Jake Golday is a linebacker from Cincinnati who is ranked No. 85 on my NFL Draft Top 100 Big Board. This comprehensive scouting report analyzes Golday’s draft potential, current mock draft trends, and where he ranks among the top prospects.
Jake Golday’s NFL Draft Potential
If you’re looking for a sleeper LB prospect to invest in for the 2026 NFL Draft, look no further than Cincinnati’s Jake Golday. At 6’4″, 240 pounds, Golday has the explosiveness and range to work sideline-to-sideline. He’s an instinctive spatial navigator working through creases to make stops at the line, and he also has blitzing utility with his long-strider burst through gaps. Additionally, with his size and length, he’s able to take on and stack blocks at the second level, and he’s shown he can make solo tackles with good form.
CFB Week 9 Update
Golday was once again impactful in a decisive Cincinnati win against Baylor, racking up six tackles, a half-sack, and a pass breakup. His length and range can be weaponized through gaps, but he also has the coverage mobility and reach to occlude passing windows when getting depth. Golday has quietly developed into one of the most complete three-down LBs in the 2026 NFL Draft, and NFL evaluators are sure to be fond of his blend of physical and mental strengths.
CFB Week 10 Update
The Utes throttled Cincinnati 45-14, and while Golday wasn’t the prime culprit on defense, it was a day that yielded both positives and negatives for him. Golday’s prime specialization continues to be run defense. He has the lateral quickness to match up with and offset blocks, while using his length to stack and decouple, and several times against Utah, he was able to not only control boundary-tracking blocks, but also reset the line, prevent displacement, and cut off runners attempting to sear outside the hashes.
That said, while run defense is a strength for Golday, coverage is a weakness. He struggled to recover his footing after chucking receivers in zone at times, and he also experienced delays getting depth off play-action exchanges; one such instance resulted in a first down for the offense. Golday will need to keep refining his zone footwork and spatial IQ as he nears his NFL transition.
CFB Week 11 Update
Cincinnati was on a bye in Week 11. They’ll return to action in Week 12 against the Arizona Wildcats.
CFB Week 12 Update
The Bearcats lost in Week 12 against the Arizona Wildcats, but Golday did his part on defense, racking up 13 total tackles and contributing to a tackle for loss. In coverage, Golday didn’t make much of an impact, and at times struggled to get proper depth — but his range, block take-on, and finishing physicality as a tackler showed up in the run game.
He’s relatively one-dimensional as a potential Top 100 LB, but Golday’s primary function — running down plays, competing in the scrum, and generating stops — has definite appeal in the NFL.
Where Is Golday Being Selected Most Often in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator?
Golday currently holds the No. 117 overall rank among prospects, reflecting his standing among mid-round prospects. His most recent Average Draft Position (ADP) of 86.2 as of November 19 reflects that he is typically being selected on Day 2 or early Day 3.
Interestingly, his ADP is higher than his rank, suggesting that users are targeting him more aggressively than his positional ranking might indicate.
Users controlling the Indianapolis Colts have been the team that selected Golday the most frequently over the past week, accounting for 2.0% of their picks across all seven rounds.
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Where Does Jake Golday Rank Amongst Other NFL Draft Prospects?
Golday is currently ranked No. 85 overall in my November 2026 NFL Draft Big Board. Among LB prospects, Golday ranks 6th at the position, trailing prospects like Sonny Styles, CJ Allen, Taurean York. Currently ranked in the top 100, Golday will look to increase their draft stock in the coming months.
Want to see how we rank all the draft prospects in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator? Check out our NFL Draft Prospect Rankings page, which includes more than 750 prospects.
