Best Interior Defensive Linemen in the NFL Since 2020

The best interior defensive linemen in the NFL since 2020 are grouped into seven tiers, led by Chris Jones, Aaron Donald and Cameron Heyward. Their résumés combine elite inside pressure, run defense, protection-changing power, sustained excellence and major-game impact.

This is a tier list, not a strict ranking from No. 1 through No. 34. Players within the same tier share a similar overall case for the 2020 through 2025 seasons, although their strengths and sample sizes differ. The order, tier placements and player groupings from the original graphics are preserved.

For a longer historical view, see the best defensive tackles in NFL history, best defensive players in NFL history and best edge rushers of all time.

How We Ranked the Best Interior D-Linemen Since 2020

The evaluation window begins with the 2020 regular season and runs through the 2025 season and its playoffs. Only performance inside that window counts. Earlier career accomplishments provide context, but they do not raise a player’s tier.

The largest factors are interior pass-rush disruption, run defense, double-team attention, power, technique, alignment versatility, consistency, durability, playoff performance and influence on an offense’s protection plan. Sacks matter, but they are not enough on their own. Interior defenders also create value by compressing the pocket, occupying multiple blockers, closing running lanes and creating clean opportunities for teammates.

Traditional defensive tackles and nose tackles are eligible. Hybrid linemen such as John Franklin-Myers, Arik Armstead and Denico Autry also qualify because they played meaningful snaps inside during the evaluation period.

Key Facts and Eligibility

• Evaluation period: 2020 through the end of the 2025 NFL season, including the playoffs.
• Format: 34 players divided into seven tiers.
• Order: Players are not strictly ranked within each tier.
• Eligibility: Defensive tackles, nose tackles and hybrid defensive linemen with meaningful interior work.
• Important context: Peak play, full-window consistency and shorter elite stretches are weighed differently.

Last reviewed: August 6, 2026

Tier 7: Productive Veterans and Strong Rotational Pieces

Tier 7 features Poona Ford, John Franklin-Myers, Christian Barmore, Arik Armstead, Denico Autry, Osa Odighizuwa and Akiem Hicks.

Tier 7 combines useful veterans, hybrid linemen and younger players whose best stretches fit the list, but whose complete since-2020 case is less extensive than those in the higher tiers.

Poona Ford

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 208 tackles and 13 sacks; a career-high 3 sacks in both 2022 and 2024; 5 passes defended and 1 interception in 2024.

Ford’s low center of gravity helps him hold the point of attack and work underneath larger blockers. His pass-rush ceiling is modest compared with the players above him, but his ability to anchor the middle gives him a clear role-based case.

John Franklin-Myers

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 175 tackles and 32 sacks; at least 5 sacks in four of the past five seasons; a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2025.

Franklin-Myers can reduce inside on passing downs or play from a heavier edge alignment. That flexibility, combined with a consistent power rush, makes him valuable even though he is not a full-time defensive tackle.

Christian Barmore

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 148 tackles and 15.5 sacks since entering the NFL in 2021; career highs of 59 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 6 passes defended in 2023.

Barmore’s length, power and acceleration give him one of the higher ceilings in this tier. Availability interruptions and a shorter body of work keep him in Tier 7, but his best film shows the ability to take over from the interior.

Arik Armstead

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 192 tackles and 22 sacks; 56 tackles and 6 sacks in 2021; 28 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble in 2025.

Armstead has played end, tackle and interior rusher across different fronts. His length and power can affect both the run and pass, while missed time and uneven year-to-year production prevent a higher placement.

Denico Autry

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 147 tackles and 42.5 sacks; 36 sacks from 2020 through 2023 alone; a career-high 11.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 2023.

Autry has consistently created problems by moving between the edge and interior. His hand use and power make him especially useful on passing downs, where matchups can be created against guards.

Osa Odighizuwa

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 194 tackles and 17 sacks across his first five seasons; a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2024; 43 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2025.

Odighizuwa wins with get-off and movement more than overwhelming size. He has developed from a rotational player into a disruptive interior presence, giving him a stronger case than his raw sack totals alone suggest.

Akiem Hicks

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 91 tackles and 8 sacks in 35 games from 2020 through 2022; 48 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2020.

Hicks’ sample in this period is shorter because his final NFL season came in 2022. At his best early in the window, however, he remained a difficult one-on-one block with the strength to reset the line of scrimmage.

Tier 6: Quality Starters and Rising Interior Defenders

Tier 6 features Kenny Clark, D.J. Reader, Ed Oliver, Alim McNeill, Grover Stewart and Kobie Turner.

Tier 6 is built around established starters and ascending interior defenders. Some provide three-down value, while others specialize in run control or inside pressure.

Kenny Clark

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 234 tackles and 21.5 sacks; Pro Bowl selections in 2021 and 2023; a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2023.

Clark has supplied a steady blend of anchor strength and pocket push throughout the window. He may not have the most dominant single-season peak in the group, but his multi-year dependability carries real weight.

D.J. Reader

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 157 tackles, 6 sacks and 8 passes defended in 76 games; 39 tackles and 2 sacks during Cincinnati’s 2021 Super Bowl season.

Reader is one of the period’s clearest examples of value that extends beyond sacks. He absorbs blocks, constricts rushing lanes and helps linebackers flow cleanly, although injuries have limited parts of his since-2020 résumé.

Ed Oliver

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 176 tackles and 25 sacks; career highs of 42 tackles and 9.5 sacks in 2023; 3 sacks in only three games in 2025.

Oliver’s first step allows him to cross a blocker’s face before the play develops. His improved finishing and backfield production turned his athletic traits into a more complete interior profile during the middle of the evaluation window.

Alim McNeill

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 140 tackles and 12.5 sacks since entering the league in 2021; a career-high 5 sacks in 13 games in 2023.

McNeill can play with nose-tackle strength while offering more movement skill than a typical space-eater. His rise as both a run defender and pocket pusher makes him one of the stronger developing cases in the middle tiers.

Grover Stewart

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 296 tackles and 10 sacks; 120 tackles across 2024 and 2025; 53 tackles, 4 passes defended and his first career interception in 2025.

Stewart’s job is often to prevent movement rather than chase sacks. His ability to anchor against double teams and keep the center of the defense firm gives him substantial early-down value.

Kobie Turner

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 145 tackles and 24 sacks over his first three seasons; 9 sacks as a rookie, 8 in 2024 and 7 in 2025.

Turner entered the league in 2023 and made an immediate impact as an energetic, technically advanced interior rusher. His shorter sample keeps him below more established names, but the early returns justify his inclusion.

Tier 5: Proven Starters and High-End Role Players

Tier 5 features Zach Sieler, Fletcher Cox, Daron Payne, Grady Jarrett and Nnamdi Madubuike.

Tier 5 includes productive starters and decorated veterans who delivered meaningful inside play during the evaluation period. Their cases vary from late-career excellence to breakout pass-rush seasons.

Zach Sieler

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 318 tackles and 34.5 sacks; consecutive 10-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024; 160 tackles and 25.5 sacks from 2023 through 2025.

Sieler grew from an underrated contributor into a dependable front-line playmaker. He wins with strength and relentless effort, and his ability to affect both the run and pass gives him a well-rounded case.

Fletcher Cox

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 137 tackles, 22 sacks and 5 forced fumbles over his final four seasons; a 2020 Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl LVII appearance.

Cox’s absolute peak came before 2020, so only his final four seasons count here. Even in that later stage, his first-step quickness, power and ability to create favorable rush opportunities for teammates remained valuable.

Daron Payne

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 297 tackles and 30 sacks; a career-high 59 tackles and 11.5 sacks in his 2022 Pro Bowl season.

Payne combines the frame of a run defender with enough burst to finish in the backfield. His 2022 breakout demonstrated a higher pass-rush ceiling, while his broader résumé is built on steady availability and balanced work.

Grady Jarrett

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 262 tackles and 16.5 sacks; a 2020 Pro Bowl selection; 56 tackles and a window-best 6 sacks in 2022.

Jarrett has long won against larger blockers with pad level and hand quickness. His strongest since-2020 work came earlier in the window, while injuries and age reduced the volume of his later contribution.

Nnamdi Madubuike

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 30 sacks in six seasons; a career-high 13 sacks in 2023; 6.5 sacks in 2024 and 2 sacks in only two games in 2025.

Madubuike’s 2023 breakout changed his profile from promising starter to proven interior finisher. His ability to convert quick wins into sacks gives him one of the best single-season pass-rush peaks in the middle tiers.

Tier 4: Strong Interior Defensive Linemen

Tier 4 features Javon Hargrave, Christian Wilkins, Vita Vea, Jonathan Allen and Calais Campbell.

Tier 4 features strong starters and accomplished veterans with clear multi-season impact. Each player has been capable of changing a game from the middle, even if availability or role kept him below the top three tiers.

Javon Hargrave

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 251 tackles and 34.5 sacks; 25.5 sacks from 2021 through 2023; a career-high 11 sacks in Philadelphia’s 2022 Super Bowl season.

Hargrave has been one of the period’s more dangerous gap-shooting tackles. His quickness can stress a guard immediately, and he has carried that skill across different schemes and supporting casts.

Christian Wilkins

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 316 tackles and 20.5 sacks from 2020 through 2024; 98 tackles in 2022; career highs of 9 sacks and 61 pressures in 2023.

Wilkins brings consistent effort and range to the interior. His best seasons combined sturdy run defense with improved pocket disruption, although later availability concerns limit his total case.

Vita Vea

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 184 tackles and 29.5 sacks; a 2021 Pro Bowl selection; at least 4 sacks in every season from 2021 through 2025.

Vea forces offenses to devote extra resources to the middle. He can anchor against double teams, close interior lanes and compress the pocket, making his value much larger than a sack total can show.

Jonathan Allen

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 309 tackles and 30.5 sacks; Pro Bowl selections in 2021 and 2022; a career-high 9 sacks in 2021.

Allen’s combination of power and technique made him a consistent interior threat during the first half of the window. Injuries and less consistent later production keep him in Tier 4 rather than alongside the longer-running elite.

Calais Campbell

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 236 tackles and 29 sacks; 6.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2025; 41 tackles and 6.5 sacks at age 39 in 2025.

Campbell was already a veteran when this period began, yet he continued to defend the run and disrupt passing lanes across multiple teams. His placement reflects sustained usefulness rather than relying on his pre-2020 résumé.

Tier 3: High-End Interior Disruptors

Tier 3 features Leonard Williams, Zach Allen, Derrick Brown and Jalen Carter.

Tier 3 contains defenders who can lead a front and dictate blocking plans. This group blends full-window production, dominant run defense, recent All-Pro play and elite young talent.

Leonard Williams

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 342 tackles and 44 sacks; 11.5 sacks in 2020 and 11 in 2024; a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown in 2024.

Williams opened the window with one of his best pass-rushing seasons and continued to supply high-level work across different teams and fronts. He can win from several techniques without becoming a liability against the run.

Zach Allen

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 263 tackles and 32 sacks; 8.5 sacks and 40 quarterback hits in 2024; 7 sacks and First-Team AP All-Pro honors in 2025.

Allen made a major leap after moving into a larger role. His 2024 pressure output established him as a high-end disruptor, and his first-team AP All-Pro selection for the 2025 season confirmed that the breakout was sustainable.

Derrick Brown

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 299 tackles, 13 sacks and 28 passes defended; 93 tackles in 2023; career highs of 5 sacks and 7 passes defended in 2025.

Brown can absorb contact, shed blockers and pursue outside the tackle box at a rare level for his size. His value is rooted in control of the run game, with enough pocket push to keep offenses from treating him as a one-dimensional nose tackle.

Jalen Carter

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 105 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 13 passes defended and 4 forced fumbles in his first three seasons; a 2024 Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl LIX championship.

Carter joined the league in 2023 and quickly became a centerpiece of Philadelphia’s front. His Pro Bowl-level 2024 season and role in a championship defense proved that his traits could translate to major games, but the shorter sample keeps him below Tier 2 for now.

Tier 2: Elite Interior D-Linemen Since 2020

Tier 2 features Quinnen Williams, Dexter Lawrence, DeForest Buckner and Jeffery Simmons.

Tier 2 consists of four genuine defensive centerpieces. Each has paired multi-season production with a peak that belongs among the best interior line play of the era.

Quinnen Williams

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 292 tackles and 39 sacks; 51 tackles and a career-high 12 sacks during his First-Team AP All-Pro season in 2022.

Williams can beat a guard with first-step quickness or walk a blocker backward with power. His dominant 2022 season showed how completely he can take over from the interior, and his surrounding seasons give that peak enough support.

Dexter Lawrence

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 277 tackles and 28 sacks; three consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2022 through 2024; a career-high 9 sacks in only 12 games in 2024.

Lawrence offers an unusual combination: the mass to control the center of the line and the quickness to create pressure from a true nose alignment. His ability to command double teams without leaving the field on passing downs makes him a unique defensive building block.

DeForest Buckner

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 344 tackles and 43 sacks; First-Team AP All-Pro honors, 49 tackles and 9.5 sacks in 2020; at least 6.5 sacks in five straight seasons from 2020 through 2024.

Buckner has delivered pressure, run defense and dependable effort across nearly the entire window. His long frame creates difficult blocking angles, while his hand use and motor have kept his floor unusually high.

Jeffery Simmons

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 321 tackles and 40.5 sacks; 65 tackles, 11 sacks and 3 forced fumbles during his First-Team AP All-Pro season in 2025; an NFL-best 60 pressures among defensive tackles that year.

Simmons has paired a forceful run-game presence with high-end interior pressure. His first-team AP All-Pro selection and league-leading defensive-tackle pressure profile in 2025 strengthened an already established Tier 2 résumé.

Tier 1: The Standard Since 2020

Tier 1 features Chris Jones, Aaron Donald and Cameron Heyward.

Tier 1 represents the strongest overall interior defensive line résumés in the six-season window. Jones brings unmatched postseason influence, Donald owns the highest peak and Heyward supplies rare longevity and complete play.

Chris Jones

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 191 tackles and 54.5 sacks; three straight First-Team AP All-Pro selections from 2022 through 2024; Super Bowl LVII and LVIII champion.

Jones has been the period’s most consistent championship-level interior disruptor. He can attack a guard, slide outside or create pressure from a stand-up look, which makes it difficult for offenses to identify where protection help is needed.

His ability to produce critical pressure without sacrificing size against the run gives him a complete case. No active interior defender has combined this level of pass-rush threat, postseason relevance and full-window consistency.

Aaron Donald

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 209 tackles and 39 sacks from 2020 through 2023; 2020 Defensive Player of the Year; First-Team AP All-Pro in 2020, 2021 and 2023; Super Bowl LVI champion.

Donald remained the gold standard for interior dominance from 2020 until his retirement after the 2023 season. His leverage, acceleration, hand speed and power forced offenses to build protections around him on nearly every passing down.

His shorter sample compared with active players is offset by unmatched peak value. Donald won the league’s top defensive honor in 2020 and made decisive plays throughout the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl LVI championship.

Cameron Heyward

Key Stats & Accolades (2020-2025): 357 tackles and 38 sacks; First-Team AP All-Pro in 2021 and 2024; consecutive double-digit sack seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Heyward has remained a complete interior defender deep into his career. He controls blockers with heavy hands, sets a firm edge when aligned wider and continues to create pressure through power and technique.

His first-team All-Pro play in both the early and later portions of the window separates him from players with only a brief peak. That durability of performance, plus his leadership and run defense, secures his place in Tier 1.

Complete Tier List Table

The table preserves all 34 players and their assigned tiers from the seven original graphics.

Biggest Takeaways

The Tier 1 players win in different ways

Jones has the strongest blend of full-window pressure and postseason impact. Donald owns the best peak despite retiring after 2023. Heyward’s case rests on complete play and elite longevity across the entire period.

Recent All-Pro seasons strengthen the middle tiers

Zach Allen and Jeffery Simmons earned first-team AP All-Pro recognition for 2025. Their continued rise supports Allen’s place in Tier 3 and gives Simmons one of the strongest active cases in Tier 2.

Nose tackles provide value far beyond sacks

Dexter Lawrence, Vita Vea, D.J. Reader and Grover Stewart show why the position cannot be judged by pass-rush totals alone. Double-team absorption and run-lane control can reshape an offense’s entire plan.

Shorter samples need context

Donald, Cox and Hicks retired or stopped playing during the window, while Carter, Turner and other younger players entered after 2020. Peak impact matters, but sample length separates otherwise similar cases.

Hybrid linemen belong in the conversation

Modern fronts move players across techniques. Armstead, Autry and Franklin-Myers qualify because their interior work is a meaningful part of their value, even if none is exclusively a defensive tackle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL since 2020?

Chris Jones, Aaron Donald and Cameron Heyward make up Tier 1. Jones has the best combination of full-window pass rushing and playoff impact, Donald reached the highest peak and Heyward provided outstanding longevity and complete play.

Is this a strict No. 1 through No. 34 ranking?

No. This is a seven-tier ranking. Players within the same tier are grouped at a similar overall level, and their order inside that tier should not be read as a precise head-to-head ranking.

What seasons are included?

The evaluation covers the 2020 through 2025 NFL seasons, including the playoffs. Accomplishments before 2020 do not count toward a player’s tier.

Why are retired players such as Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox included?

They produced meaningful seasons after the 2020 cutoff. The list evaluates impact within the period, so a player does not need to have appeared in every season or remain active in 2026.

What counts as an interior defensive lineman?

Defensive tackles and nose tackles qualify, along with hybrid defensive linemen who took meaningful snaps inside. That broader definition reflects how current NFL fronts move players between alignments.

Conclusion

The best interior defensive linemen in the NFL since 2020 begin with three distinct standards. Chris Jones pairs elite pass rushing with defining postseason moments, Aaron Donald supplied the highest peak of the period and Cameron Heyward sustained complete interior play across the full window.

Quinnen Williams, Dexter Lawrence, DeForest Buckner and Jeffery Simmons form an elite second tier, while Leonard Williams, Zach Allen, Derrick Brown and Jalen Carter lead the next group. Across all seven tiers, the same principle holds: the position is about much more than sacks. The best interior linemen collapse pockets, control gaps, command help and make every defender around them more effective.

More NFL Rankings

• Best Interior Defensive Linemen in the NFL Today
• Best Defensive Tackles in NFL History
• Best Defensive Players in NFL History
• Best Edge Rushers of All Time
• Best Pass Rushers in NFL History
• Best NFL Linebackers of All Time
• Best Cornerbacks of All Time
• Best Safeties of All Time

This tier list is part of a larger SOG Sports NFL rankings series covering player performance, peak value, historical standing and era context. Follow SOG Football on Instagram for more rankings and debates.