
Jefferson blunt on McCarthy with Kyler a Viking
Justin Jefferson discusses the Vikings' QB competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray.

UCLA defensive tackle Gary Smith III is projected to be selected by the Detroit Lions with the 205th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This year, only one UCLA player is expected to be drafted after a disappointing 3-9 season.
The 2026 NFL Draft begins on Thursday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but donāt get your hopes up to see a handful of UCLA Bruins have their names called this week. After seeing five players get drafted in 2025, the Bruins might only have one UCLA alum get drafted this year.
In Dane Brugler of The Athleticās full 7 round mock draft, Brugler has just one UCLA Bruin getting selected. Brugler has the Detroit Lions grabbing UCLA defensive tackle Gary Smith III with the 205th overall pick in the sixth round.
Smith was one of two UCLA players invited to the NFL Draft Combine this year, as he was joined by offensive linemen Garrett DiGiorgio. With the 2025 season being such a mess for the Bruins, it makes sense that they donāt have a long list of draftable players from their 3-9 season.
Coming off of a 5-7 season in 2024, UCLA had two players taken in the second round, with one of those picks being NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger. Schwesinger made an immediate impact at linebacker with the Cleveland Browns but it appears that this will be a quieter season for UCLA rookies.
Brugler has Smith as the No. 26 defensive tackle in this yearās class and as the No. 268 overall player. The six-year college player spent four years in Westwood, earning an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention during the 2025 season.
āSmith is a wide-framed nose with the body thickness and low pads to become a boulder in the trenches. But he doesnāt just take up room ā he will use his aggressive hands and raw strength to deconstruct single blocks,ā Brugler said of Smith. āAlthough his change-of-direction movements are stiff, his weight loss showed in the quickness he displayed pursuing ball carriers up and down the line (career-high 40 tackles in 2025). His pass-rush attempts stall out quickly, and he is much better at controlling the point of attack than generating movement.ā
Gary Smith III is projected to be drafted in the sixth round with the 205th overall pick.
Only one UCLA player, Gary Smith III, is expected to be drafted in 2026.
UCLA had a disappointing record of 3-9 in the 2025 season.

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Smith was a Duke Blue Devil for two years before heading west to UCLA. Now Smithās football journey can head to the next step later this week at the draft.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA has one player selected in The Athletic's 7 round NFL mock draft