The 2025 NFL Draft class at defensive sort out in monstrous each of their particular person dimension, but additionally within the quantity of expertise on the place. So many DTs should go on this yr’s draft and it’s a really deep place.
There are such a lot of defensive tackles which can be going to be drafted, we expanded our checklist as much as 20 gamers this yr, and we blurbed the highest 10 beneath. A bunch of SB Nation’s draft analysts from our 32 NFL group communities ranked their prime OTs within the draft.
2025 NFL Draft consensus rankings at defensive sort out
20. Cam Jackson, Florida State
19. Ty Hamilton, Ohio State
18. Jordan Phillips, Maryland
17. J.J. Pegues, Mississippi
16. Ty Robinson, Nebraska
15. Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech
14. C.J. West, Indiana
13. Jamaree Caldwell, Oregon
12. Joshua Farmer, Florida State
11. Shemar Turner, Texas A&M
The highest 10 defensive tackles within the 2025 NFL Draft
10. Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee
Norman-Lott has an uphill battle, each figuratively and actually at 6’1-7/8” and 291 bounds. He’s undersized, however has the arm size and hand dimension of anyone three inches taller and 20 kilos heavier.
The query for Norman-Lott is how will he win on the subsequent stage persistently at his dimension? How typically will he play? Tennessee had a heavy rotation, and that meant Norman-Lott solely performed 225 snaps in 2024. He nonetheless managed 4 sacks and 7 quarterback hits to associate with six tackles for loss and an elite go rush win charge of 18.9 p.c.
All of it makes for Norman-Lott to be an interesting prospect. There are transferrable traits Norman-Lott possesses that make me suppose he’ll carry out nearer to DT5 than DT10. I’d say he has first-round quickness, hand utilization/placement, and a motor.
You’d take that kind of participant in in the present day’s NFL every single day of the week.
9. Deone Walker, Kentucky
When you’re new to Kentucky soccer, Walker was the 6’7-3/8”, 331-pounder. He’s a mammoth of a person. When you’re first guess was a person this dimension enjoying excessive and getting drained rapidly, come gather your prize. However in case you watch a cut-up of Walker when he wins, you’d blame us for not having him larger.
Enjoyable truth: Walker is second within the class in quick-pressure share. He has worth, and it reveals up typically when he’s on the sector. Inevitably, sustaining your motor, being disciplined, and controlling your physique at that dimension might be a problem.
No matter tier you lump Walker in, he’s poised to be the very best of the bunch. I’d take his hand utilization over a handful of gamers listed above him. That’s an indication a participant is aware of what he’s doing.
8. T.J. Sanders, South Carolina
Sanders isn’t probably the most nimble large man, which makes his function fairly clear on the subsequent stage: Have him shoot gaps and use his first step to trigger havoc.
Sanders may fall sufferer to being requested to do an excessive amount of on the subsequent stage. He’s not tremendous adept and working the several types of video games that the majority NFL defenses are asking their tackles to do. His preliminary quickness doesn’t at all times result in energy. Actually, it could actually imply he both stands straight up or runs out of his hole.
Nonetheless, Sanders has simply sufficient juice to make you suppose he can produce for you someplace within the prime 75 of the NFL Draft.
7. Alfred Collins, Texas
Collins greater than appears the half at 6’5-5/8,” and 332 kilos. His peak, weight, wingspan, and arm size all put him above the ninetieth percentile. However the remainder of his mix reveals up while you watch Collins, particularly his vertical (thirteenth percentile) and broad (fourth percentile) jumps. Collins is moved too simply for a participant his dimension.
However you may as well see him arise opposing lineman, overwhelm, tight ends, and line up in every single place alongside the defensive position. Collins looks as if a stable rotational piece able to changing into a starter if he will get stronger and develops greater than a spin transfer.
6. Darius Alexander, Toledo
The widest vary in our prime 10, Alexander acquired a ninth-place vote and a fourth-place vote. He appears like he’s 330 kilos, and even performs prefer it at instances, so seeing him are available in at 305 kilos with 52nd percentile arms was stunning. You may see his energy and athleticism over the course of a recreation. In contrast to most collegiate gamers, Alexander has a signature go rush transfer. His difficulty is getting hung up after that transfer doesn’t work. Nonetheless, Alexander stood out throughout MAC play, an indication of a promising participant.
5. Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
Williams doesn’t transfer like a human who weighs 334 kilos. His play energy resembles a sumo wrestler. Williams persistently resets the road of scrimmage and can forklift a guard out of the best way if want be. However he’s excess of your typical nostril sort out who eats up area. Williams has high-level first-step quickness, is conscious of discovering the ball, and, better of all, is the one often making the play.
The first motive you wouldn’t take Williams within the first spherical or prime 50 picks is because of the variety of performs you may get out of him. His ceiling is perhaps 25-30 in an NFL recreation. At Ohio State, he got here off the sector. When Williams did get an opportunity to persistently rush the passer, he’d often win, however as a rule, he didn’t appear like a participant with a plan to hurry the passer.
That results in Williams sitting clearly in a tier behind the highest 4 alternatives, who all had not less than one top-three vote. The best Williams reached was fourth.
4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Harmon is an fascinating take a look at case. He greater than tripled his variety of quarterback hits from the earlier two seasons in 2024, regardless of enjoying across the similar variety of snaps. That would clarify a number of the variance in our voting, the place he landed a number of second-place votes but additionally a number of fifth-place alternatives.
However while you watch Harmon, he comes off like a participant that’ll be within the league a decade from now. He has really feel for the sport. He senses the double-team coming, can maintain his floor in opposition to totally different mixture blocks, and wins sufficient of his 1-on-1s the place you may’t assist however image Harmon getting a 3rd contract.
3. Kenneth Grant, Michigan
Grant is perhaps the defensive sort out on this class that all of us look again on two to a few years from now and surprise why he wasn’t unanimously a top-15 decide, and considered one of our voters had him at second of their voting.
For each publicity to Grant enjoying too excessive and getting thrown outta the membership, there’s a play the place the 331-pounder is the quickest participant alongside the trenches and knifes his approach into the backfield for a constructive end result for Michigan.
The athleticism is there, as are the flashes of profitable a number of methods. However as of in the present day, Grant might not be far sufficient alongside as a pure go rusher for a group prepared to tug the set off on him early.
When you’re drafting Grant, it’ll take time. That’s not at all times a nasty factor.
2. Walter Nolen, Mississippi
Nolen is all energy. There’s no fluff in his recreation. He displaces blockers with simple and high-end higher physique energy. He has a popularity for not being a lot of a go rusher, however Nolen is third within the class in true stress charge. He’s a dominant run defender who will jolt again whoever you place in entrance of him. He causes chaos within the backfield, and that usually results in good issues for the protection. We’ve got not seen the very best of Nolen but, which is why he’s so excessive on our checklist and earned one first-place vote from our panel.
However there’s a buyer-beware signal with Nolen. He’ll disappear for intervals of a recreation. The previous five-star recruit and prime participant in highschool has been to seven faculties in eight years, and despatched a cryptic message after transferring from Texas A&M.
It wouldn’t be stunning to see Nolen find yourself being the very best participant within the class. However his ground is a rotational depth piece who by no means will get it going as a go rusher. I’m prepared to wager Nolen’s expertise and play type shine on the subsequent stage, and he’s nearer to a star than a sub off the bench.
1. Mason Graham, Michigan
Our almost unanimous prime decide, he was second on just one poll. Graham performed by way of accidents in 2024, however that didn’t stop him from being productive. There are few flaws to Graham’s recreation. His first step, hand utilization, and agility for a giant fella are all elite.
Graham is the lone defensive sort out within the class who goes a number of stretches in a recreation the place he appears unblockable, thanks largely to his first step. Graham has additionally proven the flexibility to make use of and win with a wide range of strikes. His instincts in opposition to the run are very good, and his heavy arms assist Graham maintain up, regardless of being undersized in some matchups.
There are sufficient performs the place Graham’s lack of arm size/wingspan reveals up, which may stop him from being the very best of the very best on the subsequent stage, however he’s a sure-fire top-five decide on this draft whose worst-case state of affairs is an above-average starter.
All the SB Nation 2025 NFL Draft positional rankings
- Quarterback
- Working again – coming quickly
- Huge receiver
- Tight finish – coming quickly
- Offensive sort out
- Inside offensive line – coming quickly
- Defensive sort out
- EDGE rusher – coming quickly
- Off-ball linebacker – coming quickly
- Cornerback – coming quickly
- Security – coming quickly
- Particular groups – coming quickly
