I’m hoping Notre Dame EDGE Boubacar Traore (#5) is able to get to full health this season. If he can, he has a chance to develop into one of the top pass rushers in CFB in 2025. Elite tools. pic.twitter.com/DnsthYcCos
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) May 13, 2025
The Kansas City Chiefs further leaned into their identity along the defensive line by selecting Ashton Gillotte in this past spring’s draft. The rookie joins Mike Danna, George Karlaftis and Charles Omenihu in a stout defensive end rotation. Kansas City needs to add more juice to its lineup, and the 2026 NFL draft features several explosive pass rushers.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive end Boubacar Traore is one of the most intriguing but inexperienced prospects in the 2026 class. He’s a freaky athlete with impressive arm length, bend and explosiveness but is working back from a torn ACL suffered early last season. Traore enters 2025 with fewer than 200 career defensive snaps.
Traore needs to add some mass to his lean build but possesses a frame with excellent adaptability and room for growth. He’s quick off the line and uses his combination of speed and bend to threaten offensive tackles around the outside. Traore also counters inside with a spin move or by prying open the B-gap with a long-arm move. His power profile is still a work in progress, but the flashes show potential.
Traore’s pass rush plan needs time to become more consistent snap-to-snap. He deploys several rush moves, including cross-chops, ghosts, long-arms, rips and spins. His hand counters appeared to improve throughout his brief 2024 season. His counters and strike timing should remain areas of focus in 2025.
Traore’s frame creates some limitations as a run defender. He lacks the mass to set a hard edge at the point of attack but posts some wins by stacking blocks with his long arms. Traore locks out the offensive lineman and peeks around the block before discarding it with a swim or chop. His burst makes him a threat as a backside run defender.
Traore currently projects as an early Day 3 selection and could climb into the top 100 with moderate development this coming season. As a redshirt sophomore, Traore retains eligibility for the 2026 and 2027 seasons if he wants to return to school and aim for a spot in the first round down the line.