Chris Jones serves as the centerpiece of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense for the Kansas City Chiefs, but the future Hall of Famer deserves some criticism for his lapses in run defense. Chiefs rookie second round pick Omarr Norman-Lott suffers from similar concerns. Kansas City should pursue a stout, powerful interior lineman in the 2026 NFL draft who is capable of holding the point of attack and freeing the team’s other linemen to push vertically.
Clemson’s DeMonte Capehart is the latest prospect in a pipeline featuring several star Tigers defensive linemen. The sixth-year defensive tackle lacks the same proven appeal as teammate Peter Woods but would be an excellent addition in a rotational role. Capehart only played 545 defensive snaps through his first five seasons but will play a much larger role in 2025.
Unofficially listed at 6’5″, 315 lbs., Capehart’s prototypical build and enormous arms make him an intimidating presence. His hands possess stunning power that immediately shocks and displaces offensive linemen. Capehart’s heavy hands drive offensive linemen out of their stances and pry up their pad levels. Some blockers never recover from his initial strikes.
Capehart capitalizes on his powerful hands by unleashing a dominant bull rush. This attack is especially effective against centers and allows Capehart to push the pocket. Unfortunately, his pass rush plan lacks the polished moves and counters to generate any level of reliable production. If Capehart doesn’t win with his bull rush, he’s not going to win at all.
Clemson DT DeMonte Capehart belongs in the mix of top 2026 Clemson defenders. Massive dude with great power and mobility for his build pic.twitter.com/U51yfj2fTc
— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) July 23, 2025
Capehart’s true value shines through on running downs. His play strength and massive arms help him easily stack, peek and shed blocks. Offensive linemen can’t move him off the line unless they execute a high-level double team. When isolated with a one-on-one matchup, Capehart fires his hands into the lineman’s chest and drives them into the backfield, quickly throwing the play into chaos.
Capehart sometimes runs himself out of gaps while trying to push vertically and needs to be more mindful of his assignment. He’s an older prospect who still primarily relies on his physical gifts and hasn’t shown much technical polish. Despite this lack of development, Capehart mentally processes the game at a high enough level to recognize when and how to use his traits to cover two gaps simultaneously.
Capehart’s two-gapping potential and ability to manipulate offensive linemen with his arm length and play strength combine to make him one of the best run defenders in the 2026 NFL draft. He projects as a fourth round selection who could drop to the fifth round if the upcoming season doesn’t go as planned.