Many franchises opt to build from the trenches out, and for good reason. The top of the 2025 NFL Draft DT rankings boasts several difference-makers, including Michigan’s All-American Mason Graham.
2025 Draft DT Rankings | 10-1
Generating consistent interior pressure is worth more than shutting down one side of the field. Of course, defenses would love to do both, but these 10 defensive tackles provide more value than even some of the top cornerbacks in the draft.
DTs Just Outside the Top 10
- C.J. West, Indiana
- Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
- Cam’Ron Jackson, Florida
- Jamaree Caldwell, Oregon
- Ty Robinson, Nebraska
10) Alfred Collins, Texas Longhorns
Alfred Collins is poised to be the next NFL star emerging from the Longhorns’ defensive line. Towering at 6’6” and weighing 320 pounds, the Texas DT combines sheer power with finesse. His 35-inch arms give him a distinct advantage, allowing him to control gaps and disengage from blockers with ease.
With his rare physical traits, fans and analysts wondered why Collins wasn’t able to produce at a high level. Well, he’s done just this year, racking up 53 tackles and 5.5 TFLs while rarely missing.
9) Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech Hokies
Standing 6’1″ and 290 pounds, Aeneas Peebles is a compact boulder on the interior and has been the best pass-rushing DT in the ACC across the last two years at Duke and Virginia Tech. His size and arm length limit his ability against the run, but Peebles is a one-gap penetrator already on NFL Draft analysts’ radars.
8) Howard Cross III, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Howard Cross III has been a mainstay on Notre Dame’s DL since 2021, but his four sacks in 2024 are the same number he’s produced in the last two years combined. He routinely pushes the pocket, forcing QBs into the hands of his edge rushers.
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Yet, Cross makes his biggest impact against the run, where his combination of raw strength and get-off overwhelm offensive linemen. Oh, and he comes equipped with six years of body development and A/B gap versatility.
7) T.J. Sanders, South Carolina Gamecocks
T.J. Sanders’ teammate, Tonka Hemingway, received most of the recognition from South Carolina’s D-line in the summer, but Sanders quickly surpassed him during the season. He’s a sure tackler at 6’5″ and nearly 300 pounds, using his length to wrap up in the hole.
But Sanders also has active hands and leg drive to generate pressure where QBs hate it most: up the middle.
6) Deone Walker, Kentucky Wildcats
A 6’6″ and 348-pound defensive tackle should not be able to move the way Deone Walker does. He can generate pressure on his own with his massive size, raw strength, and unexpected quickness.
In 2023, Walker accounted for 12.5 TFLs and 7.5 sacks, using his free-moving and powerful build to open the floodgates on the interior. His 2024 wasn’t nearly as impressive (five TFLs, one sack), but the potential is there waiting to be tapped into.
5) Tyleik Williams, Ohio State Buckeyes
Tyleik Williams has some eye-popping reps on his film, but he’ll never consistently beat the man across from him on passing downs. Regardless, his bull rush can collapse pockets when well-timed, and he has no issue maintaining gap integrity and shedding blocks against the ground game.
While limited pass rushers can be overlooked, the ground game has returned to prominence in football, and run stuffers are going to go for a premium.
4) Walter Nolen, Ole Miss Rebels
Originally ranked as the No. 2 recruit in 2022, Walter Nolen made his way to Ole Miss from Texas A&M and didn’t miss a beat. He’s stacked up 48 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and three PBUs this season while bringing consistent pressure up the middle.
Yet, Nolen was even more impressive against the run, rarely missing tackles and knifing across offensive linemen’s faces to meet the ball carrier in the hole.
3) Kenneth Grant, Michigan Wolverines
At 6’3″ and nearly 340 pounds, Kenneth Grant is a grizzly bear rushing the passer. He won’t win at an elite rate, but when he does, QBs feel it. His sheer size and knockback power also allow him to plug multiple gaps against the run, and he fits right at home at nose tackle vs. centers.
2) Derrick Harmon, Oregon Ducks
Standing at 6’5″ and 310 pounds, Derrick Harmon brought relentless pressure for Oregon since transferring from Michigan State. On top of filling the box score (10.5 TFLs and five sacks), Harmon set the tone upfront for the former No. 1 team in the nation, even if missed tackles have plagued an otherwise flawless campaign.
1) Mason Graham, Michigan Wolverines
With Grant occupying space next to him, Mason Graham often benefits from more 1-on-1s — and he takes advantage. He moves like a man 20 pounds lighter but possesses the heavy hands to club offensive linemen and jolt them backward. His lateral quickness and first-step explosion make him a nightmare to handle against the run.
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Graham may be the single most dominant player in the country, but Michigan’s rotation and the elite talent around him hold him back from producing jaw-dropping numbers.
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