2027 NFL Draft’s top defensive underclassman prospects

The “Hybrid Revolution” is upon us.

Thanks to Mike Macdonald, Nick Emmanwori and the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, we can expect speed in space to become a regular thing defensively across the league — at least in the smartest pockets of the NFL, if nowhere else.

If more teams find themselves in the market for defenders who can wear multiple hats at multiple levels, the 2027 (and possibly 2028) NFL Draft class probably won’t disappoint. Some of the most dynamic underclassmen college football has to offer this year come in big, fast and versatile sizes and shapes.

Here’s a look through some of the most intriguing ’27 draft-eligible underclassmen on defense:

Edge

Colin Simmons, Texas
Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

Compact and explosive, Simmons (6 feet 3 inches tall, 255 pounds) is absolute hell on wheels off the edge. He has produced more than 100 pressures in just two seasons of college ball and has continually bulked himself up after arriving as a 225-pound freshman. Simmons has terrific length (despite barely being 6-3), along with excellent bend and sink — a truly terrifying blend for offensive tackles.

He could be more consistent against the run, but Simmons’ full three-down impact should only strengthen with continued weight gain. He’s a potential top-10 player in the 2027 class.

Stewart (6-5, 245) has plenty of mutant-level traits himself. A long, explosive and twitched-up defender, Stewart was actually a gigantic (and effective) stack linebacker for stretches in high school. He’s lightning quick off the corner, can stop on a dime and find the ball from just about anywhere. His first step is outstanding, as are his cornering skills.

He’s still a bit lean, however. His natural burst generates plenty of power, but his frame should be able to deliver even more. Added strength should level out Stewart’s pressure rate and help him finish more in the backfield. If that all happens, Stewart could join the the top-10 conversation, too.

Another junior edge to watch: Alabama’s Yhonzae Pierre (6-3, 244), who had 45 pressures as a first-year starter last season.

Defensive Tackle

David Stone, Oklahoma
Will Echoles, Mississippi

Stone (6-3, 315) is extremely long and explosive. He weighed around 280 pounds in high school and has only gotten more dangerous with added power. His length would make most of the offensive tackles in this class jealous, and his ability to move and find the ball at his size is rare.

A first-year contributor in 2025, Stone posted 26 pressures and a near 10 percent pass-rush win rate as a mostly rotational player for the Sooners. He also added 27 run stops last season, per PFF, and could have a dominant 2026 if he can earn more snaps.

Echoles (6-2, 309) is a freight train on wheels — a defender who is athletic enough to rush outside and powerful enough to live inside. Mostly an interior tackle, Echoles did a little bit of everything up front for the Rebels in his sophomore season (39 pressures as a first-year starter). He played mostly three-tech but also took reps at nose, heavy edge and even outside the tackle on a handful of snaps.

Echoles’ power as a run blocker in high school would’ve been enough to get him a scholarship somewhere as a guard or center. His best fit, though, is defensively, where he has true three-down potential as an NFL prospect.

Linebacker

Chris Cole, Georgia
Sammy Brown, Clemson
Myles Graham, Florida
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame

Brown, Viliamu-Asa and Cole are all outstanding examples of big-bodied, second-level athletes with considerable versatility.

At 6-2, 234 with terrific length, Brown is a giant ball of muscle with speed and twitch. An elite prep wrestler who rushed for more than 5,000 yards in high school, Brown’s burst and bounce in the box are good enough to mirror plenty of actual running backs near the hole. He can be guilty of overrunning a gap or guessing wrong, but his ability to erase a mistake is terrific. Brown is freaky and could be a combine darling whenever he declares.

Viliamu-Asa measures 6-2, 230, but he plays like he’s closer to 240 pounds, bringing plenty of pop in the box with advanced coverage instincts. More of a rotational player than a starter at Notre Dame the past two seasons, Viliamu-Asa has the ability to be a three-down weapon in any college defense and projects as an interesting stack linebacker with sam/edge capability.

Cole, meantime, is truly enormous — a legit 6-3, 235 with outstanding length and speed for his size. He’s a stack linebacker with almost limitless potential as a mid-level hybrid. He’s still pretty raw, having played only about 500 snaps over two seasons, but everything about him stands out.

Graham (6-0, 229), son of former Florida and NFL running back Earnest Graham, is more of a traditional inside linebacker. He reminds me a bit of current Bears linebacker Devin Bush, albeit without elite speed. He’s not slow, to be clear, but rather more of a lightning-quick run processor who — despite a smaller frame — will rattle teeth in the box.

Cornerback

Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
Ashton Hampton, Clemson

At a legit 6-2 and nearly 200 pounds with reported 4.4 speed, Moore is the complete package. Potentially one of the top prospects in America regardless of position, Moore is a five-tool prospect — size, length, speed, body control and football IQ. Very difficult to fool, harder to stack and tough enough to play in the box, Moore is exactly what the NFL wants out of a corner in today’s game.

In two years as a starter (and despite missing a handful of 2025 games with an ankle sprain), Moore has a combined seven interceptions, 18 pass breakups and 20 forced incompletions. A couple of NFL comps for him: Nnamdi Asomugha and Sauce Gardner.

Hampton isn’t as athletic as Moore, but — believe it or not — he’s bigger. Hampton (6-3, 204, and possibly growing) was a first-year starter for the Tigers last season, working opposite standout Avieon Terrell. He forced eight incompletions (to Terrell’s nine) and broke up six passes (to Terrell’s five). He’s another cornerback with legitimate first-round skills.

A more traditionally sized CB to watch: Georgia’s Ellis Robinson IV, a very active and athletic 6-foot, 180-pounder.

Safety

KJ Bolden, Georgia
Tae Johnson, Notre Dame

Bolden wasn’t quite a member of the Malaki Starks Club at Georgia — aka a true freshman starter at safety in Kirby Smart’s secondary. But he did play more than 500 snaps with two starts during his debut season in 2024 before taking over full-time last year. He didn’t waste time becoming one of the most productive safeties in the country, breaking up six passes and forcing seven incomplete passes, while finishing second on the team in total tackles with 76.

Bolden (6-0, 195) can play deep, in the box or in the slot. A big year could earn him some first-round buzz.

Johnson, meantime, is one of the youngest players on our list — he’s technically a redshirt sophomore. He saw just 39 snaps in 2024 but started eight games at safety last year for the Irish as a versatile defender with legit speed and ball skills. Across his 10 games played in ’25, Johnson (6-2, 197) picked off four passes and broke up three more.

A terrific receiver (and good basketball player) in high school, Johnson required foot surgery prior to the start of the 2024 season, then lost time last year with a hand injury. If he can stay healthy, he has All-America potential.