2026 NFL Draft Thread
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2. KAYDEN McDONALD, Ohio State (6-2, 327, no 40, 1): Last season, he lined up alongside Tyleik Williams (6-3, 329), who was drafted No. 28 by Detroit last year and played 446 snaps as a rookie. “They’re similar,” said one scout. “Just a tough ***, rugged dude. He shows snatch and power. The run game, he just crushes it. He’s not your true (pass rusher). Not going to give you a lot of sacks but he’s good enough there. He can make a mess in there and push the pocket. He’s bottom of the first and will start.”
Third-year junior barely played in 2023, was in the rotation in 2024 and started in 2025. “He’s got girth, the anchorability,” a second scout said. “He gets off blocks. He makes plays. He can knock back rushing the passer. I don’t see him as a 3-technique guy that will play nickel. More of a run defender.” Finished with 85 tackles (11 for loss), three sacks, two forced fumbles and three batted balls. “Excellent against the run but kind of a non-factor as a pass rusher,” a third scout said. “What he does he does really well. He’s not a pass rusher. No, he’s just a guard-to-guard guy. Doesn’t have much range, either. I would never take a defensive tackle in the first round that can’t rush the passer.” Arms were 32 ¼, hands were 9 ¾. “Speed may not be the best,” a fourth scout said. “Probably 5.3 range. I didn’t see a guy that gets lateral very much. Just a big nose man. He’s not going to be real quick in and out of gaps. He’s not going to beat a lot of centers. But he can walk ‘em back, that’s for sure, and I think centers are getting smaller.” Accumulated multiple academic awards. “I like him better than Tyleik Williams,” said a fifth scout. “If you want the typical nose tackle, because running’s come back into the village, he’s gonna go real high. He can muddy the water up. The big man will hustle downfield, too.” Four-star recruit from Suwanee, Ga.
3. CHRISTEN MILLER, Georgia (6-3 ½, 325, no 40, 1-2): Redshirted in 2022, played off the bench in 2023 and then started in 2024-’25 for a program that regularly rotates eight or nine defensive linemen. “Christen Miller didn’t really play a whole lot last year,” one scout said. “Played 400 snaps. They have a huge rotation. Is he tested in terms of endurance? He’s a two-year starter but he played about 30 snaps a game. Sometimes as an underclassman at Georgia you get pushed into the draft because the guys behind him are (better). He’s probably the best athlete (of the group). Probably more of a two-down player but every down today is like third down. He has the ability to play nose. He’s a pad-level guy. He’s got the height and the length. Everybody at Georgia is cookie cutter. They’re all first-second round picks.” Finished with 64 tackles (11 ½ for loss), four sacks, no forced fumbles and one batted pass. “He’s an athletic nose tackle,” a second scout said. “Big, long, really good hand use, excellent block reaction, better against the run than the pass. Has some traits to work with as a rusher. Not great against double teams but one-on-one he’s pretty good. I like him as a second-round nose tackle.” Arms were 33, hands were 10. “All in all, you might take him over (Caleb) Banks and (Darrell) Jackson just because he’s more consistent and he’s coming out of Georgia, which is M.I.T. for football there pretty much,” said a third scout. Four-star recruit from Ellenwood, Ga. “Similar to Woods,” a fourth scout said. “Pretty much the same kind of guy. Georgia rotates guys in and out of there so if you’re not actually looking for him he doesn’t show up making plays. An effort guy, but inconsistent against the run and no pass rush.”
4. LEE HUNTER, Texas Tech (6-3 ½, 320, 5.18, 2): Spent 2021 at Auburn but didn’t play. Played extensively at Central Florida from 2022-’24, starting in his last two years, before moving to Texas Tech. “He’s nasty,” said one scout. “He’s got that jolt and anchor at the point of attack in the run game. Plays hard. There’s not tons of range just because he’s such a big guy. More of a bull rusher. Just kind of a bully-you kind of guy. Got enough movement to get into a gap quick and snatch people with some agility. He’s a good starter. He’ll be taken in the first. He’s neck-and-neck with McDonald but I’d take this guy. He’s got some knock knees and a bad body that was very noticeable. Those knock knees look a little worrisome. Knees in, sort of toes out.” Tackles declined from 69 to 45 to 41 in his three seasons of heavy participation. “Two years ago (2023) I really liked him,” said a second scout. “I called him an underachiever in 2024 and then he went to Texas Tech. I felt like, overall, he’s a frontrunner. There’s things where he stands up and gets caught looking around as opposed to keeping his pad level down and knocking people back. He’s not a finished version. He was productive this year, I’ll give him that. It’s not like he’s a lean, mean fighting machine. His endurance comes into play watching this kid. How can you sit here and jump on the table for Lee Hunter when you know he’s a two-down player? You have to be on the other side of the line of scrimmage.” First defensive lineman from Texas Tech named All-America since Gabe Rivera in 1982. “Some people sort of like the foot agility, and he is a wide body,” a third scout said. “Sort of an out-there personality. He was one of those mercenaries that Texas Tech signed this year. I think he’s more like a second-round pick.” Finished with 172 tackles (323 for loss), 7 ½ sacks, one forced fumble and one batted pass. “He can do twitchy, disruptive D-tackle jobs,” a fourth scout said. “He penetrates, and has a little pass rush to him. He can hunker down as a nose and create piles and control the gap. He showed it at the Senior Bowl. He helped himself. First round.” Arms were 33 ¼, hands were just 9 ¼. His vertical jump (21 ½) was awful. “People are all over the place with him,” a fifth scout said. “People have him in the first and I just cannot see that. At all. He’s knock-kneed, top-heavy, body’s bad. Makes one splash play and then disappears for a few quarters. Gets washed out.” Four-star recruit from Mobile, Ala.
5. DOMONIQUE ORANGE, Iowa State (6-2 ½, 322, no 40, 2): Played 50 games, making five starts in 2023, seven in ’24 and 12 in ’25. “He never transferred — just got consistently better,” said one scout. “He’s got tremendous versatility and tremendous length. Stays on his feet. This guy might be the strongest guy I’ve seen in a while. They don’t keep track of a human being picking up a 300-pound human being and displacing him. That stat is never talked about. That’s what you see on tape. Now, he’s not necessarily a quick-twitch guy, but with his overall strength at the point of attack and balance he’s a disruptor in the run game. He doesn’t have great numbers as a pass rusher but he can pass rush. He’s a presence, OK? There’s tremendous upside there.” Finished with 66 tackles (seven for loss), one sack, no forced fumbles and two batted passes. “He has talent,” a second scout said. “But there are questions about work ethic. He’s third round at best.” Arms were 33 3/8, hands were 10 ¼. “He’s a space-eater inside,” said a third scout. “Had a good year. He’s a two-down, Baltimore Raven type. Just a bull rush. Not a pass rusher. That’s not his deal. But he is one of those big guys that runs to the sideline. He’s not lazy. Second round may be a little bit too high.” Four-time All-Big 12 All-Academic selection. Three-star recruit from Kansas City.
6. CALEB BANKS, Florida (6-6, 327, 5.08, 2): Played briefly in 2021-’22 at Louisville before starting for three years in Gainesville, when healthy that is. Just 24 starts over those three years. “He’s a total roll of the dice,” one scout said. “He’s super talented but between his foot injury and being an underachiever on the field … but his combination of size and power and foot speed is pretty rare. He can throw people around and win with initial quickness. He’s not a pass rusher. He’s actually too big to pass rush. He can’t get into a gap because he’s bigger than the gap. Everyone talks about, ‘Well, he can bull rush the center and the guards back to the quarterback.’ Well, he can maybe do it once and then he tires. And if plays on first and second down he’s dead by third down. He’s got no endurance left to bull rush anybody.” Finished with 48 tackles (10 ½ for loss), 6 ½ sacks, three forced fumbles and one batted pass. “He is built like Tarzan: the length, the size, the strength,” said a second scout. “Problem with him is, I question his instincts. I expected we’d see him get off blocks, keep his pad level down, anchor the run, not standing up. Then he gets hurt and reverts back to what he was the year before (2024). I know he did a good job at the Senior Bowl but those (one-on-one) pass-rush drills are one-dimensional. It’s when you have to put it all together when you don’t know whether it’s run or pass. That’s where you worry about him. You want to work with the kid. He’s shown the flashes of a first-round pick. I just haven’t seen consistently the production that I want to see. He’s boom or bust.” Injured his foot last spring, reinjured it in August, missed the first two games, hurt it again Sept. 13 against LSU and didn’t return until the final two games. Then, at the combine, he suffered a fractured fourth metatarsal bone and underwent surgery March 9. “Classic Senior Bowl guy,” a third scout said. “Completely raw when he plays. If you need to go this way he goes the other way. No leverage at the point of attack. Decent enough initial movement as a pass rusher but doesn’t finish very well. Lacks explosiveness, grit, desire.” His arm length (35) was the longest of the top 30 defensive linemen. Massive hands (10 7/8). “He looks the part completely,” said a fourth scout. “Just rare all the way around traits-wise. He’s huge, and light on his feet. There’s some laziness to him, some ******** to him, some excuses to him. There’s nothing out there that says he will give us his best. He’s got a lot of your talented, underachiever qualities that a lot of D-linemen have.” Three-star recruit from Southfield, Mich.
7. DARRELL JACKSON, Florida State (6-5 ½, 315, no 40, 2-3): Was voted the Seminoles’ defensive MVP in 2025. “He’s more in line with (Kentucky’s) Deone Walker from last year,” one scout said. “He might go higher because of the success Walker (fourth round) had at Buffalo. Huge man, long wingspan (86 inches). Run defender, bull rusher. He was at the East-West and then showed up at the Senior Bowl. He was just bull-rushing people. That’s what he is, just a knock-back bull rusher.” Started one of 13 games at Maryland in 2021 and all 12 at Miami in 2022. Sat out 2023 in Tallahassee because of transfer rules before starting all 24 games in 2024-’25. “He should be in the top 20 of this draft,” a second scout said. “He’s one of the prettiest guys in this whole draft but he barely makes a play. The focus, the attention to detail, the work ethic, the commitment, it’s not there. He’s noninstinctive. You try to convince yourself that it’s gonna happen but it never has. He’ll be about a fourth-round try for somebody.” Arms were 34 ¾, hands of 11 tied for the position best. “When he is playing up to his ability, he can really create havoc,” a third scout said. “He was absolutely bullying guys in Mobile when he played right. He also would disappear when he wasn’t.” Finished with 129 tackles (12 for loss), 7 ½ sacks, one forced fumble and two batted passes. “Know what he is? He’s an underachiever,” a fourth scout said. “He’s huge. Just doesn’t play hard. I wouldn’t take a guy like that. He’s just soft.” From Havana, Fla.
8. GRACEN HALTON, Oklahoma (6-2 ½, 298, 4.82, 2-3): Started just 10 of 47 games over four years. “He’s a 3-technique, upfield guy,” one scout said. “I think he goes in the second. He’s really active, just really disruptive. Stronger than you think. People will discount him for (size, length) but the guy ran 4.8 and jumped 36 inches (36 ½ in the vertical, a position best). He’s got a lot of explosiveness and he plays really hard. There’s teams that try not to have guys like this and then there’s teams that say, ‘This guy’s too good a player. Let’s take him.’ I could see him going in the second and being a really good player.” Shortest arms (31 1/8) of the top 15 defensive linemen. Hands were 10. “He’s got quicks and he’s a terrific competitor,” a second scout said. “He is undersized. He does have a knack for slipping blocks and some penetration. The third round would be the high side for him. People would really value him more in the fourth and fifth. That’s where you take that kind of player.” Finished with 84 tackles (17 ½ for loss), 8 ½ sacks, three forced fumbles and two batted passes. “He can rush the passer but he really struggles against the run,” a third scout said. “I love his quickness and speed. Like him as a 3-technique that can rush. I thought fourth round because of the size.” Played tight end as a prep in San Diego. Four-star recruit.
9. NICK BARRETT, South Carolina (6-6, 313, 5.20, 3): Barely got on the field in his first four years with the Gamecocks. “South Carolina had four guys that got drafted last year,” one scout said. “This guy was a late bloomer. There’s a guy who was asleep for four years and woke up this year and played his *** off. He showed up and kicked ***.” Registered 42 tackles in 2025 and merely 23 tackles from 2021-’24. Also finished with two sacks, no forced fumbles and three batted passes. Voted MVP of the team last season. “The problem with him is durability,” the scout added. “Injuries were why he wasn’t playing. Had a Lenox Hill (brace) on. Elbow. He’s a durability risk but when he’s healthy … he looks the part getting off the bus and on tape.” Arms were 33 3/8, hands were 10. His 31 reps on the bench press led the top 15 defensive linemen. Earned many academic awards. From Goldsboro, N.C.
10. RAYSHAUN BENNY, Michigan (6-3, 302, no 40, 3-4): Played behind Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, a pair of first-round picks last year, from 2022-’24 after redshirting in 2021. Started 13 games in ’25. “Benny consistently got better,” one scout said. “He’s a vertical player. He’s athletic. He can play in space. He’s just going to give you that athleticism that you want to run a twist game on third down. He’s a guy that can loop around from a 3-technique and contain the quarterback. He’s a football player. Instinctive, hand placement. Does a lot of good things. He’ll be third to fifth round.” His 3-cone time of 7.69 led the top 25 defensive linemen. Arms were 33 3/8, hands were small (9 ¼). “Bottom of the third,” a second scout said. “He’s got short-area quickness to disrupt. Long arms. Good playing strength. Needs to get off blocks better. He got his arms up in passing lanes and batted balls. That’s a good trait to have. He has an arm-over move. He’ll get washed down some but he’s a strong bull rusher. He’s more of a thrasher in all areas.” Finished with 107 tackles (12 for loss), four sacks, one forced fumble and six batted passes. Suffered a broken fibula early in the 2023 national semifinals at the Rose Bowl. Four-star recruit from Oak Park, Mich.
11. ZANE DURANT, Penn State (6-1, 290, 4.73, 3-4): Spent four years with the Nittany Lions and started the last three. “Undersized, but really strong,” one scout said. “I think you can get past the borderline size because he’s got some Ed Oliver traits. He doesn’t have Ed Oliver’s elite explosiveness but it’s close. Those guys wind up being hard to block, especially for bigger guards. He does play hard. Pursues hard. He can stack. He played better against lower comp (competition). Everybody on Penn State’s team was a disappointment. I thought third round.” Dominated the combine with the fastest 40, a vertical jump of 33 ½ and a broad jump of 9-4. Arms were 31 7/8, hands were a large 10 5/8. “Looks like a body builder,” a second scout said. “He played better in 2024 but still, he should be better for what he has. He’s got getoff and is athletic to be a sub rusher. Even though he’s undersized he doesn’t get pushed around. Kind of just like a raw athlete that you want to get more out of. Multi-year captain. He’s kind of a pro already.” Finished with 89 tackles (22 for loss), 10 sacks, no forced fumbles and three batted passes. “He went crazy at the combine,” a third scout said. “Ran 4.7. But he just gets pushed around and you don’t really see the athleticism.” His father and two sisters all played sports in college. Four-star recruit from Lake Nona, Fla.
12. CHRIS McCLELLAN, Missouri (6-3 ½, 313, 5.04, 4): Started one of 25 games at Florida in 2022-’23 and then 22 of 26 games at Mizzou in 2024-’25. “I wasn’t in love with this kid but he kind of came on this year,” said one scout. “He has his instinctual problems. He wasn’t getting off and making plays going into this season but he proved to me that he made that jump.” Arms were 34. Hands (11) tied Jackson’s for the largest at the position. Finished with 133 tackles (17 for loss), 10 ½ sacks, one forced fumble and four batted passes. “He’s now a functional starter, a rotating starter,” the scout said. “Is he an impact-type player? No, but he’s probably an impact player stopping the run. Because he has that length. He’s got that disruptive (element) in him. He gets his hands up. He could be a presence inside. Probably more of a pass rusher than a lot of the other guys. I think by the fourth he’s gone.” Four-star recruit from North Tulsa, Okla.
Zxavian Harris, Mississippi (6-7 ½, 330, no 40)
Said one scout: “Harris gets a lot of love because of his sheer size. When he gets a little momentum then he is hard to stop solely because of his size. It will be harder for him in the NFL where (blockers) won’t allow him to build full momentum. In many ways he reminds me of Red Bryant. He’ll need a team that allows him to develop similarly.”
Albert Regis, Texas A&M (6-1 ½, 295, 4.88)
Said one scout: “You’ll want him on the field in the National Football League. You can trust him. What you see is what you get. He’ll give you 25 plays every week and play with toughness and tenacity. Plays the run. Instinctive. Can generate a push inside. Texas A&M just has guys that aren’t big-time disruptors but they do the little things. There’s a reason why you win.”
Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M (6-3 ½, 291, 5.11)
Said one scout: “Like him in the third or fourth round. Plays the run pretty well. As a rusher, he has tools to work with. He does it more with initial quickness and upper-body strength. He’s not a huge guy but he can beat a guard to the spot. Plays really hard.”
Deven Eastern, Minnesota (6-5, 317, no 40)
Said one scout: “He’s very big, very athletic, very quick. He just has to learn how to go hard all the time to make plays. In other words, he’s gotta learn how to work. He has a lot of talent. He has to understand everybody’s getting paid. He leaned out for the (offseason). He can go back to being a 0-technique or a 1-technique.”
David Blay, Miami (6-2 ½, 292, 5.08)
Said one scout: “This kid came from Louisiana Tech (in 2025). He has tremendous talent. He was stuck at nose tackle (at Miami) because they have two 3-techniques. He has tremendous length and strength. He can turn and run. He can hit it and go. This guy was really unknown. He has the athleticism and the hip flexibility to play 3-technique. He’s top 100.”
DEFENSIVE LINE
1. PETER WOODS, Clemson (6-2 ½, 300, no 40, 1): Third-year junior. Turned 21 in March. “He’s so damn quick for a guy that big,” one scout said. “He throws guys around. He can take an edge and, boom, get up the field. He takes on blocks at the point of attack. Quinnen Williams was like that. There’s just not too many of those guys.” Started two games as a freshman, then 22 games in 2024-’25. “He’s either an athletic nose tackle or a 3-technique,” said a second scout. “He can do either. The tape’s really good. The only issue is his size and length are not wonderful and his production this year actually wasn’t great. He’s got power and quickness, and some explosive movement.” Short arms (31 ¼ inches), small hands (9 1/8 inches). “I like Peter Woods,” said a third scout. “I just know he isn’t a Mason Graham or Walter Nolen, that type of player. Nothing in his numbers compare with them. You’re looking at a high-energy guy. He’s a fighter. He can play all three downs. He can play the edge. He can stack the point. He gets off blocks. He’s shone that he can run to the sideline. He has change of direction in space. But one of the reasons why Clemson didn’t have the big year was there were no impact plays. I don’t consider Woods a disruptor. His numbers are journeyman numbers. He’s more of a solid defensive tackle, a rotating-type guy. Is he a first-rounder for somebody? He could be but I wouldn’t pick him in the first. There’s nothing to support that.” Finished with 84 tackles (14 ½ for loss), five sacks, two forced fumbles and one batted ball. “He’s a better run defender right now than a pass rusher,” said a fourth scout. “He is steady and does a good job with his hands, but he isn’t a disruptive type. Doesn’t stand out in any specific area. He could start in the league for many years but never approach All-Pro.” Five-star recruit from Alabaster, Ala. Led his high school to four straight Class 7A state championships. “You wouldn’t even know he was on the field unless you were looking for him,” a fifth scout said. “Gets bounced around at the point of attack and gives you absolutely nothing in pass rush. He was a big-time recruit and some people still try to hold onto that. He just doesn’t do anything. He’s just out there. I didn’t think he played particularly hard. Some of these guys, at least they play their *** off.” His short shuttle time of 4.54 led the position.2. KAYDEN McDONALD, Ohio State (6-2, 327, no 40, 1): Last season, he lined up alongside Tyleik Williams (6-3, 329), who was drafted No. 28 by Detroit last year and played 446 snaps as a rookie. “They’re similar,” said one scout. “Just a tough ***, rugged dude. He shows snatch and power. The run game, he just crushes it. He’s not your true (pass rusher). Not going to give you a lot of sacks but he’s good enough there. He can make a mess in there and push the pocket. He’s bottom of the first and will start.”
Third-year junior barely played in 2023, was in the rotation in 2024 and started in 2025. “He’s got girth, the anchorability,” a second scout said. “He gets off blocks. He makes plays. He can knock back rushing the passer. I don’t see him as a 3-technique guy that will play nickel. More of a run defender.” Finished with 85 tackles (11 for loss), three sacks, two forced fumbles and three batted balls. “Excellent against the run but kind of a non-factor as a pass rusher,” a third scout said. “What he does he does really well. He’s not a pass rusher. No, he’s just a guard-to-guard guy. Doesn’t have much range, either. I would never take a defensive tackle in the first round that can’t rush the passer.” Arms were 32 ¼, hands were 9 ¾. “Speed may not be the best,” a fourth scout said. “Probably 5.3 range. I didn’t see a guy that gets lateral very much. Just a big nose man. He’s not going to be real quick in and out of gaps. He’s not going to beat a lot of centers. But he can walk ‘em back, that’s for sure, and I think centers are getting smaller.” Accumulated multiple academic awards. “I like him better than Tyleik Williams,” said a fifth scout. “If you want the typical nose tackle, because running’s come back into the village, he’s gonna go real high. He can muddy the water up. The big man will hustle downfield, too.” Four-star recruit from Suwanee, Ga.
3. CHRISTEN MILLER, Georgia (6-3 ½, 325, no 40, 1-2): Redshirted in 2022, played off the bench in 2023 and then started in 2024-’25 for a program that regularly rotates eight or nine defensive linemen. “Christen Miller didn’t really play a whole lot last year,” one scout said. “Played 400 snaps. They have a huge rotation. Is he tested in terms of endurance? He’s a two-year starter but he played about 30 snaps a game. Sometimes as an underclassman at Georgia you get pushed into the draft because the guys behind him are (better). He’s probably the best athlete (of the group). Probably more of a two-down player but every down today is like third down. He has the ability to play nose. He’s a pad-level guy. He’s got the height and the length. Everybody at Georgia is cookie cutter. They’re all first-second round picks.” Finished with 64 tackles (11 ½ for loss), four sacks, no forced fumbles and one batted pass. “He’s an athletic nose tackle,” a second scout said. “Big, long, really good hand use, excellent block reaction, better against the run than the pass. Has some traits to work with as a rusher. Not great against double teams but one-on-one he’s pretty good. I like him as a second-round nose tackle.” Arms were 33, hands were 10. “All in all, you might take him over (Caleb) Banks and (Darrell) Jackson just because he’s more consistent and he’s coming out of Georgia, which is M.I.T. for football there pretty much,” said a third scout. Four-star recruit from Ellenwood, Ga. “Similar to Woods,” a fourth scout said. “Pretty much the same kind of guy. Georgia rotates guys in and out of there so if you’re not actually looking for him he doesn’t show up making plays. An effort guy, but inconsistent against the run and no pass rush.”
4. LEE HUNTER, Texas Tech (6-3 ½, 320, 5.18, 2): Spent 2021 at Auburn but didn’t play. Played extensively at Central Florida from 2022-’24, starting in his last two years, before moving to Texas Tech. “He’s nasty,” said one scout. “He’s got that jolt and anchor at the point of attack in the run game. Plays hard. There’s not tons of range just because he’s such a big guy. More of a bull rusher. Just kind of a bully-you kind of guy. Got enough movement to get into a gap quick and snatch people with some agility. He’s a good starter. He’ll be taken in the first. He’s neck-and-neck with McDonald but I’d take this guy. He’s got some knock knees and a bad body that was very noticeable. Those knock knees look a little worrisome. Knees in, sort of toes out.” Tackles declined from 69 to 45 to 41 in his three seasons of heavy participation. “Two years ago (2023) I really liked him,” said a second scout. “I called him an underachiever in 2024 and then he went to Texas Tech. I felt like, overall, he’s a frontrunner. There’s things where he stands up and gets caught looking around as opposed to keeping his pad level down and knocking people back. He’s not a finished version. He was productive this year, I’ll give him that. It’s not like he’s a lean, mean fighting machine. His endurance comes into play watching this kid. How can you sit here and jump on the table for Lee Hunter when you know he’s a two-down player? You have to be on the other side of the line of scrimmage.” First defensive lineman from Texas Tech named All-America since Gabe Rivera in 1982. “Some people sort of like the foot agility, and he is a wide body,” a third scout said. “Sort of an out-there personality. He was one of those mercenaries that Texas Tech signed this year. I think he’s more like a second-round pick.” Finished with 172 tackles (323 for loss), 7 ½ sacks, one forced fumble and one batted pass. “He can do twitchy, disruptive D-tackle jobs,” a fourth scout said. “He penetrates, and has a little pass rush to him. He can hunker down as a nose and create piles and control the gap. He showed it at the Senior Bowl. He helped himself. First round.” Arms were 33 ¼, hands were just 9 ¼. His vertical jump (21 ½) was awful. “People are all over the place with him,” a fifth scout said. “People have him in the first and I just cannot see that. At all. He’s knock-kneed, top-heavy, body’s bad. Makes one splash play and then disappears for a few quarters. Gets washed out.” Four-star recruit from Mobile, Ala.
5. DOMONIQUE ORANGE, Iowa State (6-2 ½, 322, no 40, 2): Played 50 games, making five starts in 2023, seven in ’24 and 12 in ’25. “He never transferred — just got consistently better,” said one scout. “He’s got tremendous versatility and tremendous length. Stays on his feet. This guy might be the strongest guy I’ve seen in a while. They don’t keep track of a human being picking up a 300-pound human being and displacing him. That stat is never talked about. That’s what you see on tape. Now, he’s not necessarily a quick-twitch guy, but with his overall strength at the point of attack and balance he’s a disruptor in the run game. He doesn’t have great numbers as a pass rusher but he can pass rush. He’s a presence, OK? There’s tremendous upside there.” Finished with 66 tackles (seven for loss), one sack, no forced fumbles and two batted passes. “He has talent,” a second scout said. “But there are questions about work ethic. He’s third round at best.” Arms were 33 3/8, hands were 10 ¼. “He’s a space-eater inside,” said a third scout. “Had a good year. He’s a two-down, Baltimore Raven type. Just a bull rush. Not a pass rusher. That’s not his deal. But he is one of those big guys that runs to the sideline. He’s not lazy. Second round may be a little bit too high.” Four-time All-Big 12 All-Academic selection. Three-star recruit from Kansas City.
6. CALEB BANKS, Florida (6-6, 327, 5.08, 2): Played briefly in 2021-’22 at Louisville before starting for three years in Gainesville, when healthy that is. Just 24 starts over those three years. “He’s a total roll of the dice,” one scout said. “He’s super talented but between his foot injury and being an underachiever on the field … but his combination of size and power and foot speed is pretty rare. He can throw people around and win with initial quickness. He’s not a pass rusher. He’s actually too big to pass rush. He can’t get into a gap because he’s bigger than the gap. Everyone talks about, ‘Well, he can bull rush the center and the guards back to the quarterback.’ Well, he can maybe do it once and then he tires. And if plays on first and second down he’s dead by third down. He’s got no endurance left to bull rush anybody.” Finished with 48 tackles (10 ½ for loss), 6 ½ sacks, three forced fumbles and one batted pass. “He is built like Tarzan: the length, the size, the strength,” said a second scout. “Problem with him is, I question his instincts. I expected we’d see him get off blocks, keep his pad level down, anchor the run, not standing up. Then he gets hurt and reverts back to what he was the year before (2024). I know he did a good job at the Senior Bowl but those (one-on-one) pass-rush drills are one-dimensional. It’s when you have to put it all together when you don’t know whether it’s run or pass. That’s where you worry about him. You want to work with the kid. He’s shown the flashes of a first-round pick. I just haven’t seen consistently the production that I want to see. He’s boom or bust.” Injured his foot last spring, reinjured it in August, missed the first two games, hurt it again Sept. 13 against LSU and didn’t return until the final two games. Then, at the combine, he suffered a fractured fourth metatarsal bone and underwent surgery March 9. “Classic Senior Bowl guy,” a third scout said. “Completely raw when he plays. If you need to go this way he goes the other way. No leverage at the point of attack. Decent enough initial movement as a pass rusher but doesn’t finish very well. Lacks explosiveness, grit, desire.” His arm length (35) was the longest of the top 30 defensive linemen. Massive hands (10 7/8). “He looks the part completely,” said a fourth scout. “Just rare all the way around traits-wise. He’s huge, and light on his feet. There’s some laziness to him, some ******** to him, some excuses to him. There’s nothing out there that says he will give us his best. He’s got a lot of your talented, underachiever qualities that a lot of D-linemen have.” Three-star recruit from Southfield, Mich.
7. DARRELL JACKSON, Florida State (6-5 ½, 315, no 40, 2-3): Was voted the Seminoles’ defensive MVP in 2025. “He’s more in line with (Kentucky’s) Deone Walker from last year,” one scout said. “He might go higher because of the success Walker (fourth round) had at Buffalo. Huge man, long wingspan (86 inches). Run defender, bull rusher. He was at the East-West and then showed up at the Senior Bowl. He was just bull-rushing people. That’s what he is, just a knock-back bull rusher.” Started one of 13 games at Maryland in 2021 and all 12 at Miami in 2022. Sat out 2023 in Tallahassee because of transfer rules before starting all 24 games in 2024-’25. “He should be in the top 20 of this draft,” a second scout said. “He’s one of the prettiest guys in this whole draft but he barely makes a play. The focus, the attention to detail, the work ethic, the commitment, it’s not there. He’s noninstinctive. You try to convince yourself that it’s gonna happen but it never has. He’ll be about a fourth-round try for somebody.” Arms were 34 ¾, hands of 11 tied for the position best. “When he is playing up to his ability, he can really create havoc,” a third scout said. “He was absolutely bullying guys in Mobile when he played right. He also would disappear when he wasn’t.” Finished with 129 tackles (12 for loss), 7 ½ sacks, one forced fumble and two batted passes. “Know what he is? He’s an underachiever,” a fourth scout said. “He’s huge. Just doesn’t play hard. I wouldn’t take a guy like that. He’s just soft.” From Havana, Fla.
8. GRACEN HALTON, Oklahoma (6-2 ½, 298, 4.82, 2-3): Started just 10 of 47 games over four years. “He’s a 3-technique, upfield guy,” one scout said. “I think he goes in the second. He’s really active, just really disruptive. Stronger than you think. People will discount him for (size, length) but the guy ran 4.8 and jumped 36 inches (36 ½ in the vertical, a position best). He’s got a lot of explosiveness and he plays really hard. There’s teams that try not to have guys like this and then there’s teams that say, ‘This guy’s too good a player. Let’s take him.’ I could see him going in the second and being a really good player.” Shortest arms (31 1/8) of the top 15 defensive linemen. Hands were 10. “He’s got quicks and he’s a terrific competitor,” a second scout said. “He is undersized. He does have a knack for slipping blocks and some penetration. The third round would be the high side for him. People would really value him more in the fourth and fifth. That’s where you take that kind of player.” Finished with 84 tackles (17 ½ for loss), 8 ½ sacks, three forced fumbles and two batted passes. “He can rush the passer but he really struggles against the run,” a third scout said. “I love his quickness and speed. Like him as a 3-technique that can rush. I thought fourth round because of the size.” Played tight end as a prep in San Diego. Four-star recruit.
9. NICK BARRETT, South Carolina (6-6, 313, 5.20, 3): Barely got on the field in his first four years with the Gamecocks. “South Carolina had four guys that got drafted last year,” one scout said. “This guy was a late bloomer. There’s a guy who was asleep for four years and woke up this year and played his *** off. He showed up and kicked ***.” Registered 42 tackles in 2025 and merely 23 tackles from 2021-’24. Also finished with two sacks, no forced fumbles and three batted passes. Voted MVP of the team last season. “The problem with him is durability,” the scout added. “Injuries were why he wasn’t playing. Had a Lenox Hill (brace) on. Elbow. He’s a durability risk but when he’s healthy … he looks the part getting off the bus and on tape.” Arms were 33 3/8, hands were 10. His 31 reps on the bench press led the top 15 defensive linemen. Earned many academic awards. From Goldsboro, N.C.
10. RAYSHAUN BENNY, Michigan (6-3, 302, no 40, 3-4): Played behind Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, a pair of first-round picks last year, from 2022-’24 after redshirting in 2021. Started 13 games in ’25. “Benny consistently got better,” one scout said. “He’s a vertical player. He’s athletic. He can play in space. He’s just going to give you that athleticism that you want to run a twist game on third down. He’s a guy that can loop around from a 3-technique and contain the quarterback. He’s a football player. Instinctive, hand placement. Does a lot of good things. He’ll be third to fifth round.” His 3-cone time of 7.69 led the top 25 defensive linemen. Arms were 33 3/8, hands were small (9 ¼). “Bottom of the third,” a second scout said. “He’s got short-area quickness to disrupt. Long arms. Good playing strength. Needs to get off blocks better. He got his arms up in passing lanes and batted balls. That’s a good trait to have. He has an arm-over move. He’ll get washed down some but he’s a strong bull rusher. He’s more of a thrasher in all areas.” Finished with 107 tackles (12 for loss), four sacks, one forced fumble and six batted passes. Suffered a broken fibula early in the 2023 national semifinals at the Rose Bowl. Four-star recruit from Oak Park, Mich.
11. ZANE DURANT, Penn State (6-1, 290, 4.73, 3-4): Spent four years with the Nittany Lions and started the last three. “Undersized, but really strong,” one scout said. “I think you can get past the borderline size because he’s got some Ed Oliver traits. He doesn’t have Ed Oliver’s elite explosiveness but it’s close. Those guys wind up being hard to block, especially for bigger guards. He does play hard. Pursues hard. He can stack. He played better against lower comp (competition). Everybody on Penn State’s team was a disappointment. I thought third round.” Dominated the combine with the fastest 40, a vertical jump of 33 ½ and a broad jump of 9-4. Arms were 31 7/8, hands were a large 10 5/8. “Looks like a body builder,” a second scout said. “He played better in 2024 but still, he should be better for what he has. He’s got getoff and is athletic to be a sub rusher. Even though he’s undersized he doesn’t get pushed around. Kind of just like a raw athlete that you want to get more out of. Multi-year captain. He’s kind of a pro already.” Finished with 89 tackles (22 for loss), 10 sacks, no forced fumbles and three batted passes. “He went crazy at the combine,” a third scout said. “Ran 4.7. But he just gets pushed around and you don’t really see the athleticism.” His father and two sisters all played sports in college. Four-star recruit from Lake Nona, Fla.
12. CHRIS McCLELLAN, Missouri (6-3 ½, 313, 5.04, 4): Started one of 25 games at Florida in 2022-’23 and then 22 of 26 games at Mizzou in 2024-’25. “I wasn’t in love with this kid but he kind of came on this year,” said one scout. “He has his instinctual problems. He wasn’t getting off and making plays going into this season but he proved to me that he made that jump.” Arms were 34. Hands (11) tied Jackson’s for the largest at the position. Finished with 133 tackles (17 for loss), 10 ½ sacks, one forced fumble and four batted passes. “He’s now a functional starter, a rotating starter,” the scout said. “Is he an impact-type player? No, but he’s probably an impact player stopping the run. Because he has that length. He’s got that disruptive (element) in him. He gets his hands up. He could be a presence inside. Probably more of a pass rusher than a lot of the other guys. I think by the fourth he’s gone.” Four-star recruit from North Tulsa, Okla.
THE NEXT FIVE
Zxavian Harris, Mississippi (6-7 ½, 330, no 40)
Said one scout: “Harris gets a lot of love because of his sheer size. When he gets a little momentum then he is hard to stop solely because of his size. It will be harder for him in the NFL where (blockers) won’t allow him to build full momentum. In many ways he reminds me of Red Bryant. He’ll need a team that allows him to develop similarly.”
Albert Regis, Texas A&M (6-1 ½, 295, 4.88)
Said one scout: “You’ll want him on the field in the National Football League. You can trust him. What you see is what you get. He’ll give you 25 plays every week and play with toughness and tenacity. Plays the run. Instinctive. Can generate a push inside. Texas A&M just has guys that aren’t big-time disruptors but they do the little things. There’s a reason why you win.”
Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M (6-3 ½, 291, 5.11)
Said one scout: “Like him in the third or fourth round. Plays the run pretty well. As a rusher, he has tools to work with. He does it more with initial quickness and upper-body strength. He’s not a huge guy but he can beat a guard to the spot. Plays really hard.”
Deven Eastern, Minnesota (6-5, 317, no 40)
Said one scout: “He’s very big, very athletic, very quick. He just has to learn how to go hard all the time to make plays. In other words, he’s gotta learn how to work. He has a lot of talent. He has to understand everybody’s getting paid. He leaned out for the (offseason). He can go back to being a 0-technique or a 1-technique.”
David Blay, Miami (6-2 ½, 292, 5.08)
Said one scout: “This kid came from Louisiana Tech (in 2025). He has tremendous talent. He was stuck at nose tackle (at Miami) because they have two 3-techniques. He has tremendous length and strength. He can turn and run. He can hit it and go. This guy was really unknown. He has the athleticism and the hip flexibility to play 3-technique. He’s top 100.”
icup
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DAL needs more firepower at TE 1000000%
dbair1967
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Eli Stowers was on the 30 list I believe.
dbair1967
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Lot of good stuff here.
For years we have struggled with somewhat stupid players, especially on defense (and I'm not talking about dumb penalties) Imagine the football IQ improvement of that starting group if they landed Caleb Downs and Jacob Rodriguez.
This is an excellent mock draft scenario for us, especially if they could trade down from 20 and get Rodriguez a little later, while still picking up another day two pick (or picks)
For years we have struggled with somewhat stupid players, especially on defense (and I'm not talking about dumb penalties) Imagine the football IQ improvement of that starting group if they landed Caleb Downs and Jacob Rodriguez.
This is an excellent mock draft scenario for us, especially if they could trade down from 20 and get Rodriguez a little later, while still picking up another day two pick (or picks)