Bob Chesney is confident that UCLA will return to producing NFL talent

It was a quiet NFL Draft last week for the UCLA Bruins, with no UCLA players getting drafted for the first time since 2012. New UCLA head coach Bob Chesney doesn’t plan on letting that continue.

UCLA did see offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio and Gary Smith III get signed as undrafted free agents but the Bruins’ standard has been set a bit higher. The lack of draft picks is a deep reflection of the dysfunction of the 2025 Bruins team. UCLA went 3-9 and just didn’t have the top-end talent to compete in the Big Ten Conference, or even in nonconference matchups, losing to Utah, UNLV and New Mexico last season.

It’s too early now to pen in any UCLA players as surefire for 2027 NFL Draft prospects, but with all of the talent Chesney has brought on to the roster, the Bruins will likely return to NFL Draft relevance next spring.

“It needs to change. That’s a fact,” Chesney said, when asked about the zero UCLA draft picks. “It’s the first time since 2012. That will get corrected.”

All signs point towards Chesney fixing that problem for UCLA. Chesney has a tremendous track record of building up programs, but his attempt to do so with the Bruins will be the toughest challenge yet, as the 2026 season will be Chesney’s first in a Power Four Conference.

None of Chesney’s former players at James Madison were drafted last week either, with the Dukes having three players sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.