The 'On The Clock' crew of Matt Williamson, Mike Prisuta and Max Starks take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh in April. Today, they delve into the de defensive tackle position.
Note: The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Matt's Take
This is a tough offseason to need serious defensive tackle help. There was little available in free agency. There is little available in the draft. In fact, we might not even see an interior defensive lineman come off the board on Thursday night of the draft. There could be some middle round value, but high-end talent here is lacking. It is clearly one of the weakest positions in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Matt's Rankings
1. Caleb Banks, Florida, 6-6, 327 lbs. - Unfortunately for Banks, he very recently suffered a broken foot which will clearly influence his draft position. He also only played two games last year because of a foot injury. But wow, there are not many specimens like Banks with a truly rare combination of size, length, and power. He could be a huge value in this draft if teams are scared away but you just can't ignore the risk involved as it stands today.
2. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, 6-3 1/2, 318 lbs. - Hunter is more of a nose tackle type. His jumps and explosion tests at the Combine were very concerning. But how much does that hurt a player at his position? Hunter isn't just a space eating run-stuffer and he shined at the Senior Bowl.
3. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, 6-2, 326 lbs. - McDonald, another nose tackle, falls just behind Hunter because he offers a little less as a pass-rusher. But McDonald's great ability to own the middle of the line of scrimmage was key to the Buckeye's fantastic defense. What he does, he does very well.
4. Peter Woods, Clemson, 6-2 1/2, 298 lbs. - Woods would be way higher on this list if it was constructed one year ago. His final season at Clemson was underwhelming and he hasn't blown the doors off the pre-draft process as a somewhat undersized lineman that is reliant on his athletic traits. If his next team gets the 2024 season version of Woods, the pick will be a home run.
5. Domonique Orange, Iowa State, 6-2, 322 lbs. - Orange is yet another nose tackle type with great bulk and power. He also possesses very good get off for a man his size. "Big Citrus" has big hands and long arms that he uses very well and fights until the end, but he just brings very little to the table as an interior pass-rusher.
Sleeper: Rayshaun Benny, Michigan, 6-3, 298 lbs. - A player from Michigan might not qualify as a "Sleeper" but he was overshadowed last year by a pair of first rounders, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. A little undersized penetrator, Benny tested well at the Combine and can get upfield. But he can get overwhelmed by power. Benny is probably a rotational player at the next level, but it is fair to wonder if the best is yet to come for this prospect.
Mike's Take
The Super Bowls won by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2025 have shined a light on the need to have quality players and plenty of them along the defensive line.
"Those teams not only had star players on the defensive front, to me, even moreso, they had waves of guys," NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah observed during coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "Philly did not have anyone with double-digit sacks in their Super Bowl year. This year, Seattle didn't have anybody with double-digit sacks. But they had seven, eight guys, they could just run waves at you.
"It kept them fresh for games. It kept them fresh for the entire season. And then you're watching the last game of the year, they looked fresh as all get-out with their front."
That was the plan all along, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed, in an interview on the NFL Network during the Combine.
"You want to be waves of defense," Macdonald maintained. "And to play that style you need waves of defensive linemen."
Mike's Rankings
1. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, 6-3 1/2, 318 lbs. - Hunter dominates in the run game and has shown flashes of potential as a pass-rushing presence to evaluators in the pre-draft process, including at the Senior Bowl. Hunter registered a combined 32.5 tackles for a loss in three seasons at Central Florida and one at Texas Tech, including 31.5 over the last three campaigns. Hunter's effort in what became a 23-0 loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals (seven tackles, two for a loss) highlighted the type of impact player he can become.
2. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, 6-2, 326 lbs. - He's viewed much more as a run-stuffer than a player capable of collapsing the pocket but McDonald is a definite disruptor. And his production numbers spiked in 2025 in tackles for a loss (nine, up from a combined two over his first two seasons), sacks (three, the first three of his three-year career) and forced fumbles (two, his first two at Ohio State). McDonald earned First-Team Associated Press All-America honors in 2025, when he made all 14 of his career starts after having played a combined 20 games as a freshman and sophomore. He has upside.
3. Peter Woods, Clemson, 6-2 1/2, 298 lbs. - Evaluators are sometimes left wanting more, in part because they're of the opinion Woods has more to give. "Overall, Woods isn't a steady, consistent player game in and game out," Jeremiah said, "but his flashes are very intriguing." Woods wasn't as productive in 2025 as he had been in 2024 but he was still recognized as a Second-Team Associated Press All-American.
4. Domonique Orange, Iowa State, 6-2, 322 lbs. - Orange is the new … Casey Hampton? Orange had seven tackles for a loss, one sack and two passes defensed in four seasons at Iowa State (50 games played, 32 games started). But when it comes to providing a massive presence inside to stuff the run, Orange has, in the assessment of NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein, "the anchor to play landlord over the A-gaps against double-teams."
5. Caleb Banks, Florida, 6-6, 327 lbs. - Banks had 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss in 2024 but only played in three games in 2025 due to a foot injury that required surgery. Two of those games were in late November, as Banks reportedly wanted to return to be "out there with my brothers" at the end of the season. Banks' health, unfortunately, remains a concern. According to draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Banks suffered a broken foot at the NFL Scouting Combine that will sideline him until June. According to Brugler, the injury happened the night before Banks' on-field testing. He performed a partial workout not knowing the extent of the injury, which required a subsequent surgery.
SLEEPER: Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana, 6-11/2, 275 lbs. - Alarm clocks may have gone off at the Combine regarding the potential of the Southland Conference 2025 Player of the Year. Proctor isn't the biggest and he didn't amass his impressive numbers against top-tier competition but according to Jeremiah, "There's some real juice there, he is explosive."
Max's Take
The defensive tackle group is a tricky one to evaluate, because in this year's class there's a higher need than there are blue chip players but a lot of good guys. If you're looking for specific skill sets (stuff the run, collapse pockets, or be a rock) this class can fill a lot of those individual needs.
Max's Rankings
1. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, 6-2, 326 lbs. - McDonald can lineup in the shade or three technique position and have success against the run and cause a problem with gap integrity in the pass. He requires a double team.
2. Caleb Banks, Florida, 6-6, 327 lbs. - I love his first step! Banks has a ways to go technique wise, but the natural traits that he does possess, that are uncoachable, are too hard to ignore. 3 Tech.
3. Peter Woods, Clemson, 6-2 1/2, 298 lbs. - Words have some good tape out there from this season at Clemson. My only reservation is that he did not work out at the combine and seemed smaller. 3 Tech, sub package Nose
4. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, 6-3 1/2, 318 lbs. - Lee Hunter might be one of my favorite defensive lineman in this draft. He's squatting he's explosive laterally and he will stuff the run with ease. Nose Tackle
5. Darrell Jackson Jr, Florida State, 6-5, 315 lbs - I have Jackson Slade as my fifth best DL, cause I believe there's a lot of upside to his play. 3 Tech
Sleeper: Domonique Orange, Iowa State, 6-2, 322 lbs. - Orange is intriguing because he has long arms(33 3/8") compared to his stature at 6'2". He is purely a nose tackle, and can stuff the run consistently. Pass rush, needs to be developed.
