NFL draft: Eagles pick Nigeria’s Uar Bernard despite no game experience

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Nigeria’s Uar Bernard with the 251st overall pick in the NFL Draft, despite the 21-year-old having yet to play an organised game of American football.

Bernard’s selection came through the NFL’s International Player Pathway programme, which identifies and develops talent from outside the United States.

His potential was spotted during training camps in Africa, where his physical profile drew attention from scouts.

Former NFL player Efe Obada announced the pick on stage in Pittsburgh, saying: “Pittsburgh, you are now witnessing history being made.”

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Bernard said after his selection, “It’s a dream come true for me because I’ve worked hard for this. I’ve not played football, but I’ve gone through some drills that made me believe that I’m going to get better every day.”

Standing at 6ft 4in and weighing 306lb, Bernard is being developed as a defensive tackle. His testing numbers have been a key factor in his rise, including a 4.63-second 40-yard dash and a 39-inch vertical jump.

The Eagles have previously taken a similar approach with Jordan Mailata, who was drafted in 2018 without prior football experience. Mailata developed through the practice squad before becoming a regular starter and part of the team that won the Super Bowl in 2025.

General manager Howie Roseman said, “We wanted to take the chance on the kid. We’ve had great success with that programme. We spent a lot of time with him, worked him out.

“For us, it was a passion project. He’s got a lot of tools in his body. [We] understand it’s going to take time. It was pretty cool. [It’s] certainly unusual with that guy.”

Earlier in the draft, the Miami Dolphins selected British tight end Seydou Traore with the 180th pick. Traore became the first graduate of the NFL Academy to be drafted after spending five years in college football in the United States.

Speaking on Traore, Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said: “He’s kind of a raw, athletic ball of clay, if you will. He should only get better.

“He hasn’t been playing football for real long, so that was what was intriguing to us, especially at that value [fifth round].

“We felt he’s a player who’s ascending, whose best ball is in front of him, and who can be a problem for defences in time. We had our eyes on [him] for a while, and he fell to us at the right value, so we took a shot.”

Bernard was one of 13 athletes in this year’s IPP class, and his selection alongside Traore highlights the continued pathway for international players into the NFL.

(BBC)