Defensive line rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft

Yes, the Arvell Reese ranking as an EDGE rusher is significantly lower than you expected. Are we so sure he's going to be a traditional pass rusher in the NFL? A prospect with seven career sacks in college can't project that high in this position. He will be covered in the linebacker group, too, as he can play both positions. Malachi Lawrence I am much lower on, too, as he is being mocked as a fringe first-round pick, which seems a bit steep.

Now to the defensive tackles:

• 1. Peter Woods, Clemson
• 2. Caleb Banks, Florida
• 3. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
• 4. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
• 5. Dominique Orange, Iowa State
• 6. Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
• 7. Christen Miller, Georgia
• 8. Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
• 9. Kaleb Proctor, SE Louisiana
• 10. Zane Durant, Penn State

The undisputed top defensive tackle in this class is Peter Woods out of Clemson. If he were eligible last season, he would have been a fringe top-five pick. A down year does not derail his potential, for me at least. The top five guys on this list could easily be top-50 picks, and 6-10 in the top 75. Defensive tackle is up there for the deepest positional group in the 2026 NFL Draft, as you will likely find a contributor on day three out of this group.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Reuben Bain Jr. leads the defensive line rankings