A Mizzou-focused NFL Draft primer

Josiah Trotter

Staff Overview

A productive and athletic player with NFL family ties, Josiah Trotter solidified his professional credentials with an outstanding sophomore campaign in Columbia. While he lacks some of the high-end traits of some elite linebackers, Trotter’s overall scout makes him a high-floor bet for NFL teams in need of linebackers.

Expert Analysis

Trotter is an aggressive downhill run-stopper who recorded 13 tackles for loss in 2025. He quickly reads his keys and fills gaps. He has a powerful punch and the explosive power to knock blockers to the ground. His reaction time, active hands, and ability to change speeds make it difficult for blockers to square him up and latch onto his frame.

Trotter needs to be protected in coverage, and he may not start as a rookie, but he’s an effective run defender with enough natural ability to develop into a starter. – Todd McShay, The Ringer

Prediction

Trotter is a strange case in that he’s sort of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type of linebacker. The good news is, he still has plenty of room to develop and should be a nailed on Day Two pick.

Chris McClellan

Staff Overview

A mammoth presence on Mizzou’s interior for the past two seasons, Chris McClellan proved to be the anchor of a line that excelled. While he’s not necessarily a star player that NFL teams build around, his size and strength make him a threat when paired with other high-end pass rushers in the trenches.

Expert Analysis

Everything with McClellan starts with leverage. When he fires out with proper knee bend and lower pads, he plays with much better balance and can maximize his length—jolting blockers, disengaging, and pursuing effectively.

McClellan profiles as a versatile, length-driven interior defender who can contribute across multiple alignments (he’s capable of lining up at 1-technique, 3-technique, and even some 5-technique), with his effectiveness hinging on improved pad level consistency and continued technical refinement. – Todd McShay, The Ringer

Prediction

McClellan’s physical gifts outweigh his technical limitations, and he’ll be too much to pass up for a team needing exciting young defensive line talent. Look for him to get called late in Day Two or on Day Three.

Kevin Coleman, Jr.

Staff Overview

A shifty and sure-handed gadget player, Coleman was one of the few sure things in Mizzou’s shaky 2025 passing game. He doesn’t have the biggest build which will likely give some teams pause, but he’s a hard worker who has produced everywhere he’s been and has enough tools — sticky hands, open-field agility, good route-running — to make space for himself on an NFL roster.

Expert Analysis

Kevin Coleman Jr is a dynamic matchup slot-receiver prospect. He projects as a rotational receiver on an NFL roster who can climb the depth chart.

Quick gear shifting to accelerate to top speed and put defenders in conflict

Short area quickness and change of direction to lose defenders in coverage

Strong spatial awareness and feel after the catch to make the first defender miss – Damian Parson, B/R

Prediction

Players like Coleman come around regularly in the NFL, but his smart, efficient play will set him apart from all the other twitchy receivers teams love to stock up on. Coleman will likely go on Day Three to a team needing to spice up their passing and return games.

Keagen Trost

Staff Overview

A one-year transfer to the SEC, Trost dominated as a Tiger and earned himself All-SEC honors. He might not be as bulky as some teams would like for an NFL tackle, but Trost is technically assured and equally strong in the passing and rush games. He’s capable of making room for himself on an NFL roster and has the capability to turn into a multiple-year contributor at the highest level.

Expert Analysis

Keagen Trost is a barrel-chested, strong blocker with just enough initial burst to get centered and unlock his power.

Barrel-chest with good square power to create displacement on angle-drive and down blocks.

Stays square on second-level climb to maximize power and deliver a jolt to smaller targets that cross his path. – Brandon Thorn, B/R

Prediction

Trost may not pop on tape the way some of his peers do, but he proved that he could compete at the highest level in 2025. That should be enough for a team to scoop him up on Day Three and hope they can develop him into a high-end backup with potential to make him a starter.

Toriano Pride, Jr.

Staff Overview

An athletic, high-octane competitor, Toriano Pride’s Mizzou career was defined by plenty of highlights and some inconsistencies in coverage. Despite some of the technical lapses in his game, Pride’s physical gifts and nose for making big plays makes him an intriguing NFL prospect, especially for a staff confident they can maximize the upsides to his game.

Expert Analysis

Toriano Pride showcased his impressive athletic ability at the combine and played well on the boundary for Missouri. While a switch to safety or nickel is likely in his future, he didn’t back down to the bigger receivers he faced.

Pride plays bigger than his size on the boundary with physicality, good use of the sideline, and recovery speed to turn and run.

He’s a tough, reactive player with natural footwork and zone feel to make a transition to nickel who fights at the catch point. – Daniel Harms, B/R

Prediction

Pride won’t be short of suitors, especially teams who can afford to take a flier on developing an athletic, ball-hawking secondary player. He’ll likely go at the end of Day Three.

Curious about any other Mizzou Tigers? Feel free to get in the comments or hit us up on the football boards at Rock M+!