Sports360AZ
Story by Daniel Rios “The Draft Nick”
It’s not the flashiest position on a football field, but an interior defensive lineman is one of the more important positions in football. Good interior linemen can boost run defense and pass rush. One who is proficient in both is rare, but extremely valuable to an NFL team.
Take the Cincinnati Bengals, for example. They understood an elite defensive tackle was available in Dexter Lawrence II, and traded the No. 10 overall pick for him.
When talking about the 2027 NFL Draft, the defensive tackle group doesn’t get mentioned nearly enough; skill-position players get a lot of love and for good reason. But as we sit here in early October, the one position group that’s looking to have good depth is no doubt the defensive tackles.
Here are names to know so you can keep an eye on them the rest of the college football season.
Will Echoles – Ole Miss
One player who is starting to separate themselves from the rest is Will Echoles. At 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, Echoles knows how to clog up lanes in the middle. Isn’t the most explosive player, but has a knack for being around the ball at all times. Power is the main staple of his game, and he uses it no matter where he’s lined up along the line.
Echoles had five total tackles against LSU earlier this college football season and was dominant throughout the entire game. Still, as a true pass-rusher, he lacks that first-step quickness you want to see from a first-round defensive tackle, but just watching his ability to impact games with his pure strength isn’t something to ignore.
A’Mauri Washington – Oregon
It was a quiet start to the season for A’Mauri Washington, but against USC this past week he dominated. Routinely eliminating double teams, collapsing the pocket, and even knocking a ball down at the line of scrimmage, it was his best game of the season.
Washington is 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds. He’s a big man, but he has an elite first step when it comes to shooting up the field, which makes Washington a real candidate to jump Echoles at some point this season if he can put together a couple of good performances.
Justin Scott – Miami
We’re still waiting for Justin Scott to have that standout performance in 2026, but in his defense, Miami hasn’t played anyone yet. You’d want to see him make more splash plays against lesser competition, but Scott will have the opportunity to prove himself in conference play.
Scott flashed in 2025 but was more of a rotational piece on Miami’s defensive line. The hope was that in 20206 he’d take over and showcase why he got first-round hype over the summer. It hasn’t quite happened yet, but when he plays, Scott has the athleticism and strength to dominate the line of scrimmage.
David Stone – Oklahoma
David Stone is a lot like Scott above: you saw flashes in 2025 and wanted more consistency in 2026. Stone wasn’t a full-time starter for Oklahoma last year, but is now, and hasn’t lived up to the preseason expectations so far.
Stone had an injury scare before the game against Georgia, hurting his knee in practice, but played against the Bulldogs, totaling 29 snaps. It’s uncertain how much the knee injury will impact Stone going forward, but he’s gonna have to show those dominant flashes he did in 2025 to get more excitement around his draft stock. It’s been a slow start, but there’s plenty of season left for Stone to get back into those DT1 conversations.
Bear Alexander – Oregon
Bear Alexander has seen a lot in his college career, going from Georgia to USC and now Oregon. At 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, Alexander has a thicker frame and thrives in more of that 1-tech role, but has the versatility to widen out to a 3-tech.
Through four games, Alexander has 10 run-stop tackles with seven total pressures for the Oregon defensive line. Consistency has been Alexander’s biggest problem so far this season, with him disappearing at some points for Oregon in the biggest moments. Still, on tape, Alexander has the movement skills and power to get early Day 2 excitement in this draft class.
Tavion Gadson – Kentucky
Another player who has just risen draft boards so far this season. Tavion Gadson has been dominant as a pass-rusher for Kentucky this season at 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds. Gadson plays with violence, using his powerful arms to strike guards in the chest and rip through with ease.
The biggest way Gadson can improve his stock in the second half of the season is to play more controlled and calm. He’s athletic and powerful, but can be all over the place at times, especially in the run game. Still, he just wins when rushing the passer, and that’s enough for an NFL team to take a shot on him.
Xavier Gilliam – Tennessee
Explosiveness is the name of the game for defensive tackles in the scouting process, and Xavier Gilliam has it. He’s been a fun player to watch for Tennessee. Against Texas this past weekend, he showed his ability to shoot gaps and penetrate the pocket at 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds.
The issue for Gilliam is that the majority of his wins while rushing the passer are all off his athletic traits, which isn’t a bad thing. For him to get his name higher up in the draft, you’ll want to see him refine his technique to win a little bit more cleanly. Still, NFL teams see athleticism, and they’ll take a shot in Day 2.
Francis Brewu – Notre Dame
If there’s one player whose stock has just consistently risen this season, it’s Francis Brewu. The Pittsburgh transfer who’s now at Notre Dame has just dominated guards this season when rushing the passer. He’s been active with his hands, showing the ability to rip through defenders, but at the same time showing his strength to hold his ground in the run game.
A.J. Holmes Jr. – Texas Tech
Personally, I don’t think A.J. Holmes Jr. can play defensive tackle in the NFL, but he’s listed as one, so he’s on this list. At 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, Holmes could fit into more of a 5-tech defensive end for an odd front at the next level with his pure effort.
Holmes has been nothing short of dominant for Texas Tech, having 16 pressures through four games and six run-stop tackles. He flashes strength, and while he may not be the most elusive defensive tackle, he won’t give up on a play, which is why he’s able to be around the ball so much. That’s the type of mindset NFL teams will be attracted to.
Jide Abasiri – USC
Another big surprise this season has been Jide Abasiri. He got almost no excitement through the summer, but over the first couple of weeks of this season, he’s gotten some serious love. At 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Abasiri is another athletic tackle who can win up the field.
Oregon was Abasiri’s first big test, and he showed he’s still the same player against top competition. Strong hands attacking the chest, bending to get around corners, and winning at the point of attack. It all stayed the same against Oregon, which is what you want to see. He’s a real candidate to be a first-rounder come April.
Ansel Din-Mbuh – TCU
The way Ansel Din-Mbuh moves at 300 pounds is just crazy to watch. He’s up to eight quarterback pressures and 13 run-stop tackles for TCU at 6-foot-1, 300 pounds. His strengths are winning fast with his hands, keeping his pads low, and showing fluidity in his lower body. It all comes together into a disruptive middle tackle who’s impossible to block.
The run game is the biggest area of his game to improve. Just being able to hold his ground against double teams could help his stock tremendously.
Ahmad Moten R. – Miami
As I was making the initial list, I realized I’d forgotten someone: Ahmad Moten Sr. Easily in the conversation as a first-rounder at 6-foot-3 and 311 pounds. Moten has pass-rushing traits you see from NFL interior defensive linemen. He can explode up the field with his first step, but what’s most impressive is his hand usage. He knows where to strike and when to rip through or swat hands down at the right times.
It’s not all perfect at all times for Moten, but he’s a fun player to watch on this talented Miami defensive line.
C.J. Fite – ASU
C.J. Fite won’t wow you with his pass-rush game, but what he will do is stop the run. It’s something that never seems to get enough love when scouting college players. While Fite probably won’t get put into Day 1 or 2 conversations, he’ll be a popular candidate for Day 3.
At 6-foot-2 and 307 pounds, Fite has a thick build that lets him anchor the middle of a defense. His strength allows him to take on double teams, and his hand usage is good enough to throw blockers off of him. The pass-rush profile is basically non-existent, so that’s the main reason he’ll slide in the draft. He’s just limited to being a down-line defender in the NFL.
