2026 NFL Draft Thread
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Who are the top defensive prospects entering the 2026 NFL combine? Top 5 by position
A look at the best defensive prospects and which positions are strongest in this class
By Mike Renner
Let the debates begin. Linebacker and safety are the only two positions on the defensive side of the ball with a fairly clear-cut top prospect. Defensive tackle, edge rusher and cornerback are all hotly contested.
Since it's shaping up to be a defense-heavy top half of Round 1, this will make for a fun cycle breaking down the top prospects on that side of the ball.
We already broke down the top five prospects at every offensive position earlier this week. Now, the focus shifts to defense.
Defensive tackle
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1. Peter Woods, Clemson
2. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
3. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
4. Keldric Faulk, Auburn
5. Christen Miller, Georgia
I always love breaking down the skill sets of defensive tackles because there's so much nuance to the big fellas. These five represent three distinctly different defensive tackle archetypes.
Peter Woods is the most quintessential 3-technique of the group. His burst off the ball and strength to shed blocks make him a capable defender against both the run and pass. I just wish he had more tricks at his disposal to defeat blocks after a down year on 2025 tape.
Lee Hunter is a penetrating nose tackle who will make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. He can really move for a 320-plus-pounder.
Kayden McDonald is more of your quintessential hold-the-point nose tackle. He's one of the most consistent run-defending nose tackles I've scouted at the collegiate level -- just don't expect much as a pass rusher.
Keldric Faulk is your edge-interior hybrid. His massive frame allows him to move seamlessly between both. At only 20 years old, he's much more of a project than the three players above him.
Finally, Christen Miller is a throwback 3-4 defensive end. His ability to two-gap in the run game is outstanding. With the growing importance of defending the run with your front four, Miller's skill set will be highly coveted.
Edge rusher
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1. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
2. Arvell Reese, Ohio State
3. David Bailey, Texas Tech
4. Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
5. Akheem Mesidor, Miami (FL)
It's a two-horse race at the top of the edge rusher class for me. There's a massive tier gap in my grades between Rueben Bain Jr./Arvell Reese and the rest of the class. Both Bain and Reese have the kind of power to impose their will consistently that no other edges in this class possess. They're both top-five players on my board.
After that comes a tier of two speed rushers in David Bailey and Cashius Howell. Bailey is the more explosive athlete, while Howell is the more refined rusher. Bailey's feast-or-famine play style is what worries me most about his projection. He tore up lesser athletes at offensive tackle, but those who could match his speed fared much better. Still, athletes of his caliber tend to have high floors as pass rushers. Howell doesn't have quite the same juice, but he knows how to rush the passer better at this stage. His ability to set up tackles and bend the edge is outstanding. He may wind up a designated pass rusher only at the next level.
Akheem Mesidor doesn't quite fit either category, but his tape this past season was outstanding. The only question is what his ceiling will be in the NFL, because he'll be a 25-year-old rookie with middling athletic tools and a lengthy injury history.
Linebacker
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1. Sonny Styles, Ohio State
2. Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
3. Jake Golday, Cincinnati
4. Josiah Trotter Jr., Missouri
5. CJ Allen, Georgia
What an incredible linebacker class. I wouldn't argue if you wanted to draft any of the five above in the first round.
The first one off the board will undoubtedly be Sonny Styles -- and for good reason. He's without a doubt the best linebacker athlete I've ever scouted. Between his defensive end frame and cornerback athleticism, Styles can do everything you want an off-ball linebacker to do. He has a good chance to be the highest off-ball linebacker drafted since Devin White went fifth overall in 2019.
While Styles is a one-of-one athlete, Anthony Hill Jr. is a heck of an athlete in his own right. The fluidity with which he moves in space is exactly what you want from a linebacker with NFL size.
Jake Golday is the one linebacker I think could go earlier than most expect for one big reason: he embodies where the position is going in the NFL. Everyone wants a linebacker who can rush the passer like a defensive end yet still hold his own in coverage. Golday actually started his career as a defensive end and will give whatever defense drafts him the flexibility to move him around.
The only reason I'm a touch lower on Josiah Trotter Jr. and CJ Allen is size. Because when you watch both, it's easy to see they're junkyard dogs. Trotter has the best play recognition and processing speed in the class -- not surprising given his father was a former All-Pro linebacker. Allen, meanwhile, is the biggest thumper in the class. When he's coming downhill, get out of the way.
Cornerback
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1. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
2. Avieon Terrell, Clemson
3. Mansoor Delane, LSU
4. Colton Hood, Tennessee
5. Keith Abney, Arizona State
It's unfortunate we were robbed of what could've been an all-time cornerback duo. You'll notice two Volunteers on this list, but we never got to see Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood on the field together this fall, as McCoy never returned from last year's ACL tear. They have a good chance to become the first pair of teammate cornerbacks to both go Round 1 since Ohio State's Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette in 2020. McCoy's sophomore tape was nothing short of elite, as he checks every physical box you could want. Hood had a breakout junior year this past fall after transferring from Colorado. He has some of the best pure speed in the entire class.
While he's not my top corner because of his size, my favorite corner to watch in the class is Avieon Terrell. The younger brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell plays with his hair on fire. He's also a fearless hitter, forcing eight fumbles over the past two seasons. I think he could be a playmaker in the slot or outside depending on scheme.
The top three in this cornerback class are all a pleasure to watch on tape, as Mansoor Delane is the most consistent of the bunch. No corner was harder to attack in college football last fall. He allowed only 14 catches on 35 targets for 165 yards all season.
Safety
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1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State
2. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
3. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
4. Keionte Scott, Miami (FL)
5. Genesis Smith, Arizona
This is a darn good safety class, as the top-three prospects should all end up in the top 50. As surprising as it sounds, we haven't seen three safeties go in the top 50 since the 2022 draft.
We also haven't seen a safety go top 10 since Jamal Adams in 2017, and I think there's a good chance that changes with Caleb Downs. He's the younger brother of Colts receiver Josh Downs and has similarly sudden movement skills. His ability to line up anywhere you'd want a safety and still make plays should make him an early Round 1 selection.
After him, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is the best run-defending safety in the class. His ability to make plays around the line of scrimmage is linebacker-esque, and he could end up a slot conversion like Nick Emmanwori.
Dillon Thieneman is the third safety I expect to go top 50, as his coverage ability is the closest to Downs in this class. He's been doing it since his freshman year at Purdue, when he had six interceptions and earned Freshman All-American honors.
The last safety who deserves a shoutout wasn't really a safety at all last year. Keionte Scott is the best pure slot corner in the draft. He did it all for the Hurricanes from the slot this past fall. I love his ability to diagnose quickly and knife into the backfield to make plays. He could sneak his way into the top 50 as well.