The Eagles are taking a chance on perhaps the most intriguing prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia took Nigerian defensive tackle Uar Bernard in the seventh round with the No. 251 overall pick \u2014 the seventh-to-last selection in the draft \u2014 hoping they can turn the impressive raw athlete into a standout football player, despite the fact he\u2019s never played football before.<\/p>\n
Bernard, a 21-year-old from a small village in Nigeria, is a member of the NFL\u2019s International Player Pathway program, which produced Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata of Australia, who went in the seventh round in 2018 and was second-team All-Pro in 2024.<\/p>\n
Uar Bernard celebrates after being chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 251st overall pick in the NFL draft on April 25, 2026. AP<\/p>\n
Bernard, who was on hand in Pittsburgh for the draft and celebrated on stage after he was selected, said former Giants star Osi Umenyiora introduced him to football.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true for me because I\u2019ve worked hard for this,\u201d Bernard said Saturday. \u201cI\u2019ve not played football before, but I\u2019ve gone through some drills that made me believe that I\u2019m going to get better every day. I appreciate God, I thank God for everything. I thank God for life. I thank God for the opportunities given to me to be drafted by the Eagles.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 6-foot-4 \u00bd, 306-pound Bernard began training with Jordan Luallen in mid-January, initially weighing in at 295 pounds and 11 percent body fat with a 32-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot, 4-inch broad jump. At the NFL\u2019s HBCU showcase earlier this month, Bernard had 6 percent body fat with a 39-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump. He also ran a 4.63 40-yard dash.<\/p>\n
\u201cHands down, he is the most explosive athlete I\u2019ve ever seen in my life,\u201d Luallen told The Athletic<\/a> at the time. \u201cHe broad jumped 10-10, and it was effortless. At 306 pounds. I\u2019ve never seen anything like it.\u201d<\/p>\n Uar Bernard is a member of the NFL\u2019s International Player Pathway program. Instagram\/@uar_benard<\/p>\n Uar Bernard measured at 6-foot-4 \u00bd, 306 pounds at the HBCU showcase. Instagram\/@uar_benard<\/p>\n Bernard made major strides in a short period of time, according to Luallen.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was very naturally gifted when he walked in, but he made substantial improvement on everything,\u201d Luallen said. \u201cHe\u2019s super freakin\u2019 flexible, and he is way more fluid now.\u201d<\/p>\n Eagles GM Howie Roseman said the team \u201cspent a lot of time with him\u201d before the draft.<\/p>\n