The need for elite edge rushers (and a lot of them) seems like a yearly thing for NFL teams, especially with the rise of mobile quarterbacks and high-powered offenses. This year’s crop of defensive linemen is strong and deep. I could easily see 5 or 6 edge rushers alone considered as first-round talents. 

But, before we get to my list of defensive linemen, here are the links to all my other top players by position group so far, as well as a breakdown of the averages for positions taken in the NFL Draft and by round: Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Tight End, Offensive Linemen.

NFL Draft Breakdown (2006-2025)

On average, over the 7 rounds of the NFL Draft, we see the following numbers of players taken at each position: 

Position
Average Number Drafted Annually

Quarterback
12.8

Running Back
22.5

Wide Receiver
33.1

Tight End
15.4

Offensive Tackle
21.3

Interior OL (Guard/Center)
24.7

Defensive End
23.9

Defensive Tackle
19.6

Linebacker
31.8

Cornerback
30.5

Safety
21.1

Kicker
2.1

Punter
2.3

Long Snapper
0.8

And here’s a breakdown by round:

Position
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7

Quarterback
3.5
1.7
1.8
1.9
1.3
1.4
1.2

Running Back
1.3
2.5
2.7
3.6
3.5
4.8
4.1

Wide Receiver
4.6
4.4
4.1
4.2
4.3
5.8
5.7

Tight End
0.9
1.9
2.2
2.4
2.6
3
2.4

Offensive Tackle
4.1
3.2
2.9
2.8
2.5
3.1
2.7

Interior OL
2.2
2.9
3.8
4
3.7
4.5
3.6

Defensive End
3.9
3.6
3.1
3.2
2.9
3.8
3.4

Defensive Tackle
2.8
2.4
2.6
2.8
2.9
3.2
2.9

Linebacker
3.4
3.9
4.5
4.8
4.7
5.5
5

Cornerback
3.8
4.2
4
4.1
3.9
5.1
5.4

Safety
1.5
2.3
2.8
3.1
3.4
4.1
3.9

Kicker
0.05
0.1
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.4
0.35

Punter
0
0.05
0.1
0.5
0.6
0.6
0.45

Long Snapper
0
0
0
0.05
0.2
0.3
0.25

FIRST LOOK: Top 10 2026 NFL Draft Defensive Linemen

EDGE RUSHERS

I think Reuben Bain Jr’s going to be in the top 1-2 for most people. The dude’s elite athletic profile and ability to get home to the quarterback with ease will make him a popular prospect heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. He uses his hands well and has great technique. I don’t see a ton of negatives to his game. I would expect there to be questions about his previous injuries, but I just don’t see him sliding outside of the top 5 picks. 

After Bain Jr, I’ve seen a ton of variations in who is the next tier of edge rushers, where I chose a guy I thought could come out last year and be a top prospect in Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton. Is he the next great PSU edge rusher? Maybe, but what I do know is he’s got the size/speed/athletic profile that will entice teams to call his name earlier in the draft. He’s powerful, and you can see it in his ability to bull rush over and over again. He’s another edge rusher who does a great job utilizing his hands to shed blockers and has a relentless energy to keep running all game long. 

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE

Peter Woods is currently the only interior defensive lineman I have in my top 10, but if a team that plays more 3-4 and wants to use him on the edge, they definitely could. He’s extremely athletic for a player over 300 pounds, and is really good as a run defender OR pass rusher.

At this point in the draft cycle, after these three players, I’ve had many different ones as my #4 on. I really like these players from 4-10, and you could argue any of them being in the first round, and today I couldn’t argue that. They all possess plus pass-rushing ability, some are better run defenders than others, and I think it really will depend on which teams are looking for the larger edge rusher for a 4-3 edge versus a player who may have to stand up as a 3-4 pass rusher.

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