Cincinnati Bearcats football players who could be NFL Draft picks
· Yahoo Sports
For the first time since 2023, the University of Cincinnati college football team could have multiple NFL draft picks.
The last two seasons, the Bearcats have just had one (defensive lineman Jowon Briggs in 2024 and offensive lineman John Williams in 2025). The 2023 NFL Draft saw receivers Tre Tucker and Tyler Scott selected, along with tight end Josh Whyle.
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The 2023 NFL Draft featured a school record eight picks, beginning with first-rounder Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner to the New York Jets; Alec Pierce to the Indianapolis Colts and Bryan Cook to the Kansas City Chiefs in the second; Desmond Ridder to the Atlanta Falcons and Myjai Sanders to the Arizona Cardinals in the third; Coby Bryant to the Seattle Seahawks in round four; Jerome Ford to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth; and Darrian Beavers to the New York Giants and Curtis Brooks to the Colts in round seven.
Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield thinks three to five UC players could be selected April 23-25 from the festivities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with several others having free agent opportunities.
Here's where Cincinnati Bearcats could land in NFL draft
Linebacker Jake Golday should be first UC Bearcat picked in NFL draft
The UC linebacker is rated a 6.33 on the NFL.com site, which means they feel he'll eventually be a starter. Golday measured 6-foot-4.5 at the NFL Combine and weighed in at 239 pounds. He ran a 4.62 40-yard dash, had a 39-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 10 feet, 5 inches.
Golday came to UC in 2024 and produced 58.5 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Last season, he was first-team Big 12, leading UC with 105.5 tackles with six tackles for loss 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein has Golday as a second-round pick, and NFL Mock Draft Database also sees him going in Round 2. In mock drafts, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated have him as the 20th pick overall in the first round to the Dallas Cowboys, The Draft Network has him 26th overall to the Buffalo Bills, while USA Today and Pro Football Focus mocks list him 31st overall to the Tennessee Titans.
"I wasn't just setting this dream just to dream about it, I was setting it as a goal," Golday said at UC's Pro Day on March 24.
UC linebackers coach Cort Braswell has watched Golday the past two seasons.
"The first time I met him, I thought he had a chance to be special," Braswell said. "You get him here and he was better than advertised. A better person, a better player, a tremendous human being."
Have NFL scouts seen enough of Joe Royer to make him latest UC Bearcats tight end in pros?
Royer's NFL.com rating is 6.12, where it's believed he would be a good backup with the potential to start. Royer measured slightly over 6-foot-5 at the NFL Combine and weighed 247 pounds.
After transferring from Ohio State University, the former Elder High School standout broke Travis Kelce's single-season receptions record for tight ends with 50 in 2024, making first-team Big 12. In 2025, he was double-teamed and held to 29 catches.
UC tight ends coach Josh Stepp plans to be with him during the NFL draft, where NFL.com's Zierlein has him being chosen in either the fifth or sixth round. NFL Mock Draft Database has him going in Round 5. Elsewhere, USA Today has Royer going in the third round to the Philadelphia Eagles, NFL Spine Zone says fourth round to Dallas, and Clutch Points has Royer in the fifth round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Royer hopes to be the latest Bearcats tight end to get drafted, joining future Hall of Famer and Super Bowl winner Kelce, Super Bowl winner Brent Celek, Whyle and Josiah Deguara, among others.
How high has UC Bearcats receiver Cyrus Allen climbed among NFL scouts?
Cyrus Allen grades out at 6.18 on the NFL.com site as he's listed as a good backup and potential starter.
At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Allen has moved up the charts despite not getting invited to the NFL Combine. At UC's Pro Day, he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, had a vertical leap of 36 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet. Running the best routes on the day didn't hurt either.
Allen had 46 catches at Louisiana Tech in 2023 before transferring to Texas A&M, where he caught 18 balls in 2024. Transferring to the Bearcats stepped up his production as he led the team with 51 receptions and 13 touchdowns, tying a school record for receivers.
NFL.com's Zierlein sees Allen going in the fourth round, while NFL Mock Draft Database has him pegged for Round 6. In other mock drafts, Sports Illustrated has Allen going in the sixth round to the New England Patriots, CBS says seventh round to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Clutch Points has him going in the fifth round to the Browns.
"He's the most competitive guy I've ever been around," UC wide receivers coach Vijay Stingley said. "He wants it so, so bad and he's going to put everything in it. It doesn't matter what he's asked to do; he's going to do it at a high level. He's definitely going to have a role on special teams in the league; I know a bunch of teams have been talking to him about that."
Where will UC Bearcats receiver Jeff Caldwell's NFL Combine numbers land him?
The Ringer's Todd McShay (formerly of ESPN) said Caldwell "won the Combine."
That's after the former FCS receiver from Lindenwood was measured at over 6-foot-5 and 216 pounds. His 40-yard dash time was 4.31, he had a vertical leap of 42 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet, 2 inches.
NFL.com grades him at 6, which translates to having the ability to be an above-average backup, but many will say Caldwell's best football has yet to take place.
After catching 53 passes for 11 touchdowns at Lindenwood to become a Walter Payton Award finalist for Best FCS Offensive Player, Caldwell transferred to UC and had 32 catches and six touchdowns.
NFL.com's Zierlein projects Caldwell as a fourth-round pick with NFL Mock Draft Database placing him in the fifth round.
"He had big ground to cover coming from Lindenwood to us and he had a tremendous year," UC's Stingley said. "I'm excited about him taking the next step and taking advantage of that opportunity."
Have NFL scouts seen enough of UC's Dontay Corleone to draft him?
"The Godfather" was at the NFL Combine and the UC Pro Day but hasn't worked out yet for scouts other than what's been put on tape. He did do interviews at the NFL Combine and was measured at 6-foot-0.5 and 340 pounds. His NFL.com grading is currently 5.89, which is what an average backup would grade.
Because of nagging injuries, Corleone may have to work his way up. His freshman year at UC, he was first-team American Athletic Conference and a Freshman All-American with 45.5 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. In 2023, he was second-team Big 12 with 39 tackles, 6.5 TFL and three sacks. He made first-team Big 12 in 2024, though his production was 26 tackles, five TFL and 3.5 sacks. Limited to 13 tackles last year, some due to being double-teamed, he was second-team Big 12.
NFL.com's Zierlien lists Corleone as a seventh-round pick or an undrafted free agent. NFL Mock Draft Database is more bullish with a fourth-round projection. Pro Football Focus sees Corleone going as early as the third round to the Jaguars, while USA Today says fourth round to the Giants.
UC Bearcats late-round picks or free agents
Jack Dingle – Dingle worked out for the Cincinnati Bengals and has had other visits. He's 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds coming off of a 60-tackle season with three sacks. At UC's Pro Day, he ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, had a vertical leap of 35.5 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 4 inches. He did 23 bench press reps at 225 pounds.
"Jack played a lot of football here," UC linebackers coach Braswell said. "He started more games than any linebacker in UC history. He's a guy that elevates the room."
Patrick Gurd – Guard will get looks at tight end or fullback (H-back). He's over 6-foot-3 and weighs 244 pounds with a 4.8 40, a 37.5-inch vertical and 10-foot, 3-inch broad jump.
Gavin Gerhardt – The center and captain has had several visits and calls. He's over 6-foot-4 and weights 309 pounds. He did 27 reps on bench press.
Deondre Buford – Like Gerhardt, Buford was an offensive line starter who is over 6-foot-4 and weighs 323 pounds.
Logan Wilson – Wilson is just over 5-foot-9 and 172 pounds, but has wheeled out a 4.42 40 and has a 35-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 3-inch broad jump.
Matthew McDoom – McDoom is of similar build to Wilson and has a 4.46 40 time, a vertical of 33 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 6 inches.
Xavier Williams – The safety is over 6-foot-2 and weighs 217 pounds. Williams ran a 4.56 40 at UC's Pro Day, had a 38.5-inch vertical and 10-foot, 5-inch broad jump.
Jalen Hunt – Hunt has had visits with the Bengals and Detroit Lions and is over 6-foot-2 and 310 pounds as a defensive lineman. He did 25 bench press reps.
Isaiah Rogers – Rogers is 6-foot-1 and 290 pounds and played defensive line with Hunt.
CJ McCray – McCray is over 6-foot-3 and weighs 244 pounds as an edge. He ran a 4.66 40, had a 36.5-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 4-inch broad jump.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bearcats who could hear their name called during NFL Draft