still very limited. If he can find another jump in play as a senior, Alexander has a chance to push into the Top-75, maybe even Top-50 picks come April.
Jackson is a classic run-stuffing defensive tackle. At 6’ 2”, 322 pounds with a wide, dense lower half, he is a sturdy anchor at the point of attack. He displays quick hands to rip down offensive linemen and plays with an excellent motor. Jackson’s ceiling is ultimately capped by below-average athleticism and length. He offers very little as a pass rusher, lacking the juice to win with speed or convert his mass into power. Players of Jackson’s archetype usually go around the Day-2 turn as early-down rotation pieces, a role he currently holds for the Sooners.
Fite shares many similarities to Jackson in terms of being an early-down run stuffer with limited physical tools. A staple for the Sun Devils line the past three years, Fite brings over 30 starts of experience prior to his 22nd birthday. He is a strong defender with a squat build at 6-foot flat, 311 pounds. His dense frame and heavy hands make him difficult to move off the spot in the run game no matter the concept. He is a below-average athlete, and that really limits his three-down impact. Fite is a smart rusher who times his twists well and doesn’t allow scramble lanes to form but cannot create his own pressure. More consistent hand usage would help, but he simply lacks the athletic ability to threaten pockets on a consistent basis, which will limit his draft stock to late Day-2 at best.