NFL training camp is in full swing, and that means the 2026-27 regular season is just around the corner. Every fanbase loves to compare its favorite players to the rest of the league this time of year, and we at Pro Football Network will give you exactly what you want.
The PFN DT Impact Scoring model puts a numerical value on the performance of every defensive tackle around the NFL. The best part? It’s completely free!
Pro Football Network has these scoring models for every individual position, and we’ll be breaking each of the top performers down before the regular season starts.
After Vita Vea’s recent contract extension, there are now five defensive tackles making at least $30 million a year, and there are 20 defensive tackles making at least $20 million a year. Needless to say, it’s a valuable position. These are the 10 best defensive tackles in the NFL based on last year’s PFN DT Impact Scores.
10) Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 82.9
The Dallas Cowboys definitely needed to make some big moves to address their defense, which finished as the worst unit in the NFL by PFN Defense Impact Scoring last season. Trading for Quinnen Williams at last year’s trade deadline was certainly a step in the right direction, and they’ve since followed it up with numerous free agent signings and draft picks this offseason.
Between his stints with the Cowboys and the New York Jets, Williams finished the year with 53 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Though he was dependable rushing the passer, his run-stuffing ability is where Dallas got the most value; his 85.0 run-defense score finished sixth among NFL defensive tackles in 2025.
9) Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 83.7
Heading into 2026, Chris Jones has a streak of seven consecutive seasons with Pro Bowl recognition. He’s surely a future Hall of Famer at this stage, but even at 32 years old, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Last year marked the seventh time in eight seasons that he’s finished as a top-ten defensive tackle by PFN DT Impact Scoring.
Jones has long been an elite pass rusher along the interior, and his 7.0 sacks in 2025 tied for the third-best among all NFL interior defensive linemen. His 87.0 pass-rushing score finished third at his position last year, and though that carries a lot of the weight in his top-ten ranking, he was still a solid run defender for the Kansas City Chiefs.
8) Jordan Davis, Philadelphia Eagles
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 84.0
From a production perspective, one could’ve argued that Jordan Davis was the unsung hero of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense last year. After he signed a three-year extension worth $26 million AAV this offseason, Davis is now certainly “sung”, or whatever the opposite of “unsung” would actually be.
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The 6’6″, 336-pound Davis has figured out how to maximize his massive frame. His 87.0 run-defense score ranked fourth in the NFL last year, and his 72 total tackles ranked third among all interior defensive linemen. For such a big nose tackle, he was also productive rushing the passer, tallying a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2025.
7) Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 85.0
The Los Angeles Rams had such a loaded defensive line last year, and it got even stronger with the addition of Myles Garrett this offseason. It can naturally be easy to overlook Kobie Turner, but he’s been one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL each of the last few seasons.
Turner has combined for 24.0 sacks over his last three seasons and has been at least a top-12 defensive tackle by PFN DT Impact Scoring in each of those years, most recently finishing No. 7 in that metric last year. He’s firmly entrenched as one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the league, and he also finished in the top 15 with an 81.0 run-defense score.
6) Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 85.0
When he’s healthy, Derrick Brown is a force of nature. He finished second among defensive tackles with 73 tackles in 2025 after leading his position in the statistic with 103 tackles in 2023. He only played in one game in 2024, but Brown has been a top-ten defensive tackle in each of his last two healthy seasons and a top-20 defensive tackle in every healthy season he’s had in the NFL.
The lifeblood of the Carolina Panthers’ defensive line, Brown tied for eighth among interior defenders with an 82.0 pass-rushing score and tied for seventh with an 83.0 run-defense score. He ended 2025 with a career-high 5.0 sacks, and his 31.1 disruptive EPA also came in the top ten at the defensive tackle position.
5) Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 86.9
Leonard Williams has finished as a top-ten defensive tackle by PFN DT Impact Scoring each of the last three seasons, ranking No. 5 with an 86.9 score in 2025 and leading the NFL with a 96.0 score in 2024. He’s combined for 18.0 sacks in his last two seasons, having made the Pro Bowl in each one. You could argue the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning defense wouldn’t be the same without him.
With an 86.0 score as both a pass rusher and as a run defender, Williams is one of just two defensive tackles in the NFL who finished in the top five in both last season. He also placed in the top five at his position in sacks, quarterback hits, disruptive EPA, and total snaps taken. When you talk about the best defensive tackles in the NFL, you can’t have that conversation without bringing up Williams.
4) Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 87.0
Heading into his 16th season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cameron Heyward is showing that, in football, sometimes age is just a number. He’s finished as a top-eight defensive tackle by PFN DT Impact Scoring in six of his last seven seasons, with five of those seasons resulting in at least a top-five ranking.
With 78 tackles, Heyward led all NFL defensive tackles in the statistic in 2025. What’s perhaps most impressive about his season is his durability; even at 36 years old last year, he still led all interior defenders with 823 snaps. He finished just outside of the top ten with a strong 81.0 pass-rushing score, but it was his 90.0 run-defense score that tied for second in the NFL and placed him near the top of these rankings.
3) Jalen Redmond, Minnesota Vikings
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 87.8
Surprised to see Jalen Redmond this high in the rankings? Surprised to see him in these rankings at all? Don’t be. The 2023 undrafted free agent exploded onto the scene in 2025, starting in 15 games for the Minnesota Vikings and finishing second in the NFL among interior defensive linemen with 38.9 disruptive EPA.
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Redmond’s 90.0 run-defense score tied for second at his position, but he was also quite effective rushing the passer last year. His 82.0 pass-rushing score tied for eighth in the NFL, and his 6.0 sacks tied for the tenth-most among defensive tackles. At 27 years old, Redmond is in the prime of his career and appears to have a bright future ahead of him.
2) Zach Allen, Denver Broncos
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 88.8
Coming off of two consecutive All-Pro seasons, Zach Allen has established himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. A big part of that has been his elite pass-rushing ability, as he’s combined for 15.5 sacks over the last two seasons. That mark is tied for the third-most among interior defensive linemen in the league in that span.
Though capable in run support, Allen’s pass-rushing skills are what set him apart. His 97.0 pass-rushing score in 2025 led all NFL defensive tackles, as did his 36 quarterback hits. He also tied for third at his position with 7.0 sacks last year. The Denver Broncos have one of the league’s best defenses, and there’s no denying that Allen is a big reason why.
1) Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
2025 PFN DT Impact Score: 97.2
Since 1999, Jeffery Simmons’ 97.2 PFN DT Impact Score from last year ranks No. 12 among single-season defensive tackle performances. He was phenomenal for the Tennessee Titans last year, finishing first in the NFL with a 91.0 run-defense score and coming in second with a 96.0 pass-rushing score.
Simmons led all NFL defensive tackles with 11.0 sacks and also led his position with 17.0 tackles for loss and 46.7 disruptive EPA in 2025. The four-time Pro Bowler also tied for fifth in quarterback hits and placed fifth in total tackles. Mind you, he produced at such a high level even while missing two games due to injury. Simmons put together one of the most dominant defensive tackle seasons we’ve seen this century by someone not named Aaron Donald.
