NFL · 1 year ago

2024 NFL Draft: Top 15 Defensive Linemen Ranked Post-Combine

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

15. Austin Booker - Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawk Austin Booker is kind of the inverse of Marshawn Kneeland. Booker has the physical traits that NFL teams crave, but he has produced next to nothing until late in his career at Kansas. Booker ended up with eight sacks and a pair of forced fumbles in 2023, but that is the entirety of his college production. Booker was considered a sleeper to rise in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he did not test at the NFL Combine as well as analysts expected. Booker is now considered a fringe Day Two prospect. He is a bit of a tweener. Running a 4.79 40-yard dash in combination with a lighter-than-ideal weight has dropped him some.
1. Jared Verse - Florida State
Florida State’s Jared Verse could find himself a top-ten pick and ranks as the top defensive lineman. Verse, a transfer from FCS school Albany, was a catalyst for the growth seen at Florida State under head coach Mike Norvell and is known as a natural leader on and off the field. His greatest strength is versatility, as he can be moved inside or outside and would have scheme flexibility plus power at the point of attack. Verse was productive, but he does not have the elite speed you’d typically find in a top-tier first-round defensive lineman. He did nothing at the NFL Combine to hurt himself.
2. Dallas Turner - Alabama
Alabama's Dallas Turner is the second defensive lineman on the board, and there is a chance his performance at the NFL Combine moved him up to number one on some team's draft boards. His wingspan measured a ridiculous 83", and he ran the 40-yard dash at 4.46 seconds. Turner looks like a prototypical edge rusher with great length and explosion off the line. Turner figures to test extremely well at the combine, and it would not be a surprise to see him climb draft boards after posting great testing numbers. Turner was a critical piece of the past few Alabama defenses and will have a role as a pass-rush specialist right away in the NFL. The Cardinals could be in play for him at pick-four.
3. Laiatu Latu - UCLA
This class's most gifted pure pass rusher is probably Laiatu Latu of UCLA. The transfer from Washington had a massive 2023 season with 13 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. That followed a 10.5 sack season in 2022, and the two-time All-PAC 12 player is finally healthy and looking like a difference-maker. The red flags for Latu, and why he’s ranked here instead of at the top of the board, are injury-related. Latu will likely be off some team’s boards entirely and will be downgraded by most. Still, those who believe he can stay healthy will love what they see. Latu has the best technique in the class and capitalizes on the chances he gets for sacks. From a testing standpoint, the NFL Combine was very good for Latu, and he climbed to No. 3 on this list. He ran a 4.64 40 and showed good short-space quickness.
4. Byron Murphy II - Texas
Byron Murphy II is a three-down interior defensive tackle who lacks ideal size but makes up for that with effort and an understanding of leverage. His production exploded as a junior in 2023. He had five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, consistently disrupted opposing backfields, and pressured the passer through the middle. Murphy is nimble and quick and finds ways to make plays despite not having much size for an interior lineman. His combine performance cemented his spot in the first round.
5. Chop Robinson - Penn State
Chop Robinson is another edge rusher with less-than-ideal size but tremendous explosiveness and quickness. Two issues will prevent Robinson from climbing the board ahead of guys like Verse: size and limited production. Despite his athletic gifts, Robinson has 11.5 sacks over three seasons of collegiate action (one at Maryland and two at Penn State). He had 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2023 despite playing on a loaded Nittany Lions defense that prevented opposing offenses from focusing solely on him. As expected, Chop Robinson was a standout at the NFL Scouting Combine. His 40-yard dash (4.48) and 10-yard split (1.54 seconds) were both in the 98th percentile for edge defenders, and his other testing numbers were at least in the 85th percentile. His elite athleticism will land him in the first round.
6. Braden Fiske - Florida State
The second Florida State defensive lineman on this list is much like the first one (Jared Verse), with slightly fewer physical tools. Braden Fiske does not have the long arms that teams covet in their pass rushers but shows good explosion and the same versatility Verse offers. Few players climbed as much as Fiske at this NFL Combine. He measured well and then tested far better than anticipated. His 4.78 40-yard dash and 4.37 short shuttle time were standout numbers that likely pushed him into the first round.
7. Jer'Zhan Newton - Illinois
Jer’Zhan Newton, otherwise known as Johnny, is a difference-maker through and through. The Illinois defense was completely different based on whether or not he was on the field. He shows powerful hands and a good variety of moves to keep offensive blockers off balance and then showcases excellent effort and a high motor to finish plays. Newton lacks the ideal size for an interior lineman, but teams that motor and production will have him rated highly.
8. T'Vondre Sweat - Texas
One of the largest defensive linemen in the class, T’Vondre Sweat is a space-eater on the interior that earned All-American honors for his play in 2023. The Texas Longhorn had eight tackles for loss, 45 tackles total, and added a pair of sacks. Sweat is a nose tackle who is quicker than you’d expect a man weighing 366 pounds to be and moves his feet and hands very well. His stamina and ability to be on the field for more than just obvious run situations will be questions he’ll need to answer, and his weight was more than teams anticipated. His 40-yard dash was not a positive, but how many times will a defensive tackle be running 40 yards? He moved well in short spaces and looked fluid despite his size. In a draft with limited options at defensive tackle, Sweat stands out.
9. Darius Robinson - Missouri
This might end up being too low for Darius Robinson, an impressive prospect from Missouri. The issue is that Robinson is a bit of a tweener. He’s not the best edge rusher as he lacks an explosive or dynamic first step on the outside, and evaluators have questioned his technical ability with complaints that he gets plays too high and without leverage. However, he plays with violence and physicality, which has been successful against SEC offensive linemen. Robinson is excellent against the run and can rush the passer on the inside with his strength. He needed to test well at the combine, and things did not go as planned. Robinson ran only a 4.91 40-yard dash and then struggled on the bench press (he later ripped the bench press setup in a social media post). His production speaks for itself, but he likely did not rise on draft boards.
10. Ruke Orhorhoro - Clemson
Draft experts do not highly regard the interior defensive line class, but Ruke Orhorhoro stood out in his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. He measured 6’4” and 290 pounds and ran a 4.9 40-yard dash, one of the best for interior linemen. His RAS score was listed as the 21st best of all defensive tackle prospects since 1987. The former Clemson Tiger can play anywhere on the line and offers teams an elite athlete with versatility. He likely went from a Day 3 pick to a top 100 player on several teams' boards.
11. Adisa Isaac - Penn State Nittany Lions
Adisa Isaac is an edge rusher from Penn State. He returned from a significant injury in 2021 to become a high-end draft prospect thanks to good technique and above-average athleticism. Chop Robinson gets the hype, but Isaac led the Nittany Lions in sacks in 2023 with 7.5 and tackles for a loss with 16. That was more than double what any other PSU player had last season. He led a dominant defense, and scouts believe he has good versatility and lateral agility, which allows him to flourish. Isaac is not an elite athlete and is not viewed as having an exceptionally high ceiling, but he is likely a second-round draft pick.
12. Kris Jenkins - Michigan Wolverines
Winning a national title is bound to improve one’s draft stock a bit, but Michigan’s Kris Jenkins is not merely a product of being on a successful squad. Jenkins can play, and his stock is on the rise as teams get to watch him more. The son of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Sr., Jenkins has shown steady improvement, and his past two seasons in Ann Arbor had him playing a vital role on one of the best defenses in the country. He played in 481 snaps across 13 games in 2022 and 344 snaps in 2023. He is best against the run and showed strength plus impressive agility for a 300-pounder. As a pass rusher, Jenkins will not impact the game much, but he is a tough tackler who can shed interior blocks better than most.
13. Bralen Trice - Washington Huskies
The Washington Huskies did not have a terrific defense, but edge rusher Bralen Trice has impressive size and a reasonable frame, and he pairs that with above-average mobility. As strictly a pass-rushing prospect, Trice is a sure-fire first-round draft pick. He may fall because of a lack of actually finishing plays. In 2023, Trice produced 70 total pressures but only seven sacks. More than seven sacks would be expected for a player with his physical toolset. There’s a lot to like about Trice, but the lack of actual production is a concern.
14. Marshawn Kneeland - Western Michigan Broncos
Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland is a high-motor player with a reasonable frame. He has long arms and impressive strength, allowing him to bullrush opposing offensive tackles to penetrate the backfield. Kneeland is not a particularly refined pass rusher. He lacks technique and has no great swim move or ability to blow by tackles, but his strength and effort make up for much of that. Kneeland showed some versatility in playing both on the edge, and the interior, and a team looking for a high-energy player will take a shot on him.
15. Austin Booker - Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawk Austin Booker is kind of the inverse of Marshawn Kneeland. Booker has the physical traits that NFL teams crave, but he has produced next to nothing until late in his career at Kansas. Booker ended up with eight sacks and a pair of forced fumbles in 2023, but that is the entirety of his college production. Booker was considered a sleeper to rise in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he did not test at the NFL Combine as well as analysts expected. Booker is now considered a fringe Day Two prospect. He is a bit of a tweener. Running a 4.79 40-yard dash in combination with a lighter-than-ideal weight has dropped him some.
1. Jared Verse - Florida State
Florida State’s Jared Verse could find himself a top-ten pick and ranks as the top defensive lineman. Verse, a transfer from FCS school Albany, was a catalyst for the growth seen at Florida State under head coach Mike Norvell and is known as a natural leader on and off the field. His greatest strength is versatility, as he can be moved inside or outside and would have scheme flexibility plus power at the point of attack. Verse was productive, but he does not have the elite speed you’d typically find in a top-tier first-round defensive lineman. He did nothing at the NFL Combine to hurt himself.