Raven Country

Four Defensive Line Standouts From NFL Combine Who Fit Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens could bolster their trenches on defense with one or more of these prospects who boosted their respective stocks with strong showings.
Josh Reed|
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Clemson defensive lineman Demonte Capehart (DL05) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Clemson defensive lineman Demonte Capehart (DL05) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are on a mission to get back to their roots when it comes to team-building by prioritizing beefing up and replenishing the trenches on both sides of the ball. Their inability to dominate the line of scrimmage ultimately was part of what led to them falling well short of lofty preseason expectations and missing the playoffs altogether in 2025.

Defensively, the loss of two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike to a severe neck injury after just two games was a massive loss that left the interior of their front vulnerable for the remainder of the season. If they hope to turn their fortunes around in 2026, they can't afford to find themselves in a similar situation, so it's time to load up with the big boys.

The defensive tackles were the first group of prospects to take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, for testing and on-field drills at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, and there were several who made the most of the opportunity to boost their stock and further separate themselves from the pack. Here are a handful of the brightest standouts who could help the Ravens' defense rebound.

DT DeMonte Capehart, Clemson

The former Tiger had quite the strong outing by running the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.85), tying for the fifth-fastest 10-yard split (1.71) and tying for the third-best mark in the vertical leap (33.50"). His on-field work was impressive as well, with how explosive and heavy-handed he looked going through the drills. Capehart's relative athletic score of 9.97 ranks eighth among the 2046 defensive tackles since 198, with his composite grade being elite and his marks in size and explosion being great.

At 6'5" and 313 pounds with 33" arms, he can line up at multiple spots along the defensive front, take on double teams and be a very solid early-down defender who could develop more of a pass rush presence at the next level. Capehart only recorded three sacks during his college career, but also logged 13.5 tackles for loss and batted down five passes at the line of scrimmage.

DT Gracen Halton, Oklahoma

The former Sooner had an even more impressive showing than Capehart when it came to testing and was just as, if not better, in the on-field drill with the only reason he didn't receive a higher relative athletic score being that his isn't as tall or heavy at 6'2" and 293 pounds. Other than that, everything else he showed in terms of speed and explosion were elite and his score of 9.70 still ranks 63 and defensive tackles since 1987. His vertical jump of 36.5" was not only the best mark among all prospects at his position at this year's combine, it is the third highest of any at the annual event in the last 20 years. He also tied for the second-best broad jump (9'6"), ran the third-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.82) and had the fourth-fastest 10-yard split (1.70).

Halton is a very alluring prospect who just turned and showed more of his ability as a pass rusher over the past two seasons, with 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, than Capehart showed in his entire six-year career. With the uncertainty surrounding Madubuike's future, the Ravens could use another penetrating three-technique to pair with and spell Travis Jones for the foreseeable future.

DT Lee Hunter, Texas A&M

Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter (DL15) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb 26, 2026.
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter (DL15) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The former Red Raider was the only one of the top interior defensive line prospects who didn't shy away from competition and participated in just about every test and drill, except the 20-yard shuttle, where only seven took part. Hunter is widely regarded as the top prospect at his position and looked the part going through the drills with swiftness in his feet and both violent and active hands. This performance continues a trend for Hunter, who has aced each part of the pre-draft process thus far after being one of the brightest standouts at the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl.

At this time, using a top 15 pick on him feels like a reach, but that could change between now and late April, or they could still land him in the first round if they trade back into the late teens or early 20s.

DT Zane Durant, Penn State

Penn State defensive lineman Zane Durant (DL08) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb 26, 2026.
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State defensive lineman Zane Durant (DL08) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It wouldn't be a Combine if a former Nittany Lion didn't turn heads by turning in impressively explosive testing numbers, and that's exactly what Durant did. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash time among all interior defensive linemen (4.75) and had the best 10-yard split (1.66). Durant also tied for the third-best marks in the vertical leap (33.50") and fourth-best in the broad jump (9'4") for his position group. He was smooth through the on-field drills, flashing the quick feet and violent hands when moving around and hitting the bags.

Durant started the past three seasons and is coming off a senior season in which he recorded four sacks in 12 games. The only knock on him is his lack of size at 6'1" and 290 pounds, which wouldn't help the Ravens in their effort to get bigger in the defensive trenches this offseason. They already have and undersized interior pass rusher who they selected in the sixth-round of last year's draft that they barely used in Aeneas Peebles but perhaps Durant could push him for a roster spot if Baltimore takes him sometime on Day 3.

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Josh Reed
JOSH REED

Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.

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