Max Llewellyn is a defensive end and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his collegiate career with the Iowa Hawkeyes. A native of Urbandale, Iowa, Llewellyn attended Urbandale High School, where he was a three-year letterman and team captain who doubled as a tight end and defensive end, recording 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 13 receptions for 278 yards as a senior while earning first-team All-State honors. He was rated a three-star recruit by most services and joined Iowa in the 2021 class, redshirting his first year before working his way from a rotational piece into a full-time starter. After limited action in 2022 and 2023, he produced one of the most efficient part-time seasons in the Big Ten in 2024 with 22 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks before earning his first full-time role in 2025, starting all 12 games and posting 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks to earn Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition and back-to-back Iowa defensive Hustle Awards.
Standing 6-foot-5 and 263 pounds, Llewellyn is known for a sharp spin move and explosive initial burst that allow him to win as a pass rusher on obvious passing downs. His motor, effort, and pass-rush productivity in his final two seasons have positioned him as a rotational edge defender prospect whose development trajectory and production in the Big Ten give him a realistic path to competing for depth snaps and situational pass-rush work at the professional level.
