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 Illinois State CB Shadwel Nkuba II.
No. 1 SHADWEL NKUBA II/CB ILLINOIS STATE – 5-11, 179 POUNDS (SENIOR)
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Shadwel Nkuba II 5-11/179 8 1/2″ 31 3/8″ 74 3/8″
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.60 1.57 4.29 7.00
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
09’11″ 34″ 11
*Testing from Illinois State Pro Day on March 6th, 2026
THE GOOD
– Huge uptick in production when it came to creating turnovers in 2025, had an interception in each of his first five games of the season
– Physical play style, plays with tenacity and never takes a play off
– Mirrors running backs through a crowd in run defense
– Understands how to slip around lead blockers against the run without taking himself out of the play
– Good awareness in zone when responsible for the deep third, tracks balls well
– Active trying to force fumbles in 2025
– Very comfortable flying downhill against the run and will lay the boom on vulnerable pass catchers
– Needs to do it more consistently, but shows good technique when wrapping up
– Physical in man coverage, but knows how to avoid penalties
– Can make an impact on special teams
THE BAD
– Occasional miscommunications in zone coverage near the line of scrimmage
– Loves to lead with his shoulder, but will need to wrap up more at the NFL level
– Older prospect, will turn 25 during his rookie year
– Little high-level production during collegiate career, transferred back down to FCS from FBS after 2024 season
– Below-average 40-yard dash/10-yard split show lack of top-end speed, explosiveness
– May struggle to keep up with faster NFL receivers in man coverage.
STATS
– Career: 92 tackles, 13 passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, five interceptions
– 2023: 13 tackles, 5 passes defended
– Played in four games in 2024, didn’t record any stats
– 2025: 79 tackles, eight passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, five interceptions
– Played in 13 games for Louisiana (FBS) in 2023, just four in 2024, and played in nine for Illinois State (FCS) in 2025
INJURY HISTORY
– No known injury history
BACKGROUND
– DOB: October 6th, 2001 (24-years old)
– Hometown: Lewisville, TX
– Graduated from Lewisville High School in Lewisville, TX
– Attended East Central University out of high school, but his first season was cancelled due to COVID
– Spent the 2022-23 season at Tyler Junior College, then committed to Louisiana (FBS) for the next two seasons
– Entered transfer portal after 2024 season, and went down to FCS-level Illinois State
– Earned a master’s degree in Sports Management from Illinois State, and also does photography for the school, per his LinkedIn
– Loves Chick-fil-A
– Biggest inspiration is his father
TAPE BREAKDOWN
When watching his tape, you immediately notice Shadwel Nkuba’s tenacity. That, plus his sound technique and excellent anticipation, make him a difference maker in the run game.
Despite playing in just nine games in 2025, Nkuba made 79 tackles. Here, he lines up as an outside linebacker and mirrors the running back coming to his side of the field. He manages to slip around the lead blocker, keeping his pad level lower than the running back’s, and makes a solid tackle along the sideline.
In coverage, he plays physical at the line of scrimmage. But he occasionally has miscommunications in zone coverage and hesitates during routes.
This was the first play of the quarterfinal against UC Davis last year. It’s a simple run-pass option, and Nkuba is against the receiver at the bottom of the frame. It looks like he’s trying to pass this into another zone. But even if he was responsible for the flat, he probably should have followed this receiver since no routes went to the flat. A split second of hesitation is all UC Davis needed to come away with a huge gain.
However, effort never has to be questioned with Nkuba. He made up for that mistake with a terrific play later in the game.
Illinois State let this receiver catch a deep ball over the top, but Nkuba never gives up on the play. He catches up and makes an excellent strip to force the fumble, recovering it himself. He was much better at forcing turnovers in 2025.
Nkuba always plays like his hair is on fire, especially when he’s flying downhill.
On this play, he’s playing prevent, deeper down the field. The offense throws an underneath route, and Nkuba reads the play perfectly, races downhill, and lays a big hit on the receiver.
Nkuba loves to make big hits like that, and he loves leading with his shoulder. I’d like to see him wrap up a little bit more.
He doesn’t come into the frame until the very end of this play, but he makes a good effort to get to a ball carrier who breaks a couple of tackles on the play. Nkuba flies in from the right side of the frame to lay a hit with his shoulder. It’s a strong hit, and it works as another defender is closing in on the other side. But while Nkuba has the strength to get away with this, he’ll need to wrap up a bit better at the NFL level.
However, it’s not overly worrying, because Nkuba is capable of wrapping up well. Most of the time, his tackling technique is very sound.
He’s reading the flat here, and he fires downhill once the ball gets thrown into the flat. Nkuba breaks down, remains low, and wraps up to bring the ball carrier down just ahead of the line of scrimmage. Beautifully done.
Nkuba is a great hand fighter. He understands how to play receivers physically in man coverage without drawing penalties.
The receiver has a step on Nbuka here, but he doesn’t panic in these situations. He doesn’t turn his head around, but does everything else right to force an incompletion without getting flagged for pass interference. Both fight a bit, but the cornerback shows good anticipation and gets his arm in the way once the ball gets there.
Regarding his football IQ, Nkuba seems to have a good understanding of the game. That mostly applies to coverage, especially deep down the field.
Nkuba’s physical, hard-nosed play style excels near the line of scrimmage. But his instincts also show up in cover 3. He has the deep third here, baits the quarterback into thinking the sideline route is open, then makes a great read and positions himself to come away with an interception. He can’t haul it in, but comes away with a pass breakup.
CONCLUSION
Shadwel Nkuba does a lot of things that should translate well to the NFL. First, he was much more productive around the ball in 2025. He forced fumbles more often and was productive with interceptions and pass breakups. He plays physically, which suits him well in man coverage, especially near the line of scrimmage. In zone, he’s better suited deeper down the field, where he can read things developing in front of him. And against the run, Nkuba knows how to avoid blocks and make tackles efficiently.
That said, his game has limitations. His top-end speed and burst aren’t bad, but he may struggle against faster NFL receivers. Nkuba plays well at the line and can turn his hips quickly, which should help with that issue. He’s also an older prospect without much top-level production. Understandably, teams could be wary of Nkuba in the draft.
Shadwel Nkuba reminds me of Mac McWilliams, a fifth-round pick out of UCF in 2025. Like Nkuba, McWilliams kept his leverage well, was mostly solid in zone, and was great coming downhill and tackling ball carriers. However, he was a little faster coming out of the draft than Nkuba, which helped him more in man coverage deeper down the field.
NFL Projection: Mid Day 3
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 7.1 (Spot Starter)
Grade Range: 6.5-7.5
Games Watched: at North Dakota State (2025, playoffs), at UC Davis (2025, playoffs), at Villanova (2025, playoffs), vs Montana State (2025, National Championship Game)
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