NFL Draft winner from HBCU showcase didn't go to one

NFL Draft history was made in an unusual way when the Philadelphia Eagles selected Uar Bernard after seeing him flash at an HBCU showcase built to create opportunity.

Bernard was taken No. 251 overall in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He did not finish his career at an HBCU. He did not play at a Power Four school. He did not play college football anywhere.

In fact, according to the Eagles, Bernard has never played a down of organized football. That did not stop Philadelphia from using a draft pick on him. It also did not stop him from becoming one of the most fascinating names tied to the NFL’s HBCU pipeline this year.

Bernard, a defensive tackle prospect from Nigeria, was part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. He measured in at 6-foot-4 and 306 pounds. The numbers that turned heads were even louder. At the HBCU Showcase and International Player Pathway Pro Day in March, Bernard ran a 4.63-second 40-yard dash and posted a 39-inch vertical jump, according to the Eagles.

HBCU showcase creates unusual draft story

That makes Bernard’s selection both encouraging and complicated for HBCU football.

The showcase did what it was designed to do. It put talent in front of NFL eyes. Bernard was not a traditional prospect. He was not a former MEAC, SWAC, CIAA or SIAC standout. But he performed in a setting connected to HBCU exposure and left with enough momentum to become a draft pick.

NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that Bernard wowed scouts and front offices during the pre-draft process at the NFL’s HBCU showcase. The Eagles then took the swing late in the seventh round.

Philadelphia has some history with this kind of bet. The Eagles also drafted Jordan Mailata in the seventh round in 2018. Mailata came through the International Player Pathway program and developed into a starting offensive tackle. Bernard is not Mailata. But the comparison explains why Philadelphia would be willing to use a late pick on rare traits and long-term upside.

HBCU NFL Draft drought continues

Still, Bernard’s selection does not erase the larger issue.

No player who finished his college career at an HBCU was selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. It marks the third time this decade that has happened. That is the hard part of this story.

Several players with HBCU ties did hear their names called. Kevin Coleman Jr., who started his career at Jackson State, was selected by the Miami Dolphins. Karon Prunty, who spent time at North Carolina A&T before finishing at Wake Forest, was picked by the New England Patriots. Eric Fuller, who started at Arkansas-Pine Bluff before transferring to Toledo, was also drafted.

Those selections matter. They prove HBCU programs are still identifying and developing NFL talent. But they also show how the transfer portal can move that talent elsewhere before draft weekend arrives.

Bernard’s story adds another layer. The NFL HBCU Showcase helped a player get drafted. That is a win for the platform. But HBCU football is still waiting for its own current players to be rewarded on draft day.

The Eagles saw enough in Uar Bernard to believe he was worth developing. Now HBCU programs are left with a familiar question.

How can the same stage that helped introduce Bernard to the NFL also help keep more HBCU finishers in the draft conversation?

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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 1:38 PM.