- Jeffery Simmons earns All-Pro honors: Simmons compiled the third-highest grade at the position amid an impressive performance in 2025.
- Both Seahawks stars crack the top 20: The Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning duo of Byron Murphy II and Leonard Williams make the top 20.
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
While edge rushers may attain the most sacks and pressures, interior defenders are just as critical to a team's defensive line with their abilities in both the pass and run game.
Below are the 20 highest-graded defensive linemen from the 2025 NFL season.
1. Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers (90.4)
Even at 36 years old, Cameron Heyward remains at the top of his game. It’s a testament to the savvy skills and experience needed to survive in the trenches, but Heyward is a special case. The veteran defensive tackle has compiled a PFF grade over 85.0 in seven of his last nine seasons and still did business in 2025.
Heyward generated 53 pressures — the 10th-most among defensive tackles — and four sacks in 2025. Although his sack totals dropped from 10 a year ago, Heyward was still a nuisance for opposing quarterbacks, posing a 16.0% pass-rush win rate — the fifth-highest among defensive tackles — while batting the second-most passes (6) at the line of scrimmage.
2. Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys (88.8)
Whether he was a Jet or a Cowboy, Quinnen Williams made an impact in 2025. The former No. 3 overall pick really kicked into gear in the second half of the season in particular. Williams finished the year with 51 total pressures and 35 stops, and his 91.3 PFF run-defense grade led the position.
Williams especially dominated once he joined the Cowboys. His 32 pressures from Week 11 to the end of the regular season were third among defensive tackles, and his 16.9% pressure rate led the league. No player had more tackles for loss or no gain than Williams’ 22.
3. Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans (88.3)
There was arguably no defensive tackle more dominant than the Titans’ Jeffery Simmons in 2025. Simmons led the league in sacks (12), stops (42), pressure rate (14.8%), and pass-rush win rate (19.8%), while earning the first first-team All-Pro selection of his career.
Simmons’ 91.4 PFF pass-rushing grade was the highest of his career, and he forced more fumbles (3) than any other defensive tackle in the league. A monstrous performance from one of the best in the league.
4. Poona Ford, Los Angeles Rams (86.0)
The Rams signed veteran Poona Ford last offseason in the hopes that the big nose tackle could add some punch on the interior of their defensive line. He succeeded in his first season with the team. Ford had the best campaign of his career in 2025, setting career highs in pressures (34) and stops (33).
His 10.7% run-stop rate was seventh among defensive tackles, and his 78.6 PFF run-defense grade was fifth at the position. Ford was a quiet game-changer for the Rams in 2025.
5. T’Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans (83.4)
Playing alongside Simmons will certainly make your life easier in the trenches, but T’Vondre Sweat is still a behemoth of a human being. He had an excellent second season in the NFL despite playing just 12 games.
Sweat isn’t going to use an explosive get-off to get after opposing quarterbacks, but his ability to eat and shed blocks and clog rushing lanes is uncanny. His 79.3 PFF run-defense grade was fourth among defensive tackles, and he improved his pressure rate to 9.5% in 2025.
6. Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams (80.3)
Rams interior defender Kobie Turner has been a major player since he stepped foot on an NFL field in 2023. Turner has eclipsed 50 pressures in each of his three seasons in the NFL and recorded a career-high 62 pressures in 2025 — second among all interior defenders — while adding eight sacks.
His work as a pass-rusher is some of the best in the NFL. Turner’s 12.5% pressure rate was ninth among defensive tackles, and his 83.9 PFF pass-rushing grade was eighth. The Rams could look to extend Turner this offseason, as his rise from underlooked contributor to one of the faces of one of the NFL’s top young defenses has been rapid.
7. Travis Jones, Baltimore Ravens (79.2)
Initially billed as a run-stuffing nose tackle, Travis Jones continues to add wrinkles to his game and has developed into one of the league’s best all-around defensive tackles. Jones’ 79.2 PFF grade in 2025 was a career-high, and his 81.1 PFF run-defense grade was the third-highest at the position.
His pass-rushing has developed, too. Jones registered a career-high 47 pressures and six sacks in 2025; both marks were in the top 20 at his position. The Ravens’ defense struggled to fill the void left by the injured Nnamdi Madubuike, but Jones stepped up when needed.
8. David Onyemata, Atlanta Falcons (78.2)
David Onyemata remains a positive veteran influence on the defensive line, and he played sound football as the Falcons’ defense took a step forward in 2025. Onyemata’s 4.8% missed tackle rate was by far the lowest of his career, and his 28 stops were tied for the second-highest of his tenure.
All but three of his 28 stops came against the run, too. Onyemata’s 74.2 PFF run-defense grade was eighth among defensive tackles. Though he hasn’t been a major presence when it comes to rushing the quarterback, his 67.1 PFF pass-rushing grade was top-50 at the position.
9. Tommy Togiai, Houston Texans (76.4)
Since arriving in Houston in 2023, Tommy Togiai has built his role from an ancillary depth piece to a trusty cog on one of the NFL’s elite defenses. Togiai became a starter for the Texans in the second half of the season, and his 83.2 PFF grade from Week 10 onward was the seventh-highest at the position.
Togiai tallied 40 stops in 2025, which were the seventh-most among defensive tackles, and his 34 run stops were the third-most. The former Brown missed just one tackle in run defense, adding the second-highest run-stop rate (13.7%) in the league.
10. Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks (76.1)
Since the Seahawks traded for Leonard Williams ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, the former first-round pick has been one of the most impactful defenders in the league. Williams had another monster season in 2025, generating a career-high 69 pressures — tied for the second-most in the league among interior defenders — while his nine sacks tied for the fourth-most.
Williams was a highlight machine for the NFL’s best defense, too. His 42 stops were the fourth-most among defensive tackles, and his 71.6 PFF run-defense grade was the 12th-highest.
11. Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants (75.6)
For the last few seasons, Dexter Lawrence has been an unstoppable force of nature. By his standards, Lawrence had something of a down year in 2025, finishing the campaign with 34 pressures and zero sacks. But, the three-time Pro Bowler still made an impact on the Giants’ defensive line.
Lawrence’s 14.1% pass-rush win rate was eighth in the NFL in 2025, and his 84.5 PFF pass-rushing grade was seventh. So much of Lawrence’s game doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. He eats double teams, creates lanes for his teammates and doesn’t let offensive linemen rest.
12. Maliek Collins, Cleveland Browns (74.5)
Until his season-ending injury in Week 13, Maliek Collins was arguably having the best year of his career. The veteran defensive tackle compiled a career-best 74.5 PFF grade, generating 28 pressures and a career-high eight sacks. Collins was the second punch to Myles Garrett (92.7 grade; 2nd), and his 14.1% pass-rush win rate was ninth at the position.
His threat as a pass-rusher was constant. Collins earned an 87.2 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2025, the highest of his career and the third-best among defensive tackles. If he can return to similar form in 2026, Collins could be a problem.
13. D.J. Jones, Denver Broncos (74.4)
The Broncos entered the 2025 season with one of the NFL’s top defenses on paper, and they lived up to that billing from bell to bell. The talent across the board was overwhelming, and that meant D.J. Jones was one of the more underrated names on the depth chart.
Jones made a decent impact as a pass-rusher, generating 26 pressures and five sacks in 2025, but he made his living as a run stopper. His 73.3 PFF run-defense grade was 10th among defensive tackles, and Jones was top-20 in run stops (25 stops; 17th) and run stop rate (10.7%; 11th).
14. DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts (74.0)
DeForest Buckner has battled injuries over the last two seasons, playing in just 22 total games, but the former All-Pro still made a sizable impact in his 10th year in the NFL. Buckner totaled 36 pressures and four sacks in 10 games, and his 11.4% pressure rate was 16th among interior defenders.
Staying healthy has been a concern for Buckner, but when he’s on the field, he’s a destructive force. His 11 quarterback hits were fifth-most in the NFL, and he’s one of the soundest tacklers at the position, posting a 4.4% missed tackle rate.
15. Jordan Davis, Philadelphia Eagles (73.7)
The appeal of Jordan Davis is obvious. He’s one of the most physically imposing players in NFL history, but despite that, he’s sometimes failed to make a comparative impact.
However, the former first-round pick had his best season to date in 2025. Davis’ 73.7 PFF grade was the highest of his career, and he was a wall in the middle of the Eagles’ defense.
Davis collected a career-high 28 quarterback pressures in 2025, and his 42 stops were tied for the fourth-most among defensive linemen. He’s improved as a pass-rusher, but Davis is still one of the best run-stuffers in the league. His 36 run stops were the most in the league.
16. Jowon Briggs, New York Jets (73.7)
The New York Jets were a disaster class in 2025, but a rare and unlikely bright spot was the play of Jowon Briggs. The former seventh-round pick spent his rookie season with the Browns in 2024, but couldn’t latch on to a spot on the team’s excellent defense. Instead, his performances stood out for the Jets in 2025, particularly as a pass-rusher.
Briggs’ 85.6 PFF pass-rushing grade was fifth among defensive tackles, and he finished the season with 38 total pressures and four sacks. From Week 10 until the end of the regular season, Briggs was one of the most active pass-rushers in the league. His 29 pressures were the seventh-most at the position, and he earned an 89.4 PFF pass-rushing grade. Briggs finished the year with the sixth-highest pressure rate (13.4%) and the third-highest pass-rush win rate (16.6%).
17. Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers (72.9)
After missing the majority of the 2024 season with a torn meniscus, Panthers stud Derrick Brown returned to the field in 2025 and looked to take his rightful place as an elite defensive tackle. It didn’t take long for him to remind the NFL why he was a top-10 pick in 2020.
Brown finished the season with 34 run stops, the second-most at the position, and a 65.8 PFF run-defense grade. He also had a career-high six sacks, tied for the 14th-most among defensive tackles, to pair with 39 pressures.
18. Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (72.8)
It was business as usual for Vita Vea in his eighth year in the league in 2025. Vea has been a constant at the heart of the Buccaneers’ defense, and has compiled a PFF grade below 70.0 just once in his career. The stalwart was impressive again, notching 51 pressures and four sacks in 2025, while his eight quarterback hits were the second-highest of his career.
Vea’s run defense wasn’t at its usual levels, but his activity as a pass-rusher can’t be ignored. He played six games with at least four quarterback pressures, and his 13.6% pass-rush win rate was 10th among defensive tackles.
19. Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks (72.8)
Along with Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II was a major player on the Seahawks’ defensive line on their run to the Super Bowl. Murphy was a force of nature on the interior as a pass-rusher, generating 62 pressures and 11 sacks in his second season in the NFL, while his 43 defensive stops were the second-most.
Murphy’s motor doesn’t quit. His 11.6% pressure rate was 13th among defensive tackles, and his 12 pressures in three postseason games were the fourth-most. Murphy came up clutch when it mattered the most, tallying five pressures and two sacks in the Super Bowl.
20. Jalen Redmond, Minnesota Vikings (72.7)
The Vikings spent handsomely to improve their defensive line in the offseason, signing Jonathan Allen (53.2 grade; 84th) and Javon Hargrave (68.0 grade; 36th) to big-money deals. But it was former undrafted free agent Jalen Redmond who made the biggest impact on the defensive line.
Redmond made things happen on the defensive line, leading the Vikings’ position group in pressures (35), sacks (6) and stops (39). His ability against the run stood out, with Redmond earning a 72.7 PFF run-defense grade — 11th at the position —and his 30 run stops were sixth.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.