The 2026 defensive tackle class didn’t have much excitement because it lacked the rare athletes we’ve come to expect at the position. It’s no knock on any of those players; many of them have the skills to have long careers in the NFL. When looking at or hearing about the 2027 draft class, “generational” is the word that has been attached to it. While none of these prospects may be generational defensive tackle prospects, they are rare athletes who can be game-wreckers from the interior, which NFL teams value greatly.

It was a fun position group to watch, and it should be a fun 2026 college football season to see if some of these players can develop into true first-round talents. Here are the top five defensive tackles in the 2027 NFL Draft before the college football season.

1. David Stone – Oklahoma

Stone had fewer reps than others on this list, but man does he just flash rare ability in those reps. He has true athleticism that pops off the screen when watching him play. With it, he has tremendous hand placement to get up into the pads and control reps from there. There were some plays where his closing speed on the quaterback was absolutely lethal and scary to watch a 6-foot-3 and 310-pounder move like that.

Room for Improvement: Stone needs to turn those flashes into results and consistency. He has the power, effort and athleticism to be a game-wrecker; it’s time to turn into one. He was a five-star coming out of high school, so the spotlight has been on him from the beginning. Over two seasons, he’s played in 26 games at Oklahoma, but only two starts. This season he’s set to get more playing time and be a starter, so look for Stone to get more productive in 2026.

2. A’Mauri Washington – Oregon

When watching Washington, you see the build he has. He’s 6-foot-3 and around 325 pounds, so you expect him to not move as well as others on this list. But man, would you be wrong; the explosive power he has in his get-off sets him apart from everyone on this list. He’s an A+ run defender because of that athleticism, but he’s also smart and understands the types of runs being used against him. Along with it, the power to collapse the pocket is real, and he can engulf quarterbacks if they try to step up.

Room for Improvement: Getting more active with his hands is the one thing Washington could improve on. The run-stopping ability is there, and he has a quick get-off that packs power. Turn all of that ability into the pass-rushing game, and Washington could play himself into the first defensive tackle taken off the board.

3. Ahmad Moten Sr. – Miami

On a serious note, what were they feeding the defensive line in Miami last year? The greatness of Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor at times outshone players like Moten, but when watching him over this summer, he’s a game-wrecker in his own right. Moten’s hand placement stood out the most in his technique. He knows how to punch quickly and lock out his arms, letting him control reps from the jump. He’s a smart player who doesn’t rush too vertically up the field and maintains the pocket’s integrity so he doesn’t give quarterbacks easy lanes to run through. Along with the hand placement, he has the strength to win from there; it’s all clean and a joy to watch.

Room for Improvement: Moten has the size for it, but getting stronger in the lower half was something he could improve on. There were times when it felt like, on those inside runs, he’d get washed out or double teams would affect him. Want to see some of that lower body give him more power to hold his ground, so he can use his elite hands to make more plays on the inside. Along with that, expanding his pass-rush profile.

4. Will Echoles – Ole Miss

You want a player who’s just smart and understands everything coming at him? Well, Echoles is that player for you. The ability to be around the ball is just natural to him, as he can match running lanes easily, meeting ballcarries, in what they think are wide-open holes, then bam! Echoles is right there waiting. He’s strong enough and technically sound to handle double teams, and the flashes of his violent swats and swipes in his rushes are scary to watch.

Room for Improvement:  The pass-rush upside is there, but in second and third phases of reps it seems Echoles runs out of steam. Needs to do a better job at having better counters and the ability to adapt to what offensive linemen are showing him in pass rush reps. If he can get quicker with his hands as well, Echoles can make plays more consistently.

5. Justin Scott – Miami

There’s a reason Scott was the No. 3 defensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class, and for good reason. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 303 pounds, and the flashes of excellence command attention. When watching Scott throughout the spring, he repeatedly showed glimpses of being a game-wrecker from the interior and had a couple of plays against Ole Miss that were fun to watch. He reads runs well and has quick hands to act on it. Combine that with his power, and you see why he and Moten are gonna be an elite duo this season.

Room for Improvement: Like Stone up above, it felt like Scott just has to turn the flashes into consistency. There are series or just quarters where he basically disappears and is a non-factor. With the consistency, his pad height could’ve improved as he stood up too much during his pass rush reps.

HM. Mateen Ibirogba – Texas Tech

Had to include Ibirogba on this list for the journey he’s had in his college career. Zero-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, starting his career at Georgetown. He was a first-team All-Patriot League player in 2023, then transferred up to Wake Forest and played two seasons there in 2024 and 2025. He wasn’t a full-time player at Wake Forest, but during that time he showed the athleticism he has for the defensive tackle position.

Ibirogba has an elite get-off and rare closing speed on the quarterback to close space quickly. He showed the ability to drop his weight and handle double teams, and has the versatility to line up along the line rushing the passer from anywhere. All that led to him being the No. 1 defensive lineman in the transfer portal, where he ended up at Texas Tech for 2026. He’s one to watch this next season.

Room for Improvement: Ibirogba needs to be more under control throughout reps. He seems like he’s playing too free at times, to the point where he’ll take himself out of plays completely. Needs to formulate a plan more when rushing the passer; it just seems like he relies on his athleticism to win reps. He should learn to play more under control at Texas Tech, no doubt.