Jake Golday

The Player

Golday is a versatile linebacker with powerful hands and excellent speed. He has shorter arms for his frame and he’s on the leaner side, but he has great timing and accuracy in his punch that makes it difficult for blockers to get into his frame. He can stack and shed bigger blockers when he lines up on the edge and beat blockers to the point of attack when he lines up over the slot. He slips blocks with his hands and sifts through traffic between the tackles. 

He doesn’t have great reaction time, but his height allows him to see into the backfield and he tracks the ball well. He’s a rangy run defender who chases with great effort. He reads the quarterback and closes quickly in coverage. He can turn and carry tight ends down the seam and he broke up three passes in 2025.

His route recognition is average at best, and he has a tendency to guard grass. He’s tight in space and has some limitations in man coverage. He closes well rushing off the edge and blitzing from the slot. He flashes an effective long-arm move and has the ability to get off blocks at the top of his rush. He slips running backs and can deliver big hits when he gets to the quarterback, though they have some success eluding him.

He led the team in tackles last year and has good stopping power, but he can be tight and struggle to recover when his angle is off. He has a tendency to wrap high and fall off of tackles. He lined up in the box 320 times, over the slot 251 times, and at edge 122 times in 2025, according to PFF.

The Draft

Golday is one of the top linebacker prospects in a deep class. He’s also one of five Cincinnati players who could get drafted this year, which has only happened once (2022) since 2009. 

The Projection

Golday has the traits to develop into a starter early in his career and can be utilized in rush packages and on special teams. He’s not as instinctive or fluid as 2023 first-round pick Jack Campbell, but they have similar frames and posted similar and testing numbers at the combine.