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The Philadelphia Eagles selected Uar Bernard, a 306-pound defensive tackle from Nigeria, with the 251st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Bernard is the first player from the African International Pathway Program to be drafted and is known for his exceptional athleticism.
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With the 251st pick of the 2026 NFL draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Uar Bernard from Nigeria š³š¬
The 306-pound DT ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at the HBCU combine and is the first African International Pathway Program player to be drafted š @NFLAfricapic.twitter.com/AbPB1KWgEI
ā SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 25, 2026 The cape, thatās what got me. Bernard did not play at an American college. In fact, he didnāt play anywhere last year, or the season before, or the season before that. Bernard has never played American football before in his life. But he burst onto the scene over the last few weeks after testing off the charts and cementing himself on perhaps the biggest freakish athlete in the Draft. 21 y/o Nigerian prospect, Uar Bernard, is going viral for his freakish athletic testing at the HBCU Showcase:
Height ā 6-4½ Weight ā 306 lbs Body Fat ā 6% Vertical ā 39 inches Broad Jump ā 10'10" (14 inches longer than any other DT) 40 time ā 4.63
Best combine numbers since⦠pic.twitter.com/8ZpTsRCvoI
ā Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) April 3, 2026 As [The Athleticās Bruce Feldman wrote earlier this month](http://Uar Bernard (pronounced āooh-areā) measured in earlier this week at the NFLās HBCU showcase at 6-4 1/2, 306 pounds with 11-inch hands and almost 36-inch arms. Other people who have spent their lifetimes in football say Bernard looks like a Marvel creation. Bernardās body fat: 6 percent. He vertical-jumped 39 inches and broad-jumped 10-10, which was 14 inches more than any other defensive tackle did at this yearās combine. His 40-yard dash: 4.63. āHands down, he is the most explosive athlete Iāve ever seen in my life,ā Luallen told The Athletic. āHe broad jumped 10-10, and it was effortless. At 306 pounds. Iāve never seen anything like it.ā), Bernardās trainer, Jordan Luallen, has been raving about his raw natural athletic ability. Uar Bernard (pronounced āooh-areā) measured in earlier this week at the NFLās HBCU showcase at 6-4 1/2, 306 pounds with 11-inch hands and almost 36-inch arms. Other people who have spent their lifetimes in football say Bernard looks like a Marvel creation. Bernardās body fat: 6 percent. He vertical-jumped 39 inches and broad-jumped 10-10, which was 14 inches more than any other defensive tackle did at this yearās combine. His 40-yard dash: 4.63.
Uar Bernard is a 21-year-old defensive tackle from Nigeria, measuring 6'4½" and weighing 306 pounds, with a 4.63 40-yard dash, a 39-inch vertical jump, and a 10'10" broad jump.
The International Player Pathway Program is an initiative by the NFL to help international athletes transition to American football, providing them opportunities to compete at a professional level.
Uar Bernard gained attention from NFL teams through his impressive performance at the HBCU showcase, where he showcased his exceptional athletic testing results.
If developed properly, Uar Bernard could become a valuable asset for the Eagles, following the success of other late-round picks like Jordan Mailata and Moro Ojomo.
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āHands down, he is the most explosive athlete Iāve ever seen in my life,ā Luallen toldĀ *The Athletic*. āHe broad jumped 10-10, and it was effortless. At 306 pounds. Iāve never seen anything like it.ā Thereās no way of knowing if this is going to amount to anything more than a curiosity, but Howie Roseman and the Eagles are banking on their coaching staff being able to unearth an NFL-caliber defensive tackle out of this raw athleticism. 4.63 at 306 pounds. š
The @Eagles got themselves a crazy athlete in Uar Bernard from the International Player Pathway Program.
NFL Draft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/X4hhgXit7l
ā NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2026 Bernard got on the radar of teams like the Eagles through the NFLās International Player Pathway program, the same program that brought Jordan Mailata to the United States. Ultimately, Roseman and the front office took a chance on the former Australian rugby player in the 7th round of the 2018 Draft and turned him into a perennial Pro Bowl left tackle. But the Eagles didnāt stop there. Following the Draft, they also signed IPP defensive lineman Joshua Weru of Kenya to a free agent contract. This is Joshua Weru from Kenya, another remarkable athlete from the NFLās IPP program who wowed folks at the HBCU showcase this week mentioned in my story about Uar. Heās 6-4, 244. He ran a 4.45 40 with a 41-inch vertical and an 11-2 broad jump: pic.twitter.com/xUZ5X0zj0J
ā Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) April 3, 2026 Roseman has had a knack for unearthing jewels in places very few others do. Moro Ojomo was not a part of the IPP, but was taken in the 7th round of the 2023 Draft and, over the last two years, has turned into one of the teamās most valuable defensive linemen, piling up six sacks and 12 QB hits in 17 games last year. With the Bernard pick and Weru signing, the Eagles did exactly what youāre supposed to do in the 7th round. Theyāre taking a chance on their coaching staff being able to teach totally raw but tremendous athletes how to play American football. Recent history says they can.