Will offensive tackle Kage Casey be Boise State’s next first-round NFL Draft pick?

The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic released his first 2026 NFL mock draft earlier this week, and Brugler had the San Francisco 49ers selecting Boise State offensive tackle Kage Casey with the No. 23 overall pick.

“Boise State has consistently produced NFL talent, but it’s never had first-round picks in back-to-back years,” Brugler wrote. “There is a chance that Casey, who helped open run lanes for 2025 top-six pick Ashton Jeanty, could change that.”

The 6-foot-5, 316-pound Casey dominated at left tackle for Boise State last season, earning second-team All-America honors from The Athletic and Walter Camp. Casey did not allow a sack and helped pave the way for Jeanty, who ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns en route to a second-place Heisman Trophy finish.

Jeanty was drafted sixth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders last week.

With Casey anchoring the line at left tackle, Boise State had one of the country’s best offenses a season ago. The Broncos ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense (37.3 points per game) and eighth in total offense (466 yards per game) and rushing offense (240.4).

Casey received a Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade of 87.0 last season, the seventh-best nationally among players with at least 500 snaps. Casey logged a team-high 947 snaps for the Broncos during his sophomore year.

A three-star class of 2022 prospect coming out of Oregon’s Clackamas High School, Casey signed with the Broncos over an offer from Oregon State. He was rated the No. 8 overall recruit in Oregon and the No. 100 national offensive tackle prospect.

Casey redshirted during his true freshman season and made 14 starts at left tackle in 2023, receiving second-team all-MWC recognition. He was also named a second-team Freshman All-American by The Athletic.

Back in January, former Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said that Casey turned down massive NIL opportunities to remain with the Broncos.

“Casey’s probably going to be a first-round pick,” Koetter said in a radio interview on KTIK. “He would’ve probably been a high pick this year, but I do think he needs another year to develop … I’m sure he could’ve got close to a million dollars in the portal.”

The Broncos are returning four starting offensive linemen from last season in Casey (left tackle), Mason Randolph (center), Roger Carreon (right guard) and Hall Schmidt (right tackle).