After the 2025 NFL draft was a big-time disappointment for the BYU Cougars , who were shut out in the seven-round selection process last year, the program bounced back nicely last week with linebacker Jack Kelly and tight end Carsen Ryan getting picked by the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns , respectively.
Additionally, eight other former BYU players from the program that has gone 23-4 the past two seasons received NFL opportunities . Most notably, receiver Chase Roberts , safety Tanner Wall and offensive lineman Isaiah Jatta signed free-agent deals with the Las Vegas Raiders , while cornerback Mory Bamba , kicker Will Ferrin and long snapper Garrison Grimes inked with the New York Jets .
Defensive lineman John Taumoepeau ( Kansas City Chiefs ) and offensive lineman Austin Leausa (Raiders) will go to rookie minicamps and are even bigger long shots to make an NFL roster.
That BYU has had only two players drafted despite being one of the winningest programs in the country the past two years is a testament to what head coach Kalani Sitake and his staff have done since joining the Big 12. Remarkably, they did it this past year with a true freshman quarterback, Bear Bachmeier , after projected starting QB Jake Retzlaff left the program last July in the face of a seven-game suspension for violating the school's honor code.
Getting two players drafted among the 257 college football players who heard their names called is nothing to scoff at; no fewer than 10 Power Four programs did not have a single player drafted, including Colorado , Oklahoma State and West Virginia of the Big 12.
North Carolina , Purdue , Syracuse, Virginia, UCLA , Virginia Tech and Wisconsin were also shut out.
In 2025, BYU was one of six Power Five (the Pac-12 was P5 in 2024) programs that didn't have a player drafted, along with Duke, Wake Forest, Baylor, Houston and Mississippi State. The Cougars went 11-2 in 2024 and finished ranked No. 13 in the country.
So the draft is a crapshoot, at best, in the later rounds.
All that brings us to the 2026 season, and the 2027 draft, which will be held in Washington , D.C., on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol Building. Here's the Deseret News' annual look ahead at which BYU players could be taken in future drafts:
Clearly, Sitake has put an emphasis on putting BYU players into the NFL, which is one of the reasons why the Cougars put on one of the best pro days in the country, if not the best. Visiting scouts and NFL representatives again marveled at the setup and organization in March, after the Big 12 put on its own combine in 2025 and 2024.
"I want to put as many of our guys into the league as possible," Sitake said in March. "That is the dream of almost every football player who suits up. … We talk to a bunch of teams about all of our guys, all of the time."
Since Sitake took over for Bronco Mendenhall in 2016, BYU has had 16 players taken in the draft.
Here's a closer look at BYU's best prospects in 2026, in no particular order:
In our opinion, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Martin is BYU's best bet to have a running back drafted since Tyler Allgeier — now with the Arizona Cardinals — was picked in the fifth round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. A three-year starter, when he's been healthy, Martin is coming off shoulder surgery that kept him out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
However, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 should pick up where he left off last year. The El Paso, Texas , product said after spring camp ended in late March that he's close to 100% recovered and should be cleared to return to contact by the end of April.
Martin said he returned in 2026 because he wants to continue to be a part of the BYU culture.
"Coming out of high school, I wanted my coach to be someone I could look to as my father figure away from home," Martin said. "Having Kalani as that guy has been great for me. That's kind of what kept me in Provo."
BYU linebacker Cade Uluave goes through drills during spring camp in Provo, March 25, 2026. | Nate Edwards, BYU Photo
This former Mountain Ridge High star was the Pac-12 defensive freshman of the year in 2023 and a first-team All-ACC selection in 2025. So his production at Cal the past three seasons has been off the charts, and if he puts up similar numbers at BYU, he will have a good chance to follow Kelly into the draft as another outstanding BYU LB in the pros.
Uluave is 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, so he's not quite as big as most NFL linebackers. That could be a factor. His playmaking ability and motor are off the charts, however.
"The thing I love about this BYU defense under coach (Kelly) Poppinga is the versatility of the linebackers," Uluave said when spring camp ended. "On one down, you are coming off the edge. On the next down, you are in man coverage. That's what I like, just being versatile and showing that I can play all over the field."
BYU safeties Tanner Wall (28) and Faletau Satuala (11) down Texas Tech running back J'Koby Williams (20) during the Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
If the 6-foot-4, 215-pound safety from Bountiful remains on his current trajectory, he will have a decision to make in December — enter the NFL draft, or return to BYU for a fourth season. Satuala broke out in a big way his sophomore season , playing in all 14 games and starting seven.
He had a career-best 12 tackles against Utah, and double-digit tackles against Arizona and Iowa State . His pick-six against Iowa State was one of the most athletic plays of the entire season for the Cougars.
"One of the biggest on-field improvements I am trying to make is working on my man coverage more," he said in March. "I never played man coverage in high school, so I am kind of new to it. But I am trying to pick it up and get better at it, because that will be a big thing for me and my future."
BYU offensive lineman Andrew Gentry (75) blocks Texas Tech safety Cole Wisniewski (5) during Big 12 championship game Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. | Julio Cortez, Associated Press
A mountain of a man at 6-8, 315 pounds, this redshirt senior will remain at right tackle in 2026 as the Cougars brought in an adequate replacement for Isaiah Jatta at left tackle, Paki Finau of Washington. Gentry began his career at Michigan , and appeared in 26 games, starting in two.
Working against Gentry is the fact that he served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and will be 25 in the year in which he enters the NFL. Some agents believe that the reason the aforementioned Roberts wasn't drafted last week was because of his age. He's 25.
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita throws the ball past BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker (16) during game Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz. | Rick Scuteri
Glasker considered turning pro last December, until the NFL's scouting service suggested that he would be better served returning to BYU for his senior season. Glasker is considered an outstanding coverage guy for a linebacker, and at 6-5 and 240 pounds, he's got the size necessary to excel in the NFL.
A two-way player at Bingham High who was recruited to BYU to play receiver or safety, Glasker is as athletic as any player on the BYU football team in 2026. That athleticism, coupled with his size, should serve him well next April when the draft is held in the nation's capital.
A quick look at others who could move on to some NFL draft boards if they have standout seasons and, in some cases, elect to give up their final seasons of eligibility and turn pro:
Walker Lyons , tight end —USC transfer has the measurables and pedigree, so he might have a big decision to make if he puts up Carsen Ryan -like numbers for the Cougars in 2026 because he will have one more year of eligibility remaining after this year.
Keanu Tanuvasa , defensive lineman —Although he started in all 14 games and was an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick, the Utah transfer didn't have as huge of a year statistically as some expected. However, he was a captain, his leadership qualities are off the charts , and a lot of what he does on the field — such as take up two blockers — is difficult to quantify.
Siale Esera, linebacker —Former four-star recruit from Timpview High has yet to stay healthy for an entire season, but the talent and measurables are there; like Lyons and Satuala, he will be eligible to return to college football in 2027 if he so desires.
Bruce Mitchell, offensive lineman —Converted defensive lineman was an All-Big 12 selection and has shown a lot of versatility as a guard and center at BYU. However, BYU doesn't put a lot of interior offensive linemen into the NFL, for whatever reason.
Evan Johnson, cornerback —Certainly has the NFL bloodlines, as his father, Ron, was an NFL wide receiver for Philadelphia Eagles ; "Schmev" could be the first BYU cornerback drafted since Chris Wilcox in 2021.
How well do we do in these annual projections? Last year at this time, we projected Glasker, Tanuvasa, offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho and the aforementioned Kelly, Roberts and Ryan as the most likely to get drafted. Of course, Glasker and Tanuvasa elected to return to the program in 2026 and therefore weren't in the mix to be drafted, while Lapuaho battled injuries for a third straight season and apparently never caught the eye of any NFL teams this past season.
BYU defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa (57) celebrates after a play against Texas Tech during the Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
