3 Standout DTs From Combine for Jaguars to Keep Eyes On

Who are the standout defensive tackles from this week of athletic testing at the NFL Scouting Combine?

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The NFL Scouting Combine, in a lot of ways, is a dying event. Fewer and fewer athletes are testing in an already uncontrolled environment that isn't anything like what happens on the football field.

With that in mind, there was still enough testing done at this week's event for the Jaguars and James Gladstone's staff to be able to find some standouts. Throughout the week, we will look at some of those standouts at positions of need. Next up: defensive tackle.

Florida DL Caleb Banks

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks (DL02) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Perhaps my favorite defensive tackle in the draft, it seems highly unlikely the Jaguars would be able to land Florida Gators stud Caleb Banks at No. 56. Heck, it seems unlikely that the Jaguars would even be able to land Caleb Banks in the second round with the way things are trending. With that in mind, it is hard to ignore the performance he had.

Banks is one of the biggest defensive tackle prospects in this year's class at 336 pounds, yet he was still able to record some very impressive jumps with 32-inch vertical and 9'6" broad jump. He is a pipedream, but an athleitc one at that.

Clemson DL DeMonte Capehart

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney with defensive lineman DeMonte Capehart (19) before kickoff with Furman University at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC, Saturday, November 22, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co Inc SC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If the Jaguars want to reinforce their defensive tackle room with a young run-stuffer with some explosiveness to his game, then Clemson's DeMonte Capehart makes sense. Capehart is an older prospect who played over 50 games for Clemson, but his best fit seems to be as a Day 3 rotational defender against the run.

Capehart showed that his game has some upside to it, too, with the fourth-best 40 and third-best vertical jump among all defensive tackles. He will not be a top pick, but he is a name to store away for later on in the draft process.

Oklahoma DL Gracen Halton

Nov 29, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Gracen Halton (56) reacts during the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Gracen Halton is an undersized tackle who thrives shooting gaps and getting upfield. That does after all sound like exactly what the Jaguars were missing from the interior of their defensive line for large stretches of the season. The Jaguars had an elite run defense, but nobody outside of Arik Armstead really made an impact as a pass-rusher.

Halton had the best vertical of any defensive tackle at 36.5 inches, had the third-best broad jump, the third-best 40 (4.82), and the fifth-best 10-yard split. It was quite the day for the athletic defensive tackle, who has proven to be a high-ceiling option in this year's draft.

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