Eagles Wrap Up 2026 Draft Selecting Two Defensive Linemen
Uar Bernard, of Nigeria, walks out on stage during the final day of the NFL football draft in Pittsburgh, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Doug Benc/AP Content Services for the NFL)
The Eagles finished off the 2026 Draft addressing their depth on the defensive line.
With the 251st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Uar Bernard, a defensive tackle from Nigeria, through the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP). With the 252nd pick, the Eagles selected Keyshawn James-Newby, an edge rusher out of New Mexico. The Eagles received these picks from a previous trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s a unique pick at No. 251 for the Eagles, who select a prospect out of the same International Player Pathway program that Eagles starting left tackle Jordan Mailata came out of. Bernard has not played a single snap of organized football in his life, but he brings incredible size, speed, and power.
Bernard stands at 6’4′, 306 lbs, and has taken part in multiple football camps over the past three years in Africa before getting selected for the International Player Pathway program. Bernard was first noticed by coaches while playing basketball in Bernard.
At the IPP pro day, Bernard recorded a 4.63 40-yard dash, the fastest 40-yard time for someone over 300 lbs or more. He also recorded a 39-inch vertical, 10’10’ broad jump, and a whopping 31 bench reps. This is more of a project pick for the Eagles, who will likely take the same route Mailata took during his first few years in the league, taking a year or two to truly learn the game of football before seeing if he can become a full-time pro.
As for the Eagles’ other pick, Keyshawn James-Newby is a five-year college starter out of Helena, Montana, who made three different stops during his time in College Football. James-Newby originally started at Montana Tech for the first two years, recording 92 tackles and 13 sacks during his two years with the Orediggers. During his sophomore year, he earned first-team All-Frontier Conference honors.
Following his two seasons at Montana Tech, James-Newby transferred to Idaho, where he spent two more years with the Vandals, starting 21 out of 24 games played, recording 102 tackles, 21.5 TFLs, 15 sacks, and two forced fumbles. James-Newby earned First-Team All-Big Sky honors and was an Honorable Mention Associated Press FCS All-American.
With an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA because of his time in junior college before Montana Tech, James-Newby transferred for a second time to New Mexico. During his fifth year, James-Newby was named first-team All-Mountain West Conference and led the Lobos with 15 TFLs and nine sacks.
James-Newby has been described as a high-motor productive player, but standing at 6’1′ puts him undersized and in the lowest tier for power and length compared to other prospects. It will likely mean James-Newby will be a special teamer for the time being, with a chance to earn his playing time when camp opens up.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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