Underrated Defenders for the 2026 Class

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense in today's game is as difficult as ever, and for many players, defense will get them minutes to showcase their full skillset. These players all have the necessary intangibles to be great defenders with the more experience they get. Here are my underrated defenders for the 2026 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1595667"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Higgs is already an elite shot-blocker because of his 6'11u0022 size. His ability to be a disruptor in the paint and cause for many contested shots is what will make him one of the better defenders in his class. Higgs has excellent awareness from players looking to drive in the paint as he can get deflections off of bad passes. He moves his feet well when looking to switch onto other players in the paint making it difficult for players to get any shot up against him.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1588143"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Napoleon provides lockdown defense on the perimeter with the ability to guard in the post as well. At 6'3u0022 Napoleon can guard multiple positions and look to switch to any assignment in his way. He has great timing on when to intercept passing lanes and will shoot out of a cannon to come up with those steals and loose balls on the ground. He plays physical defense which makes it tough for anyone to get around him.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1595770"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Galasso is a player that likes to cause havoc on the defensive end with his hustle and nose for the ball seemingly always being at the right place and time. He does an excellent job of trapping players in the corner to force some sort of turnover from the other team. He can pick any perimeter player up full-court throughout an entire game and never leave their side. There isn't a ball that Galasso won't go after when it comes to diving out of bounds to give his team a chance for more offensive possessions.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1919213"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Ahmetaj is a hybrid defender at the small forward spot that can defend every position at an elite level. At 6'4u0022 he can go from guarding the other team's best perimeter player to guarding their best inside player. He has great timing on his jumps on when to block shots in the paint. Ahmetaj likes to stick his hand in the cookie jar and look to come up with multiple steals throughout a game due to his long arms and timing to strip the ball away from players. Look for Ahmetaj to climb the rankings because of his defensive abilities.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["2107995"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Hall plays defense with a lot of intensity and physicality and looks to make offensive players work for their shots more often than usual. He will pick anyone up full-court and look to guard anyone due to his 6'3u0022 size. He has the awareness to get into passing lanes and when a hard screen is coming his way. Hall will not leave his assignment until he comes up with the ball. He also does a nice job of sneaking up on players on fastbreak opportunities looking to strip the ball away.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65735bc15c083"} /-->