The roster construction for the New England Patriots will require the trenches to be talented, tough and deep, on both sides of the ball. It’s one of the core principle values of head coach Mike Vrabel. One of the key loses this offseason was the departure of defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga (Chiefs). While the team has a pair of stellar starters in Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, the defection of Tonga leaves a void in the run defense.
One player who took advantage of his opportunities this past year and emerged as a key rotational cog is Cory Durden. After numerous NFL pit stops, the undrafted free agent seems to have found a home in Foxborough and offers inside/outside versatility. He will likely be relied upon once again to play meaningful snaps in 2026. The remainder of the Patriots’ depth at defensive tackle has room for improvement.
Luckily, this year’s draft features a heavy dose of run-stuffing specialists who could help offset the loss of Tonga and provide added competition to the overall roster. In fact, defensive tackle should not be ruled out for their first selection at No.31 overall, as Kayden McDonald of Ohio State has often been linked to the team in many of the ‘expert’ mock drafts. A human wall, McDonald engulfs multiple bodies nearly every down and would provide New England with a fearsome defensive front.
Should the Patriots hold off until the later rounds, some run-specialist prospects would include Darrell Jackson Jr. of Florida State, Domonique Orange of Iowa State and Cameron Ball of Arkansas, all of whom pose as big bodies up front.
New England Patriots DT Depth Chart: Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Cory Durden, Jeremiah Farms, Joshua Farmer, Eric Gregory
Please find our BSJ 2026 Defensive Tackle Preview below, filled with an overview, rankings and in-depth player evaluations on the top 50 draft-eligible defensive tackle prospects. [Next Up: Edge Rushers]
2026 BSJ NFL DRAFT DEFENSIVE TACKLE CLASS OVERVIEW
No position brings more uncertainty at the top of the board in this year’s draft than defensive tackle. Several candidates figure to land in the backend of the first round but the run is expected to occur on Day 2 of the draft.
The scouting community has been a bit slow to come around on Lee Hunter of Texas tech, despite flashes of dominance. Some evaluators feel that he is solely a two-down player at this stage of his career but beneath the surface, he possesses the athleticism and physicality to develop an interior pass-rush attack. His upside would seem to be the greatest amongst this year’s class.
Ohio State run-stuffer Kayden McDonald exploded onto the NFL radar as if he were shot out of a cannon this past season. The one-year wonder was a key cog for the Buckeyes and projects as a starter. Meanwhile, the season did not go quite as expected for Peter Woods of Clemson, as NFL scouts were looking for him to take the next step in his development. There is an underlying feeling that Woods may have plateaued at this point, but he clearly owns a top pedigree.
Florida gargantuan Caleb Banks is a bit of an enigma due to the medical concerns he carries. While the talent screams Day 1, availability is still the best ability, and until Banks can prove he can stay healthy, he comes with concerns. A pair of undersized, yet explosive defensive tackles who could yield great dividends are Zane Durant of Penn State and Kaleb Proctor of Southeastern Louisiana, two names worth noting beyond the first day.
The final day of the draft could produce some true gems, as combine snubs such as James Thompson Jr. of Illinois, Landon Robinson of Navy and Tyre West of Tennessee are a few names you need to know.
2026 BSJ TIGHT END BIG BOARD
RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | PROJECTION [# = indicates combine invite; HPFA = high priority free agent; PFA = priority free agent]
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#Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, Rd1
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#Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, Rd1
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#Peter Woods, Clemson, Rd2
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#Caleb Banks, Florida, Rd2
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#Gracen Halton, Oklahoma, Rd2
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#Christen Miller, Georgia, Rd2
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#Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State, Rd3
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#Zane Durant, Penn State, Rd3
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#Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana, Rd3
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#Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss, Rd4
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#Rayshaun Benny, Michigan, Rd4
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#Domonique Orange, Iowa State, Rd4
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#Tim Keenan III, Alabama, Rd5
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James Thompson Jr., Illinois, Rd5
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#DeMonte Capehart, Clemson, Rd5
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#Chris McClellan, Missouri, Rd5
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#Cameron Ball, Arkansas, Rd5
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#Albert Regis, Texas A&M, Rd6
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#Deven Eastern, Minnesota, Rd6
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#Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M, Rd6
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Landon Robinson, Navy, Rd6
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#Damonic Williams, Oklahoma, Rd7
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#Bryson Eason, Tennessee, Rd7
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Tyre West, Tennessee, Rd7
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Aaron Hall, Duke, Rd7
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#Nick Barrett, South Carolina, HPFA
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#Brandon Cleveland, North Carolina State, HPFA
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Jeffrey M’Ba, SMU, Sr, HPFA
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Aaron Graves, Iowa, HPFA
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#Jackie Marshall, Baylor, HPFA
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#David Gusta, Kentucky, HPFA
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#Bobby Jamison-Travis, Auburn, HPFA
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Jacobian Guillory, LSU, HPFA
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Cole Brevard, Texas, HPFA
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#Gary Smith III, UCLA, HPFA
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#Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech, HPFA
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#Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, HPFA
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Kody Huisman, Virginia Tech, HPFA
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Jahmeer Carter, Virginia, HPFA
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DJ Withers, Kansas, PFA
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Keeshawn Silver, USC, PFA
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Sedarius McConnell, Boston College, PFA
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Uso Seumalo, Kansas State, PFA
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Jacob Busic, UCLA, PFA
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Jared Dawson, Notre Dame, PFA
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John Celiscar, USF, PFA
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Gabriel Rubio, Notre Dame, PFA
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Tommy Dunn Jr., Kansas, HPFA
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Rene Konga, Louisville, PFA
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Damon Payne, Michigan, PFA
BSJ DEFENSIVE TACKLE SCOUTING REPORTS
PLAYER PROFILE KEY (How to read the prospect header):
LAST NAME | FIRST NAME | SCHOOL | POSITION | YEAR | JERSEY # | HOMETOWN | PROJECTION
ABBREVIATIONS: HT = Height | WT: Weight | HD = Hand | ARM = Arm | WS: = Wingspan | 40-YD = Forty-Yard Dash | BP = Bench Press | VJ = Vertical Jump | BJ = Broad Jump | SHTL = Short Shuttle | 3C = Three-Cone
**Note**Heights of players are measured to the nearest eighth of an inch – for example, “6003” would stand for 6 ft. and 3/8 inches tall. (The first number refers to the feet, the second two numbers refer to the inches, and the last number refers to eighths of an inch). Arm, hand, and wingspan are written differently – 3012 would mean 30 1/2 inches, 0934 would mean 9 3/4 inches, and 7558 would mean 75 5/8 inches.
1. HUNTER, LEE | Texas Tech | DT | rSr | #2 | Mobile, AL | Day 1
Combine: HT: 6034 | WT: 318 | HD: 0928 | ARM: 3328 | 40-YD: 5.18 (1.79) | VJ: 21.5” | BJ: 8-4
Evaluation: A one-gap interior defender, Hunter emerged as an unheralded key cog for Texas Tech. A massive space-eater, Hunter possesses a non-stop motor and incredible athleticism for his size. His propensity to absorb multiple bodies play-after-play enables his fellow teammates to take advantage of one-on-one opportunities on the outside. Coming over from UCF via Auburn, the big man brings vast experience, along with sneaky, cat-like quickness. Hunter can split double teams in a jiffy and swarms ball-carriers, which should translate as a highly effective run-stuffer at the next level. At the snap of the ball, Hunter has a slow first two steps but compensates with a solid upfield burst. During block destruction, he utilizes his hands extensively after getting an extension, enabling him to take sharp angles when tackling and pursuing. Hunter owns impressive lateral quickness, which enables him to change direction and cross-face against down blocks. His best pass-rush move is the bull rush, but he needs to have a plan for when to use counters in order to unlock his talent to be a dominant every-down defender. That being said, the Mobile native was a force during Senior Bowl week, crashing the competition and showing no mercy. He is widely viewed as a two-down player by many NFL talent evaluators to this point but the sky’s the limit for ‘Big Game’ Hunter, who could wind up being one of the premier players from the entire draft class.
Background: Senior Bowl participant. Appeared in 14 games for Texas Tech (2025) and 38 games at UCF (2022-24); redshirted as a freshman at Auburn (2021). All-American First-Team and All-Big 12 First-Team(2025); All-Big 12 Second Team (2024). A four-star recruit from Blount High School in Mobile, Alabama. The son of Shirley Tucker, has three siblings, and is a father to his daughter, Kaylee.
Stats: Played 14 games in 2025, had 41 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two and a half sacks, one forced fumble. In 52 career games, had 172 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, seven and a half sacks, one forced fumble, one pass deflection.
2. MCDONALD, KAYDEN | Ohio State | Jr | #98 | Suwanee, GA | Day 1
Pro Day: HT: 6021 | WT: 326 | HD: 0934 | ARM: 3214 | WING: 7818 | BP: 27
Evaluation: A two-gap defender, McDonald explodes off the line with a quick two-step, flat back and upfield burst. As a run defender, he utilizes great arm-length extension to generate tremendous push, knocking opposing linemen back and, at times, forcing them to collide with their own ball-carrier. As a pass rusher, McDonald possesses a powerful bull-rush, converts speed-to-power, and finishes with inside counter moves. One area of concern for McDonald is that he has slightly stiff hips, which limit his ability to change direction. Overall, his wide frame, tremendous strength, production against top-caliber opponents, experience on the big stage and pedigree would seem to consist of a premier prospect capable of starting immediately. It would not be shocking to see McDonald declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. After a stellar senior 2025 campaign, in which he seemed to improve on a weekly basis, McDonald has suddenly found himself amongst first-round consideration.
Background: Appeared in 34 games during his three-year stint in Columbus; started in 2025. OSU Scholar-Athlete in 2023-24. Academic All-Big Ten Conference 2023. Honors include Gwinnett Daily Post defensive player of the year, all-region and Georgia High School Association all-state. A four-star recruit out of North Gwinnett, had 13.0 sacks and 40.0 tackles-for-loss as a senior. The son of Kristi Green; has an older brother, Jayden, who is a linebacker at Troy and also has a sister, Justice.
Stats: Played 14 games in 2025, had 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass deflection. In 34 career games, had 85 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three pass deflections.
3. WOODS, PETER | Clemson DT | Jr | #11 | Alabaster, AL | Day 2
Combine: HT: 6024 | WT: 298 | HD: 0918 | ARM: 3128
Evaluation: Perceived to be the top defensive tackle prospect in the land entering the season, Woods saw a dip in production in 2025. After a career-high eight and a half tackles for loss (three and a half sacks) as a sophomore, he totaled just three and a half tackles for loss (two sacks) this season. One underrated stat which is a testament to the type of disruptive force Woods can be is his 42 career quarterback hurries. Blessed with a solid frame, Woods has showcased his versatility during his Tigers career, lining up on the interior as well as the edge (his pass-rush technique remains a work in progress). His size, get-off, and ability to create pressure up the middle are what make Woods so valuable. However, short arms could be a concern for some teams. An aggressive player, he can also tend to overextend himself when anticipating the run. A true athlete, the Alabama native also moonlighted on offense, carrying the ball eight times for 15 yards and a pair of scores. Transitioning to the next level, Woods is still viewed as the top prospect at his position and would seem to bring a stable presence to the middle of any defensive line as a long-term, dependable starter.
Background: Appeared in 34 games (25 starts) in three seasons at Clemson. An All-ACC First Team selection (2025); became Clemson’s first All-American at defensive tackle since Christian Wilkins (2018). Only player in America in 2025 to record multiple games with both a sack and a rushing touchdown. Named 2023 Freshman All-American. Earned degree in sports communication in December 2025; completed a microinternship with SpringHill Company/Uninterrupted in spring 2024. An Under Armour All-American from Thompson High School; team won the state championship all four years.
Stats: Played 12 games in 2025, had 30 tackles, three and a half tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass deflection. In 35 career games, had 84 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass deflection.
4. BANKS, CALEB | Florida | DT | rSr | #88 | Detroit, MI | Day 2
Combine: HT: 6062 | WT: 327 | HD: 1078 | ARM: 3500 | 40-YD: 5.04 (1.76) | VJ: 32” | BJ: 9-6
