A 2026 NFL Draft prospect who has generated some serious buzz after the league’s annual HBCU showcase has found himself on the Kansas City Chiefs’ radar.

According to NFL/CFB analyst and former Commanders team reporter Ryan Fowler, the Chiefs are among eight teams showing interest in Nigerian defensive lineman Uar Bernard. The Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos have reportedly scheduled him for a pre-draft visit already, and the Chiefs might not be too far behind them, along with teams like the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings.

The Chiefs often reserve a few of their top-30 pre-draft visits for players who impress during the pro day circuit, and this might be one of those situations.

Who is Nigerian DT Uar Bernard, and why are teams just now finding out about him?

Uar Bernard participated in the annual HBCU showcase as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. He grew up in a village in Abuja, Nigeria, and up until about 11 weeks ago, he’d never played or participated in any football activities. The reason that he’s catching storm now with NFL clubs is that he put up a historic testing performance at the HBCU showcase.

At 6-foot-4.5 and 306 pounds with nearly 36-inch arms, Bernard ran a 4.63s 40-yard dash, a 39-inch vertical (98th percentile), and a 130-inch broad jump (reports on this vary, but it’d be a record for a defensive tackle), and 31 repetitions of 225 on the bench. The guy also has just 6% body fat, which might as well be nothing. While he didn’t run any agility drills, the performance was head-turning enough for NFL clubs.

When you plug those numbers into the A to Z Sports NFL Combine Database, which records performances dating back to 2000, Bernard records a staggering 99.3 A to Z Sports Athletic Composite.

When you take a look at his athletic comparisons, there’s one name in particular that really stands out: Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett.

The difference is that Garrett weighs 272 pounds, while Bernard weighs 306 pounds.

The performance has taken Bernard from undrafted lottery ticket territory to a legitimate Day 3 prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. There’s still a pretty substantial barrier, given that he’s years behind other players in his understanding and experience with the game of football. At the same time, the NFL’s International Player Pathway program makes it a little easier for clubs to stomach.

Chiefs have utilized NFL’s International Player Pathway program before

Kansas City is no stranger to using the NFL’s International Player Pathway program to its fullest extent. Chukwuebuka ‘Chu’ Godrick, who remains on the team’s 90-man roster, was allocated to the Chiefs via the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program after the 2023 NFL Draft. The Lagos, Nigeria native has been on the practice squad with K.C. for the past several years, in an exempt spot under the IPP. He appeared in 4 games, including 3 starts at right tackle, for Kansas City in 2025.

Chiefs fans will probably be more familiar with Louis Rees-Zammit, the Welsh rugby star who joined the club during the 2024 NFL offseason. He tried to make it to the NFL through the IPP after the league implemented new kickoff rules, but eventually returned to play rugby.

Needless to say, the Chiefs are not afraid to take a swing on a player who is unfamiliar with the game, so long as he’s got the physical tools to be successful. Bernard would certainly fit that mold. Should he make it to undrafted free agency, they’ve even got a success story in Godrick to sell him on.

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