Best Bets: Cowboys in love with DTs, 5 top interior draft prospects

The Dallas Cowboys completely reinvented themselves at the defensive tackle position in a single calendar year. They traded for Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, signed Otito Ogbonnia, cut Perrion Winfrey, and traded both Solomon Thomas and Osa Odighizuwa away. The room has improved, but it's still an unknown beyond the 2026 season. Dallas could definitely try to add one of the top five defensive tackles in the draft to keep their only strength on defense at its very best.

This group is a mixture of potential pass rush monsters, run stuffers, and raw athletic freaks. The team could be looking for the best fit rather than just the best prospect.

DT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State

Darrell Jackson Jr. is a physical marvel at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and 11-inch hands. He is a trash can full of dirt who is hard to move, even when double-teamed, let alone one-on-one. He is a stack-and-shed run stuffer who can be a nose tackle or one-technique.

There is room to improve his fundamentals, staying low consistently, finding a rush besides collapsing the pocket with strength, and being better moving down the line on off-tackle runs. Jackson immediately adds a body that requires a double-team on run snaps, freeing up linebackers behind him to make plays, and that size fits what Christian Parker seems to want at the position.

DT Caleb Banks, Florida

Caleb Banks is so rare and talented, that if it weren’t for a recurring foot injury, he could go top 10 in the draft despite being a very raw prospect. He broke his foot at the combine while putting up a near-perfect Relative Athletic Score (RAS). Like Jackson Jr., Banks is a giant. He is 6-foot-6, nearly 330 pounds with 35-inch arms, and almost 11-inch hands. Unlike the nose tackle, Banks is a pass rush threat with incredible explosion off the snap and impactful hands.

He has to stay healthy and develop his limited pass-rush ability, while improving his counter and his effort when his initial move is ineffective. When he mistimes his hands, the rep is over for him. If he can be developed, Banks could end up the next Chris Jones or Aaron Donald, but if not, he could be another Mazi Smith.

DT Peter Woods, Clemson

Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods (11) sacks South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) after the Tigers’ 28-14 win at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Saturday, November 29, 2025.

What happened to the Clemson Tigers in 2025?

They had multiple top prospects in the 2025 draft, but all had down seasons, including Peter Woods. He went into the season considered the top option in this draft class, and now he's projected from the top 10 to the start of round two. Woods is the best option of all defensive tackles at getting pressure and penetration up the field. He is explosive, with an impactful first step. Woods is like Osa Odighizuwa, who had a great pressure rate but struggled against double teams. He is young, with a good frame to add weight and improve as a run defender. If he gets back to his 2024 form, he could be the best defensive tackle from this class.

DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

Kayden McDonald isn’t just an inside player who takes on blocks and allows linebackers to run free and make plays. He makes the plays on defense himself. He recorded 65 tackles, nine for a loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles in 2025 for the Buckeyes. For comparison, Woods had 84 tackles, 14.5 for a loss, and five sacks in three seasons at Clemson.

McDonald isn’t a pass-rushing defensive tackle, playing the one-technique or nose tackle role, but he will get pressures and clean up sacks by moving the pocket back with his strength and motor. McDonald could be the type of prospect Dallas needs because they don't currently have playmaking linebackers, so the defensive tackles could need to make the plays themselves.

DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

Lee Hunter is a disruptor at the line of scrimmage who eats up two-person blocks and will still make plays. In three years at UCF, Hunter racked up over 130 tackles, 21.5 for a loss, and five sacks.

He moved on to Texas Tech for 2025 to play on a defensive line with David Bailey and Romello Height. That line was a handful for opposing offenses. Hunter had 41 tackles, 10.5 for a loss, and 2.5 sacks to bookend his college career. He might start his NFL career as a two-down option while he refines his technique as a pass rusher, but his production and motor are excellent signs that he will be a problem in the NFL.

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter@cdpigletor on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Best Bets: Cowboys in love with DTs, 5 top interior draft prospects