2026 NFL Draft: Top 10 prospects at every position on defense

The 2025 NFL season will come down to the Seattle Seahawks or New England Patriots for the Super Bowl title. Besides both having head coaches named Mike, the two teams had two of the best defenses in the regular season.

Seattle led the league in fewest points allowed per game at 17.2 and New England was fourth at 18.8. If you looked at the 14-team playoff field as a whole, eight of those teams ranked in the top 10 in fewest points allowed.

Loading up on defense may be more in vogue as teams continue to counter the prolific quarterbacks of this era. Luckily, the 2026 NFL Draft will have plenty of talent to choose from.

The defensive side of the ball has some of the best talent in the class. Ohio State's duo of Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs are a coin toss for best prospect regardless of position. At least three linebackers and cornerbacks overall have a case to be first-round picks.

Teams needing defensive line help will have plenty of options at edge rusher as well as the interior. There's a mix of run-stuffing nosetackles, powerful edge-setters and athletic, bendy pass rushers who should offer something for everybody.

There's also lots of depth at each position to pick from. Here's how we rank the top 10 prospects at every position on defense in the 2026 NFL Draft class:

2026 NFL Draft top 10 by position: DefenseInterior defensive line1. Peter Woods, Clemson2. Christen Miller, Georgia3. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State4. Caleb Banks, Florida

These four seem like solid choices for the first round come April. Woods offers great size (6-foot-3, 315) and shows flashes of Pro Bowl-caliber play. He just needs to string it all together more consistently.

Miller's anchor and strength at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds will make him a fit for lots of teams. McDonald is more of your traditional nosetackle at a powerful 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds who eats up blocks in run defense.

Banks is a bit of a wild-card due to a foot injury suffered during the 2025 season. If his medicals check out, he has arguably the highest ceiling of anyone at the position in this class with an athletic frame at 6-foot-6 and 334 pounds.

5. Domonique Orange, Iowa State6. Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State

These are another pair of nosetackle types at the position at 320-plus pounds each. Both lack pass rush chops and need better pad level consistency but offer standout strength in run defense. Orange has surprisingly good burst off the line for his size (6-foot-4, 325 pounds). Jackson has one of the biggest wingspans in the class.

7. Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati9. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech8. Tim Keenan III, Alabama10. Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech

Corleone is one of the shorter prospects in this group at 6-foot-1 but offers elite strength and athleticism at 335 pounds. Like many in the class, Hunter is a powerful run-stuffer who eats up blocks but doesn't have the pass rush production warranting a top-50 selection.

Keenan III is shorter as well at 6-foot-2 but uses that for a leverage advantage. His overall twitch isn't elite and can sometimes rush too far upfield. Gill-Howard is the smallest of the bunch at 6-foot-1 and 290 pounds but offers an explosive first step as an versatile interior rusher.

Edge rusher1. Keldric Faulk, Auburn2. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami3. David Bailey, Texas Tech

These three are the biggest locks for the first round for different reasons. Faulk's size at 6-foot-6 and 285 gives him inside-out versatility with physicality and plenty of time to develop because he's one of the youngest players in the draft.

Bain offers a lot of power, too, with great pressure production all season. His arm length keeps him from the top spot.

Bailey was the most productive edge rusher in the country in 2025. His twitch, bend and hand usage should make him a productive pass rusher sooner than later in the NFL.

4. T.J. Parker, Clemson5. LT Overton, Alabama6. Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

These three all have some questions that may keep them out of the top 20 picks come April. Parker's a powerful rusher who can set the edge in run defense but underperformed in 2025.

Overton is a tweener at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds with inside-out potential with flashes of dominance. He just struggled to put it together consistently.

Howell's smaller frame (6-foot-2, sub-31 inch arms) will likely take him off the board for some teams. But his burst and bend off the edge are undoubtedly impressive.

7. Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State8. Zion Young, Missouri

If you want more powerful run defenders off the edge, these two can get that done. Dennis-Sutton is one of the better edge-setters in the class with a powerful frame. Better hand usage will raise his potential.

Young's relentless motor in an ideal frame (6-foot-5, 262 pounds) give him a high floor. He's not elite at any one thing but very, very good at most everything you'd want from an edge rusher.

9. R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma10. Joshua Josephs, Tennessee

Count these two as smaller, speedy edge rushers. Thomas is one of the smallest rushers in the class at 6-foot-2 and 249 pounds meaning he'll be a pass rush specialist. His instincts, motor and hand usage serve him well.

Josephs is even leaner at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds. His burst and long frame will make him a solid rotational edge at the least to start but overall strength concerns may limit him.

Linebacker1. Arvell Reese, Ohio State2. Sonny Styles, Ohio State3. C.J. Allen, Georgia

It'd be a surprise if these three weren't first-round picks come April. Reese is our top prospect in the entire class as the ideal modern linebacker. He can do everything with elite athleticism and football IQ in a 6-foot-4, 243-pound frame.

Styles is no slouch either at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds with elite athleticism. He could be a force multiplier at the second level for an NFL team.

Allen is slightly shorter but packs a punch in run defense at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds with the athleticism to blanket multiple positions in coverage.

4. Deontae Lawson, Alabama5. Anthony Hill Jr., Texas

These two will likely hear their names called early on Day 2. Lawson is a great coverage linebacker but may need to pack a bit more weight on his 6-foot-2, 228-pound frame to stick in run defense at the NFL level.

Hill has plenty of tools at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds and is one of the youngest players in the class. He'll need time to develop his coverage technique to last long-term.

6. Jake Golday, Cincinnati7. Josiah Trotter, Missouri

Another pair of likely Day 2 linebackers here. Golday is similarly sized to Styles with great, fluid athleticism and power to shed blocks. He needs to level up his post-snap processing against both the run and pass.

Trotter doesn't have a lot of coverage tape from his college career but he's a thumping, violent presence in run defense and a prolific pass rusher for the position.

8. Taurean York, Texas A&M9. Harold Perkins Jr., LSU

These two both have frame concerns but in different ways. York stands 5-foot-10 and 227 pounds which means he can struggle taking on blocks in the run game. He makes up for it with good quickness and coverage abilities.

Perkins has a slighter frame at 6-foot-1 and 222 pounds but absolutely flies around in the second level. His athleticism shines in zone coverage and he has great ball production.

10. Isaiah Glasker, BYU

A converted wide reciever, Glasker has a huge frame at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds with smooth athleticism in coverage. He's still working on his post-snap processing and is one of the older prospects in the class.

Cornerback1. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee2. Mansoor Delane, LSU

These two are neck-and-neck for the top cornerback in the class. McCoy has prototypical outside cornerback size and athleticism which makes him a fit in zone or man schemes. He missed all of 2025 with an ACL injury, though, which may drop him down draft boards pending medicals.

Delane was a shutdown cornerback in 2025 thanks to his technique and understanding of coverage, not sheer athletic traits. His leaner frame (6-foot-1, 187 pounds) causes some concerns over his run defending.

3. Avieon Terrell, Clemson4. Brandon Cisse, South Carolina5. Colton Hood, Tennessee

The title of third-best cornerback is close between this trio. Terrell, younger brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, is slightly undersized at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds but plays bigger than that. He makes splash plays in coverage and run defense; he forced five fumbles in 2025 alone.

As you can expect from South Carolina prospects, Cisse is an elite athlete in a 6-foot, 190-pound frame but he sometimes relies on that athleticism too much. He allowed just 18 receptions in 2025 but averaged more than 20 yards allowed per reception.

Hood had more of the spotlight with McCoy out in 2025 and thrived in zone schemes, especially Cover 2 concepts. His prototypical frame and physicality complements his explosive athleticism.

6. Keith Abney II, Arizona State7. Chris Johnson, San Diego State8. Malik Muhammad, Texas

Abney offers ideal size and one of the best skill sets in contested catch situations in the class. Great athleticism and footwork to stay in the right position in coverage.

Johnson is a small-school prospect but was one of the best cornerbacks in the country in 2025. He offers an ideal mix of size, athleticism, ball production, vision and commitment in run defense.

Muhammad's leaner frame (6-foot, 188 pounds) could drop him down draft boards but his technique is impressive. He's routinely in the right place to make a play in man or zone coverage.

9. Chandler Rivers, Duke10. Will Lee III, Texas A&M

Rivers will likely be confined to the slot due to his size (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) but is a tough run defender and aggressive coverage cornerback. His 2024 tape was better than what he did in 2025 which may cause concern for evaluators.

Lee had impressive ball production in college and has a strong frame to excel in press coverage and hit hard against the run. His zone skills need some improvement and may see more flags in the NFL than in college.

Safety1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Downs stands at least one tier or more above the rest of the safety class. He has an argument as the best prospect in the class with prototypical size, outstanding football IQ, great athleticism, ideal coverage skills and run defense acumen. His limit may ultimately be how creative his defensive coordinator is.

2. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon3. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

These two could sneak into the first round in April. Thieneman's as sure a tackler as you could hope for at the position with alignment versatility. He could fill a role at box, nickel or deep safety without much concern.

McNiel-Warren is an outstanding athlete at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds. He has good ball production and dishes out hits in run defense. A small nit to pick is his understanding of run fits but that should develop in time.

4. Zakee Wheatley, Penn State5. Kamari Ramsey, USC

Wheatley's the latest Pen State safety to be a likely Day 2 pick. He's a force in run defense but also allowed just a 69.2 passer rating when targeted in coverage. He'd thrive as a single-high safety in the NFL.

Ramsey's mirroring in coverage stands out among the others at the position. He's alignment versatile but will need to improve his consistency as a tackler to make it in the NFL long-term.

6. Michael Taaffe, Texas7. A.J. Haulcy, LSU

Taaffe's slighter frame (6-foot, 182 pounds) will limit him in run defense but you can't argue with his coverage production (seven interceptions, 10 pass break ups in college) thanks to his great anticipation.

Haulcy looks like a linebacker at 6-foot and 222 pounds with impressive coverage production (eight interceptions, 10 pass breaks up his last two seasons). A limited athlete laterally, he's also one of the older prospects in the class.

8. Genesis Smith, Arizona9. Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina

Smith has ideal length at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds with the ball tracking abilities to thrive in Cover 1 or Cover 3 schemes as a centerfielder-type. He can be inconsistent in run defense.

Kilgore is an impressive athlete with the length and physicality. tohold up in run defense. His coverage production is good (eight interceptions, 18 pass break ups in three years) but often relied on instincts over technique.

10. Jakobe Thomas, Miami

Thomas plays an aggressive brand of football with the physicality and athleticism to be deployed as a robber or blitzer as well as manning up a tight end in coverage. Five interceptions, six pass break ups alone in 2025. Can be too aggressive at times and relies too much on reading the quarterback's eyes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NFL Draft: Positional top 10 rankings for defense