The NFL Draft is a little over a month away, and the Raiders will hold the 1st overall pick (1st round), 36th overall (2nd round), 67th overall (3rd round), 102nd, 117th, and 134th overall in the 4th round, 175th (5th round), 185th and 208th in the sixth round, and 219th in the seventh round. The Raiders hold 10 overall draft picks, among the most in the NFL this year, despite missing out on the 14th overall pick from the Ravens. The Raiders have consistently been projected as taking a nose tackle highly in the 2026 draft, the Raiders likely won’t have a true 0-Tech on the field all that often, as teams don’t sit in base assignments more than 24-28% of the time based on the last three seasons. Additionally, Las Vegas will have a 1-shade nose tackle more often than a 0-Tech, requiring their “nose tackle” to be more reliant on quick inside leverage, instead of pure mass that can clog gaps. I broke down what exactly to expect from the Raiders DL here that will also outline what the Raiders are going to have on their roster already.
New defensive coordinator Rob Leonard is likely to have an adaptation of both Mike MacDonald’s & Brian Flores systems, after coaching under both. Last season, Seattle ran a true )-Tech/Nose just 61 times, and they had a 1-Tech on field just 103 snaps last season. That has slightly changed from MacDonald having a nose 101 times in 2024 and a 1-Tech 214 times in 2024 as well, though he’s held firm around 70-78 and 100-124 majority of his NFL career. Taking a look at the Vikings, they ran a true nose tackle 119 snaps, with a 1-Tech 98 snaps. Flores has consistently held between 102-155 snaps with a 0-Tech, and 100-134 with a 1-Tech in his career. Rob Leonard has never ran a true 3-4 front, and it’s likely that front isn’t going to be seen often with how often the Raiders look to run a versatile defense, will rotate into 4 man, 5 man, over, under, and bear fronts. Additionally, they’ll likely live out of a nickel defense which puts a traditional 4 man front majority of the time, so the impact that a true NT will be played often is likely limited, and a bigger look is towards more athletic 1-2 tech’s with the ability to slide between 0, and another key factor is their versatility to work outside of 1/2 tech as Leonard has consistently rotated his DL between multiple techniques to tap into certain situation and packages. Las Vegas is going to be heavy with an attack-react front, requiring the DL to get upfield quickly and get into the LOS/backfield, comparative to a react-attack front that is more patient approached and requires defensive lineman to set up blockers and then get to the backfield. Either are effective, but with his history coming from Patrick Graham, Brian Flores, and Mike MacDonald who have all ran mostly attack fronts, it’s hard to see that changing for Leonard. The goal for the Raiders will be getting one-gap principles that allow the defensive line to hold gaps, fire upfield, and get to the defender in the backfield, something that Las Vegas did exceptionally well with last season ranking 7th in run defense, 1st in TFL, and having the 5th best run defense per EPA/play in the NFL under Leonard’s first year as run game coordinator.
Taking a very quick look at what Leonard has had with his defensive line, that will also require athleticism based on his high rates of stunts and twists where in his career, his defensive line’s have never ranked lower than 10th in defensive line movement rates (it sounds made up, it’s not I promise). Leonard loves looping outside pass rushers inside to create free lanes with double teamed IDL, sim pressures, and working to create 1-on-1 opportunities for blitzing linebackers, which with the additions of Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean will happen quite often. Through his time with the Raiders defensive line, Leonard did run a 0-Tech on 155-188 snaps between 2023 and 2025, with the most coming in 2022 with now Ravens nose tackle John Jenkins. Additionally, they have ran a 1-tech nearly 245 snaps or so in each season under Leonard, a trend that continued to his days in Baltimore. With all this in mind, the main goal of the article was to detail NFL draft defensive lineman that will fit what he’s looking for, so with that here we go:
*Based on the article I linked above, you can see two key things, and if you didn’t read that it’s alright. Adam Butler has spent 19% of his career snaps at 0-Tech & 9% at 1-Tech. Additionally, JJ Pegues played nearly 35% of his collegiate snaps at a 0-Tech and 8% at 1-Tech. Something that Las Vegas didn’t utilize last season *
Traditional 0-1 Tech & Cole Brevard:
Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange, Iowa State (Consensus: Early 3rd)
HT: 6’4 | WT: 325 | Career: 66 tackles, 7 TFL, 1 sack, 2 PBU, 38 run stops, 8.9% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 1078 snaps
- 1-Tech: 61 snaps
- 2-Tech: 198 snaps
- 3-Tech: 78 snaps
- 4-Tech: 188 snaps
- 7-Tech: 52 snaps
Orange is the traditional 0-Tech for the modern NFL, though he can shade inside to a 1/2 technique and does provide the versatility that the Raiders are likely looking for as well. Orange is very limited as a pass rusher, with just a 8.9% pass rush win rate in his career, and he doesn’t show a ton of technique that will adapt to the NFL making him a developmental prospect in that game. As a run defender, he’s elite, and arguably the best in the class. Orange has phenomenal size and strength, anchors well, and understands the run game extremely well.
Dontay “The Godfather” Corleone, Cincinnati (Consensus: Mid 4th)
HT: 6’1 | WT: 335 | Career: 123 tackles, 17 TFL, 9.5 sacks, FR, 57 run stops, 6.8% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 1174 snaps
- 1-Tech: 111 snaps
- 2-Tech: 188 snaps
- 3-Tech: 97 snaps
- 4-Tech: 22 snaps
Corleone has had his ups and downs, but remains one of the premier run defending first players in the class. His pass rush will be very limited in the NFL, likely similar to that of Andrew Billings/John Jenkins for Raiders fans, but Corleone is going to make a mark as a run defender. He has a strong lower half, violent active hands, good core strength, and understands the run game well. He’ll likely be a premier run defender, but his pass rush limits him from being a high pick and being in a front that’s attack based.
Keeshawn Silver, USC (Consensus: Mid 6th)
HT: 6’4 | WT: 330 | Career: 67 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 24 run stops, 7.4% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 454 snaps
- 1-Tech: 234 snaps
- 2-Tech: 245 snaps
- 3-Tech: 55 snaps
- 4-Tech: 19 snaps
Silver isn’t a true nose tackle, but he’s also not a multi tech with his true snaps mainly being at 0-2 technique. Silver has a massive frame, but struggles to anchor, can get washed out in the run game, and hasn’t been as good as he should be in college. Silver does show some upside, but as an older prospect you’d likely want more. He’s an active pass rusher, quick off the line of scrimmage and could be a nice late round target for Las Vegas. –
Multi 0/1/2i/3 Tech:
Kayden McDonald, Ohio State (Consensus: Late 1st/Early 2nd)
HT: 6’3 | WT: 325 | Career: 85 tackles, 11 TFL, 3 sacks, 3 PBU, 2 FF, 40 run stops, 3.8% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 197 snaps
- 1-Tech: 18 snaps
- 2-Tech: 318 snaps
- 3-Tech: 140 snaps
- 4-Tech: 7 snaps
- 28 snaps various (5-7 tech)
I, personally, am not extremely high on McDonald and this is someone who had Kenneth Grant as a top 10 prospect last year and loves run stuffing defensive tackles. McDonald is fairly athletic, and likely will benefit from a system putting him more in a 1-Tech role fully, but he’s played at nose and the film has been average. He has good strength, good hand combat skills, but looks very bleh in his athleticism at times, and can get pushed around. He provides very little as a pass rusher, and there’s a serious chance he provides very little as a nose tackle. For a team, like Las Vegas taking a limited pass rusher highly in the class is a risk, even with the premier run defense skills that McDonald could translate.
Christen Miller, Georgia (Consensus: Late 1st/Early 2nd)
HT: 6’4 | WT: 321 | Career: 64 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, PBU, 41 run stops, 11.1% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 198 snaps
- 1-Tech: 63 snaps
- 2-Tech: 313 snaps
- 3-Tech: 338 snaps
- 4-Tech: 143 snaps
- 5-Tech: 12 snaps
My DT1 this year, and that’s not going to change. Miller is exceptional, he’s a quick, violent, fluid mover in space, has an excellent first step, can bend well and shows almost EDGE like movement at 6’4/310 pounds. Miller has great hand skills, understands both the run and pass well, works well to get through double teams, and his strength is probably among the top of the class all things considered. Miller doesn’t have experience as a true 0/1 tech which could limit him for Las Vegas, but his experience playing the rest of the DL in a versatile multi front defense is valuable. There’s a real world for Miller to have multiple 8+ sack seasons, and if he’s available at 36 it’s almost a no brainer.
Lee Hunter, Texas Tech (Consensus: Mid 2nd)
HT: 6’4 | WT: 330 | Career: 172 tackles, 32 TFL, 7.5 sacks, FF, 41 run stops, 10.5% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 380 snaps
- 1-Tech: 67 snaps
- 2-Tech: 716 snaps
- 3-Tech: 634 snaps
- 4-Tech: 77 snaps
- 5-Tech: 19 snaps
Lee Hunter, the definition of confusing. Hunter is extremely strong, has great hand movement, is active in pass rush, his lower body power is among the best in the class, and he does move decently well on film. The issue is, he tested terribly (that sounds bad I know) but it’s also a showing on film at times where quicker inteiror lineman latch on and get to the spot first pretty much putting Hunter out of the play. Athletic centers are able to drive him around the spot and despite his anchor/strength there’s not much you can do when you’re out leveraged and put in a spot you can’t get out of your break. He’s not a quick player either, Hunter shows average burst but does have some movement laterally (again if he gets there first). Hunter should translate with decent pass rush production vs specific offensive lineman, where he can win power on power, which he’ll win majority of the time. He’s a tough player to eval, and he’ll benefit from a move more towards a true one-gap DT where he can play gap control, and is put in a spot to be at the POA first before the lineman. I like Hunter, there’s just a lot of questions around his game, and he’s likely not a very valuable pick inside the top 50 unless you’re extremely comfortable putting him solely as a 0/2 tech and letting things play out.
Cole Brevard, Texas (Consensus: Mid 4th)
HT: 6’3 | WT: 346 | Career: 56 tackles, 9 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 2 FR, 32 run stops, 8.3% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 502 snaps
- 1-Tech: 322 snaps
- 2-Tech: 301 snaps
- 3-Tech: 204 snaps
- 4-Tech: 12 snaps
Brevard, the first nose tackle without a nickname, is sometimes called Darth Vader in Texas interviews, and would probably fair well in the Death Star. Alright, football time now, Brevard is similar to Orange, providing a lot of versatility on the defensive front. For a system looking to attack, Brevard has a quick first step, violent hands, moves extremely well, and can get after the quarterback. He’s a raw prospect, but shows a ton of upside and his run defense will translate immediately.
Landon Robinson, Navy (Consensus: Late 4th)
HT: 6’0 | WT: 287 | Career: 153 tackles, 18.5 TFL, 14.5 sacks, 2 FF, 56 run stops, 8.7% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 261 snaps
- 1-Tech: 312 snaps
- 2-Tech: 454 snaps
- 3-Tech: 487 snaps
- 4-Tech: 146 snaps
- 5-Tech: 20 snaps
Man I love Landon Robinson, the main issues stem from the fact he’s just extremely tiny but he makes up for it in a lot of ways. Robinson has elite athleticism, fire off the ball quickly, shows exceptional ability to understand leverage, low pad level, and he has good strength to be an impact pass rusher. Robinson likley will play that true 3/4 technique in the NFL, and while he likely can’t be a 0/1 in the NFL unless it’s situational, he does have the athleticism and good strength to out perform lineman. Military academies limit how much a player can weigh/lift, and Robinson likely will benefit from getting closer to 300 and keeping his athleticism, something an NFL team will do for him. The true athletic ability, violent play style, and blend of power with a ton of room to grow is intriguing, especially paired with his versatility playing nearly an even split at 2/3 and 0/1 technique.
Darrell Jackson Jr, Florida State (Consensus: Mid 4th)
HT: 6’5 | WT: 337 | Career: 129 tackle, 12 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 2 PBU, FF, 70 run stops, 7.5% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 251 snaps
- 1-Tech: 43 snaps
- 2-Tech: 784 snaps
- 3-Tech: 442 snaps
- 4-Tech: 208 snaps
Jackson has to improve vs the run game, he has the size and strength, but lacks the hand skills, doesn’t play with leverage, and doesn’t really understand the run game either. There’s flashes in his game of being a high end pass rusher, and Jackson shows great movement at his size. He’s quick off the ball, gets to the point of attack quickly, and can utilize his frame to out muscle others. He’s a versatile defender, the issue is until he can defend the run at the rate he needs to at his size, it’s going to be hard to find consistent play time.
Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss (Consensus: Late 4th)
HT: 6’8 | WT: 330 | Career: 123 tackles, 17.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, INT, 3 PBU, FF, 49 run stops, 6.7% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 206 snaps
- 1-Tech: 52 snaps
- 2-Tech: 445 snaps
- 3-Tech: 463 snaps
- 4-Tech: 189 snaps
- 5-Tech: 79 snaps
Harris is athletic, he’s big, and he commands double/triple teams…. but he doesn’t really do much at times. Harris is productive in his career, and he works best when able to slide around the defensive line, is able to loop and stunt well, but he also struggles to get off blocks largely cause his size. Additionally, for someone of Harris size he naturally will have high pad level and no leverage, but Harris just seems to forget either thing exists and will stand straight up. He shows exceptional lower body strength and his core strength is good, which allows him to bend his hips and dip to try and gain some inside leverage. Additionally, I’d like to see Harris use his size more often and be a threat to knock the ball down at the LOS, which he doesn’t do often and when does is semi late.
Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech (Consensus: Mid to Late 5th)
HT: 6’3 | WT: 310 | Career: 93 tackles, 20 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 3 PBU, 2 FF, 33 run stops, 7.5% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 176 snaps
- 1-Tech: 38 snaps
- 2-Tech: 651 snaps
- 3-Tech: 412 snaps
- 4-Tech: 57 snaps
It seems people are coming around to van den Berg after he had a ridiculous pro day with a perfect 10.00 RAS. van den Berg is going to be an intriguing NFL player, he is raw, despite playing since 2021, but he shows a lot of potential upside. He can slide into the nose and play with his anchor, and explosive power, but also has true 6+ sack production potential with his athletic profile. He shows great hip and ankle flexibility, good hand skills, and can with with speed, power, and twitch. van den Berg is raw, he doesn’t really have a true position which lies the issue as he can get moved in the pass game at times. He’s a run first defensive tackle, and you’ll need to develop his pass rush plan, hand skills, and utilize his athleticism more often but if things are properly worked on he can be a foundational defensive lineman for a team (very similar to Tonka Hemingway).
Deven Eastern, Minnesota (Consensus: Late 6th)
HT: 6’6 | WT: 320 | Career: 97 tackles, 12 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 2 FF, 48 run stops, 6.8% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 152 snaps
- 1-Tech: 486 snaps
- 2-Tech: 517 snaps
- 3-Tech: 301 snaps
- 4-Tech: 10 snaps
Eastern is massive, he’s just inconsistent. He shows flashes of using his athletic profile to win as a pass rusher, and has improved over time, but he can also get moved around and just lacks the technique. He plays with good pad level for his size, but lacks any understanding of leverage and can get moved off his spot more often than he should. He’s alright off the ball, shows good initial quickness and burst, but Eastern is an intriguing prospect for his size, experience, and versatility. He’ll benefit greatly being asked to play a main 1/2 technique in the NFL for a 3-4 front that allows him to get upfield quickly and attack the OL.
Traditional 3/4 Tech DT:
Caleb Banks, Florida (Consensus: Mid 2nd)
HT: 6’6 | WT: 330 | Career: 48 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 3 FF, 13 run stops, 10.8% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 38 snaps
- 1-Tech: 12 snaps
- 2-Tech: 132 snaps
- 3-Tech: 485 snaps
- 4-Tech: 253 snaps
- 5-Tech: 24 snaps
At his size, you’d think Banks is a nose, but he’s not, which is interesting. Banks shows a LOT of upside, but he needs to stay healthy having a ton of lower body injuries, which at his size is a concern. Banks plays with good initial quickness, burst, and movement skills. He does well in short area bursts, can play laterally well, and is fairly good vs the run. He’s an active player, consistently makes an impact, and his pass rush upside shows for the NFL where he’s shown the ability to have multiple 8+ sack seasons. The main issues with Banks, are the mentioned injuries, he doesn’t have the best hips and can get pushed when needing to use leverage, and he struggles with athletic IOL that can get under him and utilize leverage. He shows a lot of potential, but the injuries and being 23 years old could turn teams away.
Gracen Halton, Oklahoma (Consensus: Late 2nd to Early 3rd)
HT: 6’2 | WT: 295 | Career: 84 tackles, 17.5 TFL, 9 sacks, 2 FR, 3 FF, 35 run stops, 11.5% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 139 snaps
- 1-Tech: 33 snaps
- 2-Tech: 233 snaps
- 3-Tech: 421 snaps
- 4-Tech: 103 snaps
- 5-Tech: 74 snaps
One of the “gems” of the defensive tackle class, Halton is a pure attack front defensive tackle, he shows elite (and I mean like Aaron Donald level) first step quickness, second step, and lateral burst. Halton flys off the line of scrimmage, gets into the rep quickly, and has good arm length/leverage understanding that allows him to beat the offensive line quickly. He has extremely active violent hands, moves well laterally, and is a premier run defender also. He plays with good leverage, understands the run game, and his hand combat skills will translate to the NFL immediately, where he also shows a good spin and the ability to twist and stunt. Halton is semi undersized, which could limit him, but he’s a true 4/3 technique at the NFL level. Las Vegas needs to add pass rusher and run defenders to their interior, and while Halton is undersized for the traditional 0/1/2 technique, he’s someone you want on the field, and playing for you.
Rayshaun Benny, Michigan (Consensus: Late 3rd)
HT: 6’4 | WT: 305 | Career: 107 tackles, 12 TFL, 4 sacks, 6 PBU, FF, 50 run stops, 8.5% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 28 snaps
- 1-Tech: 13 snaps
- 2-Tech: 284 snaps
- 3-Tech: 628 snaps
- 4-Tech: 208 snaps
- 5-Tech: 75 snaps
If you miss on Halton, Benny is a nice complementary option. He’s a run first defensive tackle, and his pass rush is coming along, but he’ll need to continue to develop more pass rush moves, utilize his athletic profile, and simply develop. Michigan prioritizes stopping the run, and Benny does that well, he has good leverage and strength, anchors well, has consistently lower body drive, and will be an impact defender. Benny is a nice mid round target, and while he’s played mainly 3-Tech at Michigan, he’s going to be able to slide into the 2-Tech role at the NFL level, and be productive.
Chris McClellan, Missouri (Consensus: Late 3rd)
HT: 6’4, WT: 323 | Career: 113 tackles, 17 TFL, 10.5 sacks, 4 PBU, 57 run stops, 7.4% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 98 snaps
- 1-Tech: 47 snaps
- 2-Tech: 384 snaps
- 3-Tech: 886 snaps
- 4-Tech: 179 snaps
- 5-Tech: 11 snaps
McClellan is massive, and he moves well for his size, he’s just overall a raw prospect who will need to adapt to the NFL with more technique, instead of the reliance on size/strength he currently has. McClellan shows good leverage, quickness, and can be a sparkplug at the LOS. He is versatile, and should see more snaps towards a 2/4 technique that allows him to tap into his strength/quickness instead of 3-Tech where he can get pushed around against double teams. McClellan has the ability to work off double teams, and he stacks/sheds well, but he’ll need time and development, though he shows a lot of upside.
Gary Smith:
Gary Smith III, UCLA (Consensus: Mid 7th)
HT: 6’2 | WT: 340 | Career: 111 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 58 run stops, 5.8% pass rush win rate
- 0-Tech: 167 snaps
- 1-Tech: 92 snaps
- 2-Tech: 746 snaps
- 3-Tech: 401 snaps
- 4-Tech: 68 snaps
- 5-Tech: 16 snaps
Smith missed all of 2024, returned in 2025, and well he maintained what he is. Smith is a quality run defender, he does well with his anchor and lower body power, has exceptional size, plays gap control, has good arm length, a knack for understanding the run, and his leverage ability is premier as well. Smith won’t be an impact pass rusher, he lacks a lot of traits, and is a very average athlete. The issue comes with, Smith hasn’t really played a true nose tackle role like he’ll need to in the NFL, and while he can adapt it’s different to play a 1 gap when you’re at 0 tech with limited help to your side. Smith shows good traits, can be an NFL run defender at nose, and likely will be an intriguing late round pickup or UDFA, as teams work to adapt him to that 0 Tech role. Additionally, he’ll need to show that the average athleticism won’t limit him, as he’s semi slow off the LOS.
Other DT:
I didn’t touch on some of these, just since they see a very inconsistent fit, that said if you want me to breakdown any of them, leave a comment or DM me on Twitter and I will get to them very quickly:
- Peter Woods, Clemson
- Kaleb Proctor, SE Louisiana (really really really fun player)
- Albert Regis, Texas A&M
- Zane Durant, Penn State
- Bryson Eason, Tennessee
- Nick Barrett, SCAR
- Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech
- Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
- James Thompson Jr, Illinois
- Jackie Marshall, Baylor
- Damonic Williams, Oklahoma
- Brandon Cleveland, NC State (top of my favorite UDFA target)
- Cameron Ball, Arkansas
- David Gusta, Kentucky
- Tim Keenan, Alabama
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