CHTV's Early Defensive Tackles Rankings For 2026 NFL Draft
Newt Westen is breaking down his Top 10 defensive tackles in this year’s NFL Draft class. It’s a more “Day 2 heavy” group than last year’s loaded crop, with plenty of specialized fits (1-techs, 3-techs, and 4i/3-4 DE types). Newt runs through the rankings, traits, strengths/concerns, and draft range — from steady floor guys like James Smith (Alabama) to intriguing risers like Lee Hunter “The Fridge” (Texas Tech), plus higher-end names like Peter Woods (Clemson) and Caleb Banks (Florida).
By Newt Westen
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Newt Westen is the Founder of 0-Tech Draft, contributor for The Draft Professor and Lead NFL Draft Analyst for CheeseheadTV.com. He's a lifetime Packers fan and you can follow Newt at @NFLDraft_Westen on X.
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Comments (4)
porupack
December 27, 2025 at 06:36 am
Hey...there are still games in 2025 and 2026 yet. Lots of stuff to still write on current drama.
stockholder
December 27, 2025 at 10:34 pm
So who has Raji testing numbers?
Newt Westen
January 03, 2026 at 09:20 am
BJ Raji was:
HT: 6' 1 1/2"
WT: 337 lbs
ARM: 31 3/8"
VERT: 32"
BROAD: 8' 7"
SS: 4.69 s
3-CONE: 7.9 s
BENCH: 33 reps
40: 5.23 s
10: 1.82 s
golfpacker61
January 18, 2026 at 11:18 am
Not a real strong class this year. I wanted Grant from Michigan last year. It was striking how fast the top 5 DTs were gobbled up in last years draft.