Defensive Line Rankings 2023 NFL Draft

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jalen Carter (88) hits Samford Bulldogs quarterback Michael Hiers (10) during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSIVE LINE RANKINGS 2023

The 2023 defensive line class is impressive especially as we’ve included both defensive tackles and defensive ends. It contains three players we consider elite and potentially worthy of a top ten pick.

Jalen Carter looks to us like a can’t miss prospect, he’s got ideal size combined with long arms and has amazing pass rush skills for an interior player. Carter currently is in contention to be a top-five pick. Bresee who will likely be viewed as a three-tec at the pro level – has immense strength and dominated offensive lineman with regularity during 2021 and will, unless he suffers a major fall from grace not last past the mid-point of round one of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Clemson’s Mile Murphy a junior DE displays supreme power and at 275 lbs is equally able as both a run stuffer and pass rusher he will likely start from day one as a pro and dominate.

LAST UPDATED: 04/25/2023

Player Rankings - Defensive Line

Def Ends Only

DEF Tackles Only

EDGE Only

#	Player	Pos	H/W/S	Weight	Height	40YD	AVG POS RANK	AVG OVR RANK	Rating	Summary
74	DE/ED Terrance Lang	6-7 290lbs 5.02	DE/ED	290lbs	6-7	5.02	107	509.7	62.4 MORE>>	Sacks and pressures are product of hustle. Gives effort on every play. Holds the point with length and strong upper body. Plays with...
91	DT Rashad Colson	6-6 330lbs 4.79	DT	330lbs	6-6	4.79	114	526	45.0 MORE>>	Colson has an impressive blend of length and movement skills, capable of dominating shorter interior blockers as a penetrator and showing...
88	DE/ED Tavius Robinson	6-6 257lbs 4.66	DE/ED	257lbs	6-6	4.66	62	215.9	53.0 MORE>>	With his combination of length and flexibility, Robinson can bend and turn the corner around the edge, and he has the closing speed to...
84	DL/ED Jason Lewan	6-6 305lbs 5.07	DL/ED	305lbs	6-6	5.07	106	507	54.0 MORE>>	Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either side...
47	DE/ED Ali Gaye	6-6 263lbs 4.69	DE/ED	263lbs	6-6	4.69	51	167.3	77.0 MORE>>	Gaye has long arms and displays good power in his hands, which gives him the ability to slip off blocks. As a run defender, Gaye has the...
43	DE/ED BJ Thompson	6-6 238lbs 4.61	DE/ED	238lbs	6-6	4.61	67	242.3	78.4 MORE>>	Thompson has the classic frame and long arms with some explosion, power and ability to close. Made Bruce Feldman's Freak's List - ranked...
24	DT Gervon Dexter Sr.	6-6 310lbs 4.88	DT	310lbs	6-6	4.88	36	83.1	83.1 MORE>>	Gervon Dexter came out of high school billed as one of the top prospects in the nation and a no-brainer 5-star prospect. Considering...
16	DE/ED Zach Harrison	6-6 274lbs 4.41	DE/ED	274lbs	6-6	4.41	37	85	84.9 MORE>>	Ohio State has been a breeding ground for top-notch pass rushers - in particular, the Bosa brothers and Chase Young, and some scouts are...
3	DT Bryan Bresee	6-6 298lbs 4.86	DT	298lbs	6-6	4.86	12	33.7	88.1 MORE>>	Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is an elite prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class. His physical abilities, explosiveness, lateral...
90	DL/ED DJ Coleman	6-5 244lbs 4.78	DL/ED	244lbs	6-5	4.78	113	522	50.0 MORE>>	His hand use is excellent; he’s strong in the upper body and consistently swats away blockers. Coleman shows impressive burst and enough...
86	DE/ED Nate Matlack	6-5 245lbs 4.82	DE/ED	245lbs	6-5	4.82	76	511	54.0 MORE>>	Matlack has prototypical size, with a little more room on his frame to add weight. He shows impressive quickness at the snap and plays at a...
71	DL Brett Johnson	6-5 295lbs 5.00	DL	295lbs	6-5	5.00	90	402	70.0 MORE>>	Combines excellent power with initial quickness, but one of his best attributes are his violent hands, which Johnson uses with impressive...

We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.

For a much improved viewing experience (with more players) please view on a larger screen.

We've compared players 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.

Defensive Line Rankings 2023 NFL Draft