From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Cincinnati LB Jake Golday.
No. 11 Jake Golday/LB Cincinnati 6040/240 (Fifth-year Senior)
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Jake Golday 6044/239 9 1/2″ 31 7/8″ 76 7/8″
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.62 1.60 4.34 7.02
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
10’5″ 39″ N/A
The Good
– Prototypical build to operate within the tackle box
– Lean, highly conditioned build
– Good length that serves him well when disengaging from blockers
– Dynamic lateral agility and hip flexibility
– Good linear speed
– Lined up off-ball, at edge, and in the slot
– Violent at the point of attack
– Strong in the upper body that keeps linemen from accessing his chest plate
– Relentless pursuit when in clean-up mode
– Plays aggressively when he is confident and decisive
– Textbook tackler that rarely misses
– Drops in coverage with good speed
– Size and length disrupt passing windows
– Adept at perimeter defense – sniffs out screens and swing passes
– Edge background that helps his efforts as a blitzer
The Bad
– Relies on lengthy strides rather than twitchy acceleration
– Mechanical movements when asked to flip his hips rapidly
– Struggles to disengage from more powerful interior linemen
– Can be displaced from his run gap
– Delayed in reading his run keys
– Pursuit angles are overaggressive
– Gets caught staring at the quarterback
– Drifts out of his zone, covers ground rather than pattern matching
Stats
– 2025 stats: 105 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 9% missed tackle percentage
– Career stats: 264 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 10.8% missed tackle percentage
– Central Arkansas Career stats: 125 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 11.1% missed tackle percentage
Injury History
– Suffered a torn meniscus, which caused him to redshirt his freshman season (2021)
– Exited the game against Utah in the second half due to a head injury that forced him to miss the Shrine Bowl (2025)
Background
– Born May 23rd, 2003 (22 years old)
– Unranked recruit out of Arlington High School
– Played defensive end, linebacker, safety, and tight end
– Dual-sport athlete playing power forward in basketball
– Described as a “madman” when rebounding, but struggled to shoot
– Inducted into Honor Society and the National Medical Leader Club with a 3.75 GPA
– Committed to Central Arkansas to play defensive end, transferred to Cincinnati for 2024 season
– After a torn meniscus, he transitioned from 190 pounds to 240 pounds and converted to linebacker
– Named to the UAC Football All-Academic team with a 3.63 GPA (2023)
– All Big-12 Honorable Mention (2024)
– Listed on Bruce Feldman’s 2025 “Freaks” list (365-pound bench, 4.25-second shuttle)
– Started playing football at 7 years old
– Almost quit football in middle school due to a bad coaching experience
– Volunteers with Cincinnati non-profit “Impacting Tomorrow” that serves families in need
Tape Breakdown
After tearing his meniscus at Central Arkansas, Golday added 50 pounds and moved to linebacker. He’s still learning the nuances of playing at the second level, but you wouldn’t know it from watching him. His playmaking ability is outstanding, with the speed to chase down plays from the backside. His motor always runs hot, consistently giving him opportunities to finish and clean up plays. Even with the added weight, he maintains a lean frame and has retained his speed. He has more than enough burst to close space quickly and finish on the ball carrier.
Like most players, he is at his best when he’s decisive and confident in what he sees. With his limited experience, there are still moments of hesitation and delay when reading his keys. But when he trusts his read, he triggers downhill and arrives at the point of attack with real ferocity. When he makes contact, you feel every bit of his 240-pound frame.
The first clip shows how effective he can be when he commits decisively in his pursuit—there’s more speed and pop to his game. The second clip highlights a slight delay in his reads, which should improve with more reps and comfort at the position. That hesitation in his trigger limits his impact on the play and allows the opposing lineman to get into him first, instead of him dictating the contact.
His talent in coverage is undeniable. His raw tools—length and speed—allow him to erase passing windows in the middle of the field. He also has good short-area burst, which lets him close on the ball once it’s in the air and increases his chances of breaking up passes.
There’s still plenty of room for growth in this area. The talent is clear, but like his run-game decisiveness, it should sharpen with experience and reps. Too often, he locks onto his assigned zone rather than recognizing route concepts, allowing receivers to slip free. He also has a bad habit of getting his eyes stuck in the backfield, which lets receivers sneak in behind him.
Golday’s background as an edge player also gives him an added boost. He was asked to play on the edge frequently at Cincinnati and, while his game there is still developing, he’s positioned to offer more immediate Day 1 impact in that role than many others in this class.
He brings a blend of speed and power that can jolt offensive linemen and collapse the pocket. His length shows up on tape as well, allowing him to keep blockers from fully locking onto him and giving him extra room to work his pass-rush moves, even if his arsenal is still somewhat limited.
Conclusion
There is a lot to like about Golday’s game. His size and speed are rare at the second level, and there is still significant untapped potential as he continues to learn the position. While inconsistent, he is a violent player who explodes downhill when he is confident in what he sees. The primary hurdle in his transition will be developing that confidence so that his dynamism shows up on an every-down basis.
Although most of his early-career highlight plays will likely come against the run, he will also bring real juice as a blitzer. His edge background gives him a unique perspective as an off-ball linebacker and adds versatility to how he wins when pursuing the quarterback. During his two-year stint with the Bearcats, Golday lined up on the edge 181 times, providing more experience in that role than the typical second-level defender.
His coverage processing presents another developmental challenge. The raw talent is evident, with his speed and length making him a natural headache for opposing quarterbacks in the middle of the field. His primary issue lies with his eye discipline. He is prone to getting caught staring into the backfield and anticipating the throw, which allows receivers to slip past him in coverage. As he matures and gains experience, this should become less of a concern.
As a player, Golday has similar dimensions to K.J. Wright. Both carry prototypical frames, possess excellent tackle radii, and are comfortable navigating through congested spaces. Where they diverge is in coverage. Wright became a stout coverage linebacker, and while Golday has similar upside, he faces a steep NFL learning curve there.
NFL Draft Projection: Early Day 2
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 8.4 (Long-time Starter)
Grade Range: 8.2 – 8.9
Games Watched: vs. Nebraska (2025), vs. Bowling Green (2025), @ Kansas (2025), vs. Iowa State (2025), vs. Baylor (2025)
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