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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Wake Forest DL Jayden Loving

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, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Wake Forest DL Jayden Loving

No. 8 JAYDEN LOVING/DL WAKE FOREST – 6013, 309 POUNDS (REDSHIRT SENIOR)

MEASUREMENTS

Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan

Jayden Loving 6013/309 9 3/8 30 1/4 77 3/8

40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone

4.82 1.64 4.53 7.15

Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press

9’3″ 35 33

THE GOOD

– Elite athleticism and strength at the point of attack

– Fires off the ball with rare burst for a defensive tackle

– Consistently wins early in reps with initial quickness

– Immediate backfield penetration ability stresses both gap and zone schemes

– Generates good knockback power on initial contact

– Strong upper half allows him to stack and compress interior OL

– Absorbs double teams better than most DT’s due to core density

– Converts speed-to-power effectively despite shorter arms

– Shows violent torque and displacement ability

– Can collapse the pocket with bull rush and raw drive strength

– Plays with relentless energy

– High pursuit speed for interior defender

– Second-effort pressures and backside plays because of fireball energy

– Twitch and lateral burst allow flashes of gap-shooting penetration

– Most effective as a pass rusher on loops and stunts to let his speed-to-power build up

– Experience playing all over the DL

THE BAD

– Extremely short length and wingspan severely impact his block disengagement, extension control, and pass rush separation abilities

– Requires perfect timing and technique to compensate for short lever outliers

– Plays too high consistently for someone who is built lower to the ground

– Loses leverage battle too often despite compact build

– Very underdeveloped pass rush plan that relies solely on strength and athleticism

– If he doesn’t win with his first step and bull rush, he struggles to disengage

– Lacks counters and a pass rush setup strategy

– Hands are late and unrefined in timing and sequencing

– Struggles to string moves together

– Inconsistent hands landing on guys leads to him getting latched onto and steered

– Showed tight hip and ankle mobility when moving laterally or bending and in reach blocks

– Plays somewhat stiff in confined spaces

– Missed tackles due to balance issues

– Play recognition is still developing

– Can overrun plays despite athleticism

– Limited production prior to his final year at Wake Forest

– Will probably be scheme-limited because of length and technique concerns

– Mostly used as a part of a DL rotation in his college career

STATS

– 13 career starts and has played in a total of 44 games in 1 year at Wake Forest, 2 years at Western Kentucky, and 2 years at Bethune-Cookman University

– Career: 1,538 total snaps (940 B Gap, 265 A Gap, 205 over the tackle, 123 outside the tackle)

– 180 special teams snaps (153 FG Block, 15 Punt Return, 9 Punt Coverage, 3 FG Kick)

– 128 total tackles, 57 pressures, 19 TFL’s, 8 sacks, 0 INT’s, 4 batted passes, 3 fumble recoveries, 0 forced fumbles, 1 blocked kick, 16 missed tackles, 66 run stops, 7 penalties

– 2025: Started in all 3 games and appeared in 9

– 44 total tackles (14 solo), 23 pressures, 8.5 TFL’s, 2.5 sacks, 1 batted pass, 3 fumble recoveries, 5 missed tackles, 26 run stops, 3 penalties

– 82.9 run defense grade (8.3 percent run stop win rate, 0.8 yd. average depth of tackle) per PFF

– 57.8 pass rush grade (6.0 percent pass rush win rate, 10.5 percent true pass set win rate) per PFF

INJURY HISTORY

– 2024: Missed the final eight games of the season with a left knee meniscus tear

BACKGROUND

– DOB: 4/8/2003 (23 years old)

– From Hamilton, AL, and attended Hamilton H.S.

– 2025 Honorable Mention All-ACC

– 2025 transferred to Wake Forest

– 2023 transferred to Western Kentucky

– 2021 redshirt year at Bethune-Cookman

– Graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 2024

– Zero-star recruit out of H.S. according to 247Sports

– 2nd-Team All-State during his senior season, where he was a 250-pound defensive end

– Lettered in basketball, football, and track

– Had a 100-meter dash time of 11.3 seconds

– His mom was a teacher at his high school and played college volleyball at Freed-Hardeman University

– Has three siblings, with his older brother playing on the OL at Bethune-Cookman, and his younger brother plays baseball at North Alabama

TAPE BREAKDOWN

There is a lot to be said for a guy who plays with unlimited energy and effort, who also has incredible athleticism and power. That’s what you get in defensive tackle Jayden Loving, who really didn’t find the proverbial “light bulb” until his final year when he transferred to Wake Forest, where he was used as a rotational defender, but made a meaningful impact when he was given the opportunity.

What’s frustrating about him is the lack of technical refinement that comes with playing the position, such as keeping your pad level low, hand timing and placement, and having few pass-rushing tools in his bag. He has all of the physical capability to be a starter-level player, but until he can improve upon his glaring weaknesses to overcome his lack of length, potential is all he’ll ever be.

Loving can play all over the line, but his ability to hold on to and take up double teams so other guys can fill their gaps is pretty impressive for someone his size. It shows how much power and core strength he truly has to hold his ground. He can’t hold up in the A gap for a substantial portion of snaps, but it’s nice to see he has the ability to play there sporadically.

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