Jake Golday 2026 NFL Draft: scouting report for Cincinnati, Linebacker

Jake Golday may be the most underrated linebacker prospect in the entire 2026 NFL Draft class

Travis May — College Football Managing Editor

Jan 26, 2026 12:50 AM EST

Height: 6-4
Weight: 240 Pounds
Year: Redshirt Senior
Pro Comparison: K.J. Wright, Alex Anzalone

2026 NFL Combine Results

Jake Golday, Cincinnati, Linebacker

Hand Size: N/A
Arm Length: N/A
40-Yard Dash: N/A
Vertical Leap: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A

Pros of Jake Golday

Jake Golday is “Mr. Reliable” when it comes to linebacker play. He always comes up with the clean up tackle from behind on the weak side, the dirty work run stop fighting through multiple defenders, and finds a way to finish a sack just when his team needs it in pivotal moments.
He has developed into the leader of the defense for two separate teams, playing five years of college football and well over 2,000 total snaps. Golday’s combination of leadership, intelligence, and experience are second to perhaps only CJ Allen from Georgia in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
Despite not possessing the most impeccable athletic profile, Golday is actually one of the better coverage linebackers in the class. He doesn’t get credit for that, but he actually typically keeps most everything in front of him, giving up just one passing play longer than 26 yards in his entire college career.

Cons of Jake Golday

There may be significant questions when it comes to the top end of his athletic traits. His NFL Combine performance could make or break his final draft stock assessment. He was an extremely good college player who will check most every box except for his raw athletic gifts.
Golday does not typically create a ton of explosive, game-breaking plays in isolation. He cleans up the mess, fills his gap, and does his job, but seldom deflects a pass in coverage or shoots the gap to make a huge negative play for opposing offenses.
His play strength was never a significant issue at the college level, but getting off blocks against powerful maulers in the NFL might be an issue unless he adds more dynamic power himself.

Background

Jake Golday was a zero star recruit from Arlington, Tennessee who had to begin his college football journey playing for Central Arkansas. He worked his way onto the field sparingly as a true freshman, but by the time his redshirt freshman year ended he had solidified himself as a leader and key defensive contributor. After starring with Central Arkansas in 2023, winning All-Conference honors, he transferred to Cincinnati and immediately thrived as one of the best linebackers in college for two straight seasons.

Player Evaluation

There will be some who question Jake Golday’s athleticism, but he’s just simply to disciplined and technically sound at most every skill needed to succeed at linebacker. He won’t likely ever be the high-impact superstar that goes All-Pro and stacks the stat sheet full in the NFL, but he’s a strong second linebacker who can play on every down in a variety of pre-snap roles. Given his leadership ability, knack for cleaning up the mess in traffic, and high intelligence, he’s almost certainly going to stick on rosters for a long time as a near every down starter. If he doesn’t work on his play strength and agility, Golday may struggle against faster or stronger opponents, but his instincts can help offset any athletic edges he may lose.