Eagles' final NFL Draft pick has never played organized football
Uar Bernard, who is from a small town in Nigeria, joins as a defensive tackle.
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles made an unexpected choice in the seventh and final round of the 2026 NFL Draft, going with a breakout athlete who has never played organized football.
With the 251st overall pick, the Eagles selected Uar Bernard, who grew up in a small town in Nigeria. Bernard will join the Eagles as a defensive tackle, despite having never played a single down on the gridiron.
"It's a dream come true for me, because I've worked hard for this. I've not played football, but I've gone through some drills that made me believe that I'm going to get better every day," Bernard said in a press conference with the Eagles after his selection.
He added, "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."
Bernard was first introduced to the game by former New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora and was invited to participate in the 2024 NFL Nigeria camp.
Standing at 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 306 pounds with just 6% body fat, Bernard ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.63 seconds and hit a 39-inch vertical jump at the HBCU Showcase and International Player Pathway Pro Day in March, according to the team.
"Good Morning America" co-anchor Michael Strahan said the Eagles' general manager Howie Roseman, "very rarely misses, if he misses at all" when it comes to selecting draft picks, calling Bernard "a smart pick."
"The numbers are, like, mind-blowing -- more upside than you could imagine with this pick," Strahan said.
He added that since Bernard has "never played football, now he has no bad habits to break."
