Three Mountain West players receive invitations to 2026 NFL Combine

The NFL released its full list of 2026 NFL Combine invitees on Wednesday, and three Mountain West players made the cut.

Boise State offensive tackle Kage Casey, San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson and Wyoming tight end John Michael Gyllenborg were among the 319 players to receive an invitation to the 2026 NFL Combine, which will run Feb. 23 through March 2 in Indianapolis.

The 6-foot-5, 311-pound Casey made 41 career starts for the Broncos at left tackle. A two-time first-team all-MWC selection, Casey was placed on multiple All-America teams following his sophomore season as Boise State finished 12-2 overall and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Casey received an offensive grade of 80.0 from Pro Football Focus last year, ranking first in the MWC and fifth nationally among left tackles.

A three-star prospect coming out of Oregon’s Clackamas High School, Casey chose the Broncos over an offer from Oregon State. He was rated the No. 8 overall prospect in Oregon for the class of 2022 by 247Sports.

During an interview last season, Boise State offensive line coach Tim Keane said NFL scouts were impressed with Casey’s play on the field.

“NFL scouts, those are the people that are telling us about what they think of him,” Keane said. “It’s not the people’s opinion in the building, it’s people outside the building that see him, see his ability, see his measurements, see his athleticism, see his film, see him practice, that are giving us the feedback.”

The 6-foot, 185-pound Johnson shot up draft boards as a senior on a loaded San Diego State defense. Johnson recorded 48 total tackles, four interceptions—returning two for touchdowns—nine pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.

Johnson earned MWC co-Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.

“He’s one of the highest character individuals I’ve ever coached,” San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis said of Johnson. “He’s also one of the most talented I’ve ever coached and earned that reward as the best player in the league.”

Johnson received first-team all-MWC recognition each of the past two seasons.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Gyllenborg battled injuries for a good chunk of his senior season, finishing with 24 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown.

Gyllenborg was a second-team all-MWC selection in 2024. He is considered one of the best athletes in the 2026 NFL Draft at the tight end position.