The Eagles Drafted A Player Who Has Never Played Football

One of the benefits of being so successful over a sustained period in the NFL and having so much depth is the ability to take risks in the NFL Draft where many teams are forced to play it safe. Late in this year's draft, the Eagles took an interesting gamble on a player who has never even played with pads on before.

With the 251st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Eagles selected Uar Bernard, a high school basketball player out of Nigeria who joined the NFL International Player Pathway in 2025. Bernard has never played organized football at any level though and didn't even play sports in any meaningful way until he was 16.

But Bernard showed off one thing in the International Player Pathway Pro Day that would make almost any NFL general manager salivate: Insane athleticism. Despite standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 306 pounds, Bernard ran a blazing 4.63 40-yard dash and demonstrated a 39" vertical jump.

NFL teams that needed the draft to get depth probably couldn't afford to take a risk on someone who hasn't even played football before, but the Eagles - who have made the playoffs in eight of the last nine years and won two Super Bowls in the process - certainly can.

Bernard will try to learn how to play defensive tackle in the NFL. The Eagles can teach him the ins and outs of playing, but they can't teach the size and speed that he has.

The International Player Pathway

This isn't the first time the Eagles have taken a flyer on a player late in the draft through the International Player Pathway. In 2018, they similarly used a seventh round draft pick to take Australian offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, who also never played organized football before.

Not only has Mailata proven that he knows how to play football, he might rank among the best draft steals in the Eagles' entire history. He's been an absolute rock for the Eagles over the past six years and even earned All-Pro honors in 2024.

If the Eagles could turn Mailata into a star, they should have every confidence that they can do the same for Bernard.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 9:40 PM.