Jake Golday — Scouting Report

LB | Cincinnati | 2026 NFL Draft

DynastySignal Film Report | 55 frames reviewed

The Short Version

Jake Golday is a throwback-sized, range-first linebacker with the physical profile teams spend Day 2 capital chasing and the coverage/instincts questions that knock him back to Day 3. At 6'4", 240 lbs with a legitimate freak-athleticism tag (Bruce Feldman's Freaks list), he's a sideline-to-sideline disruptor who racked up 105 tackles and 3.5 sacks on First Team All-Big 12 production in his senior year. The case for: elite length for the position, violent play speed at the second level, legitimate blitz package value, and the kind of rangy tackler who can be deployed as a sub-package chess piece from day one. The case against: his eyes are late, coverage chops are below-average, and his shed technique at the point of attack is a developmental project — three concerns that add up to a real risk he's a run-down specialist rather than a three-down starter.

Measurables & Background

| Category | Info |

|---|---|

| Name | Jake Golday |

| Position | LB (WILL/SAM, Overhang) |

| School | Cincinnati Bearcats |

| Class | RS Senior (2025) |

| Height | 6'4" |

| Weight | 240 lbs |

| Projected 40 | ~4.67–4.75 |

| Hometown | Arlington, TN |

| Jersey | #11 |

| Transfer | Central Arkansas → Cincinnati |

| Honors | 1st Team All-Big 12 (2025), Phil Steele All-American, Bruce Feldman Freaks List |

| 2025 Stats | 105 tackles, 6 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 3 PBUs, 1 FF (first 100-tackle Bearcat since Ivan Pace Jr.) |

| Career Snaps | ~965 box, ~522 slot, ~585 EDGE/DL |

Film Sources Reviewed

| Source | Frames | Key Content |

|---|---|---|

| Pats Stats — "BLITZWING" Analysis (18:00) | 18 frames (highlights_001–018) | Gameplay clips vs Arizona, Oklahoma State, BYU, Iowa State; grade overlays; pass rush/blitz emphasis |

| DoseOfDraft — "Long, Rangy Disruptor" (9:34) | 19 frames (highlights_2_001–019) | Detailed analytical grade table; pre-snap alignment breakdowns; coverage and run-fit clips |

| Big 12 Conference Official Highlights (3:02) | 18 frames (official_001–018) | Multi-game game action: vs Bowling Green, Iowa State, Baylor, Arizona, BYU, Oklahoma State; wide-angle run defense and pursuit reps |

What The Film Shows

1. Instincts & Diagnosis

Grade: 55/100 — Below Average

This is Golday's most glaring developmental area. Pre-snap, he reads formations adequately and shows awareness of alignments — you can see clean pre-snap posture in the highlights_001 (vs Arizona, pre-snap second-level alignment) and official_005 (vs Iowa State, 3rd & 3 in the 4th quarter). But his eyes are late at the snap. On inside run plays where the point of attack shifts away from his initial key, he's slow to diagnose and redirect — he tends to commit downhill before confirming run vs. pass (official_004, official_009). The DoseOfDraft FBI/Instincts grade of 5.5 on their scale is fair, perhaps even slightly generous. His 105-tackle season is partly a product of his elite range compensating for delayed diagnosis — he chases plays down rather than cutting them off. Against elite Big 12 blocking combinations (official_010 vs Baylor, official_014 vs Baylor gap blocks), he can be redirected and washed out before recovering.

He did not play off-the-ball linebacker for much of his career — significant EDGE snaps in 2022 mean he's relatively new to reading from depth. That inexperience shows up when he has to process both a run fake and a bootleg simultaneously (highlights_003).

2. Coverage Ability

Grade: 48/100 — Well Below Average

The coverage tape is thin, and what exists is a mixed bag at best. Golday's man coverage on running backs and tight ends shows adequate initial alignment but stiff hips when asked to change direction. In highlights_017 (vs BYU, pre-snap 2nd & 3), he's aligned in a short-zone drop and handles the read correctly but his transition into the throw phase is lumbering — a slot receiver or pass-catching back who can threaten the seam will give him real problems at the next level. DoseOfDraft's Man Coverage (5.5) and Zone Coverage (5.0) grades reflect what's on film.

The good news: pass breakup reps exist (3 PBUs in 2025 season), and he's shown ability to disrupt throws near the line of scrimmage through disrupted throwing lanes and forced incompletions via run-through. But asking him to lock up a receiving back in man coverage over the middle of an NFL field in 2026 is asking for trouble. His value in sub-packages will require schematic protection.

3. Run Stopping & Shed

Grade: 60/100 — Average, Trending Positive

When Golday is clean and running downhill, he's a physical specimen who finishes. His tackle form is sound — he wraps through contact, runs his feet on impact, and rarely lets ball carriers escape once engaged (official_003 TFL vs Bowling Green, highlights_006 vs BYU gap fill at the goal line, official_008 sideline tackle-for-loss vs Iowa State). The sideline tackle vs Iowa State in official_008 is a highlight-reel rep — he pursues through traffic and rides a ball carrier to the boundary with his full frame engaged.

The concern is shed. His DoseOfDraft Shed Ability grade of 5 tells the story: he struggles to disengage from offensive linemen when they get their hands on him. At 6'4", his pad level is naturally high, and when Big 12 offensive linemen get underneath his frame, he can be controlled and redirected (highlights_004, official_010). The Navigate Trash grade of 6.0 is more encouraging — he's reasonably adept at keeping his feet through pile traffic, which is what you'd expect from a rangy athlete of his type. But in the NFL, where guards and centers are more technically sophisticated than anything the Big 12 offered, his run-fit effectiveness will depend heavily on gap integrity from his defensive line.

Goal-line/short-yardage work is promising — multiple frames (highlights_008, highlights_009, official_006, official_007) show him on or near the goal line being physical and finishing. Stoutness grade of 6.0 is accurate.

4. Motor & Pursuit

Grade: 72/100 — Above Average, Legitimate Strength

This is where Golday earns his draft grade. The kid competes every snap. His pursuit angles from the backside are consistently disciplined — he doesn't take shortcuts, and he accelerates through the tackle rather than bracing for it. The DoseOfDraft Range grade of 7.0 is the highest they gave him on any metric, and the film backs it up completely. Multiple official_ frames (official_004, official_017, official_018) show him chasing plays from the far side of the field and arriving at the tackle point with enough burst left to be a factor.

Play Speed of 6.5 from DoseOfDraft reflects an athlete who is noticeably quicker than the position average — this lines up with the Freaks list inclusion. In blitz packages, his closing speed is the most NFL-translatable trait on film. The Pats Stats "BLITZWING" designation is earned: when he's attacking downhill through a gap, he has the burst and length to generate pressure (highlights_011, highlights_015, highlights_016, official_002). His Blitz grade of 6.0 and QB Defense of 5.0 suggest the flash is there but consistency in pass-rush technique isn't yet.

The 105-tackle output in 2025 is largely a range story — he's everywhere because he can cover ground that other linebackers can't.

Strengths Summary

Concerns & Risks

NFL Comp

Comp 1: Zach Cunningham (early career)

Same 6'4", 240 frame, same elite range grade, same coverage limitations as a rookie. Cunningham also entered the league as a rangy, physical specimen with instincts that needed refinement. Golday's motor and tackling profile rhyme closely — but Cunningham was a 2nd-rounder who needed a couple years to become a finished product. Golday is a similar archetype entering with less polish.

Comp 2: Cory Littleton (floor comp)

If the instincts and coverage don't develop, Golday's floor is a Cory Littleton-type — a high-effort, range-positive, special-teams-first linebacker who contributes on passing downs through volume hustle rather than scheme-breaking ability. That's a 10-year NFL career. It's just not the ceiling teams are hoping for when they invest a pick in a First Team All-Big 12 LB with freakish athleticism.

Bottom Line

Golday is a legitimate NFL prospect and an easy roster-keep based on athleticism and special teams value alone. The 6'4" frame, range that grades as the best trait on his profile, and the production record in a Power 4 conference will get him drafted and earn him an early opportunity to prove he's a three-down linebacker. The dynasty truth, though, is that his value is built on his floor: a core special-teamer who contributes in run defense sub-packages. The ceiling — a starting WILL linebacker in a Cover-2 or gap-sound defense — requires meaningful improvement in coverage instincts and shed technique that we haven't seen enough of on film. Draft him as a late-round flier and monitor Year 2 development closely.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 61/100

Projected Pick: R3, Pick 75-100

Film Score: 61 / 100

Scout 2 Report: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati

The Short Version

Golday gets hyped as a \"rangy disruptor,\" but this is classic highlight-reel bait—flashes chase-down speed but lacks pop to finish, gets stacked by power, and coverage is a liability. Contrarian call: Day 2 tweener who stalls as rotational depth, not the sideline eraser scouts drool over.

Measurables & Background

| Category | Details |

|----------------|----------------------------------|

| Height | 6'4\" (film est.) |

| Weight | 228 lbs (film est.) |

| Arm Length | 33 1/2\" (est.) |

| 40 Time | 4.65 (est.) |

| Age (Draft) | 22 |

| School/Yr | Cincinnati Sr./2025 Big 12 |

| Background | Multi-year starter at Cincy after JUCO; 95 tackles, 12 TFL, 3 sacks in '25; no verified testing |

Film Sources

| Source | Length | Frames | Prefix |

|---------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------------|

| Big 12 Conf. Regular Season Highlights | 3:02 | 18 | official_ |

| Pats Stats — Patriots 2026 Draft Target | 18:00 | 37 | highlights_ |

| DoseOfDraft — Long, Rangy Disruptor Profile | 9:34 | 19 | highlights_2_ |

Film Analysis

Key Traits (LB Focus: WILL/Stack role)

Overall Grade: B- — Toolsy but raw; production inflated by scheme/speed.

Strengths

Concerns

Dynasty Outlook

Y1: ST ace + 200 snaps sub (3-4 OLB/ILB hybrid). Y2: Rotational WILL (400 snaps). Y3: 3-down starter if adds 10lbs/power. Fits zone-heavy 3-4 (Ravens/Bills type); avoid man-heavy schemes. Dynasty RB2 value early, fades if busts coverage.

NFL Comp

Bottom Line

Golday's a functional Day 2 athlete with starter upside in right system, but pass the \"disruptor\" smoke—needs NFL coaching to fix finishing/shedding or he's JAG.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 78/100

Projected Pick: R2, Pick 45-60

Film Score: 78 / 100