Jake Golday

● Tall, long athlete with room to continue to add bulk 460 Back to table of contents -- 464 of 629 -- ● Both fast and rangy in chasing down every blade of grass (hit 22.1 mph in practice) ● Quick to trigger (when he sees it), allowing him to close on screens and run plays ● Physical on the move to battle pullers and escape climbing blocks ● Former defensive end; has blitzing talent to heat up passers and force throws (Clay Matthews Jr. was his favorite player growing up) ● Showed incremental improvements with pedal mechanics and coverage awareness in 2025 ● Casts wide net as a tackler because of his range and effort rallying to the football ● Last penalty he committed came during his redshirt year in 2021 ● Doesn’t skip the training room and was a crew captain in the weight room ● Didn’t miss a game because of injury in his two seasons at Cincinnati

● Narrow frame with lean definition throughout ● Average play strength — shucking blockers will be more of a chore in the NFL ● Still learning how to use proper scrape and take-on techniques ● Taller pads and hips, which will cause some robotic movements with his body control ● Can lose track of the ball as a stacked defender or when reading mesh point from depth ● Can be caught in awkward angles with his pads turned ● Still very young in terms of coverage recognition

A two-year starter at Cincinnati (and three-year starter overall), Golday played Sam linebacker in defensive coordinator Tyson Veidt’s 3-3-5 base scheme, playing to the field side. After three years in the FCS (two as a defensive end, one as a Mike linebacker), he moved up to the FBS in 2024 and joined the Bearcats. He changed positions again and showed growing pains, but he continued ascending in 2025 and almost doubled his tackle production while cutting down on the mistakes. Golday was asked to operate in a ton of space in college (almost like a nickel defender), which helped showcase his gazelle-like speed to chase down the ball anywhere on the field. His mental processing took a clear jump in 2025, which was the hope during his second season as a full-time overhang linebacker. Though he had the explosive athleticism to get away with false steps in the Big 12, it won’t be that easy in the NFL. He is trending in the right direction against the pass, but his coverage recognition isn’t yet a strength. Overall, Golday is still unrefined in several areas, but his size, speed and ascending skill set are reasons to be encouraged. He projects as an immediate special teamer who can compete for defensive snaps during his rookie year.