Buccaneers selecting Uar Bernard could be the sneakiest move of the 2026 NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t exactly been subtle in their desire to select a defensive tackle in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Of their 17 confirmed Top-30 prospect visits so far, five have been used at the defensive tackle position. 

They’ve been linked to some of the bigger names in the draft class including Florida State’s Darrell Jackson Jr. and Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter, but the best move could be to draft a player that most people haven’t even heard of. 

Buccaneers should consider Uar Bernard as a developmental flier in 2026 NFL Draft 

If you haven’t heard of Uar Bernard, you’re not alone. He comes to the NFL Draft all the way from Nigeria, and didn’t play college football. In fact, he’s never played a down of organized football at any level. 

So why would the Buccaneers draft a player with zero experience? Bernard is one of the most gifted athletes, at any position, to ever enter the NFL Draft. 

He measures in at 6-foot-4, 306 pounds, with 35-inch arms and 11-inch hands. His size is unheard of, but he’s also got similarly rare speed and explosion. 

His 39-inch vertical ranks in the 100th-percentile at his position. His 10’10” broad jump also ranks in the 100th-percentile. Both would rank as the best all-time among defensive tackles in the history of the NFL Combine.

His 4.63 40-yard dash would rank second all-time among defensive tackles at the NFL Combine. For reference, the only player faster than him was Adetomiwa Adebawore who ran a 4.49 at 6-foot-2, 282 pounds — 24 pounds lighter than Bernard. 

Ironically the player directly behind Bernard would be Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who ran a blazing 4.67 at 6-foot-1, 281 pounds. The point is, while there have been a couple players that tested at comparable speeds, none are nearly as big as Bernard.

He’s an athletic anomaly at every level, with physical traits for days. But drafting him doesn’t come without a major risk. As mentioned earlier, Bernard has never played any level of organized football. 

The team that drafts him is essentially just drafting a generational athlete in the hopes they can mold him into an NFL player, which is no small feat. It’ll be a pick based off pure projection and potential, rather than tape or production. 

But the Bucs could be in an ideal spot to take such a risk. The defensive line room is pretty deep, at least for the 2026 season. Vita Vea, A’Shawn Robinson, and Calijah Kancey will all have significant roles along the interior. Behind them, there is last year’s fifth-round pick Elijah Roberts and veteran Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who is entering his 12th NFL season. 

With multiple established veterans in the room, and a defensive-minded coaching staff, Bernard could be worth a late-round pick to stash on the practice squad and allow him to learn from some of the best in the business in preparation for a potential role down the line. 

With Vea, Robinson, and Nunez-Roches all over 30 years old and set to hit free agency next year, and Kancey yet to play out a full healthy season, Tampa Bay would likely opt to draft a more proven player that has a more realistic path towards a significant role. 

But in the words of former Bucs coach Bruce Arians, “No risk it, no biscuit!”

Bernard might the type of draft day risk that pays huge dividends down the line for the Buccaneers if they’re willing to take the gamble on him.