How Mizzou’s NFL Draft Prospects Fit Teams’ Desired Traits

The Tigers have six draftable players in 2026 at different positions. Take a look at what exactly NFL general managers and head coaches look for at those exact positions.

Sep 6, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. runs the ball short of the end zone against Kansas. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

INDIANAPOLIS — The variety of players at different positions that the Missouri Tigers have who are entered in the 2026 NFL Draft leaves more than enough room for conversation as to what those players need to do to actually get drafted.

It's different going position-by-position in terms of evaluating physical traits, decision-making and more. What NFL scouting departments are looking for from defensive end Zion Young is clearly vastly different from what's expected of wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. or cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. based on the differences in their positions alone.

There are traits and physical attributes that these front office members look for universally across prospects, however, regardless of the school they reside from.

Here’s what NFL general managers and head coaches are saying about the traits that matter most for the positions of Missouri players who have hopes of getting drafted in 2026.

EDGE

Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Zion Young (9) warms up before the Gator Bowl against the Virginia Cavaliers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Zion Young has risen up NFL draft boards in the build-up to the NFL Combine for good reason. He has the production and physical traits, for the most part, to become a starter or key rotational player for multiple years. 

He might not end up as a superstar, but he has the traits to contribute for a while. His length, power and explosiveness all pop out on his game film and those things alone are likely what’s caused his surge up draft boards. 

“Ideally, you want Myles Garrett. That's who you want,” Washington Commanders General Manager Adam Peters said. “There's only one of those guys walking on the face of the earth, but a lot of those same traits, right? Long, fast, explosive, cam turn the corner, can finish, all those things.”

The ability to produce at the college level is also a difference maker. Young recorded nine sacks in his last two seasons with Missouri and finished with 11.5 in four years, including 6.5 as a senior. His 58 quarterback pressures were second in the SEC in 2025, as well.

His sack numbers may not be the most desirable compared to others in this year’s draft, but Young also has clear highlights on his game tape that stand out. That being said, more career sacks would’ve likely helped his draft stock further. There certainly are other EDGE prospects with more career sacks than him and they may get drafted higher because of it.

Career sacks recorded of the consensus Top 10 EDGE prospects in 2026:

Consensus Big Board Rank	Player	Career sacks
1	Rueben Bain Jr., Miami	20.5
2	David Bailey, Texas Tech	29
3	Keldric Faulk, Auburn	10
4	Cashius Howell, Texas A&M	27
5	Akheem Mesidor, Miami	34.5
6	T.J. Parker, Clemson	21.5
7	Zion Young, Missouri	11.5
8	R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma	17
9	Gabe Jacas, Illinois	27
10	L.T. Overton, Alabama	7

For the newly-hired head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, that’s the factor atop his checklist while evaluating defensive ends. 

“No.1, production,” Jesse Minter said. “I think there's a size, speed, length element, or a requirement. There may be guys that are (an) inch or two shorter, but then they bring something else really above the level.”

The defensive end position is one that can come with a diverse variety of skillsets and athletic traits. Those who have specific athletic traits also develop counter moves and moves they excel at and so forth. All of those things go under consideration when evaluating a potential NFL-ready EDGE like Young. 

With those developments and evaluations comes the chance for positional versatility. Scheme versatility and the ability for teams to run multiple defensive fronts, which is extremely common, also make it easier for certain players to fill different spots on the defensive line. 

Speed to power is certainly a skill of Young's. In fact, it might be the area he excels at the most while rushing the quarterback.

“(If) you get a 275-pound edge rusher that maybe is more of a speed-to-power guy, can he go inside and kick in and beat a guard with his quickness?” Green Bay Packers head coach Jeff Hafley asked. “Maybe he's not a speed rusher on the outside, but maybe you get him into a passing situation, you can kick him down on the inside.”

Wide Receiver

Sep 6, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. runs onto the field ahead of the Border War against the Kansas Jayhawks at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Matt Guzman/MissouriOnSI

For a player like Coleman, who isn’t the most physically imposing player, consistency in route running and his catching ability are top-tier attributes. Luckily for Coleman, those are two things he happens to do well. 

They also happen to be very simple skills that Cleveland Browns General Manager Andrew Berry, along with others, value in slot receivers. 

“Get open, catch the ball, make plays with the ball in your hands,” Berry said. “(I) don't really necessarily care how a guy does it. But look, we all want receivers who can get open.”

Coleman does project as a player who will play in the slot at the professional level based on his athleticism and skill set. Just because he’s smaller doesn’t mean he’s destined to stay in the slot for his career, but his speed and ability to get open make him a perfect candidate for it. 

He possesses a solid blend of up-the-field burst, creativity to get open and physical catching ability. He may not significantly excel in any of those fields, but there will be multiple avenues to take in terms of his development for any team that ends up selecting him. 

“It all depends if you're looking for a vertical slot guy with speed that's an instant accelerator, or guy that's a build-up speed guy, or if you're looking for a crafty slot that can get in and out of brakes (and) option routes,” Atlanta Falcon General Manager Ian Cunningham said. “It just depends on the scheme and what you're looking for.”

Coleman clearly has a strong feel for the game and knows where to be in exact moments. His nuanced route-running will also be a benefit to teams. In all, Coleman can do a lot and can be molded into what head coaches and front offices are looking for. 

“You want to find feel (and) see guys that can feel leverage, guys that know how to get open in different ways,” Cunningham said. “So I think the slot position is unique, because it can be used in so many different ways and it's not a one-size-fits-all.”

Cornerback

Aug 29, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. (2) celebrates on the sideline after scoring a pick-six against the Murray State Racers. | Matt Guzman-Missouri Tigers On SI

Pride’s toughness and motor won’t be a concern to teams looking for secondary support at the end of the draft. Even if he’s lacking some key traits that could easily raise his draft stock, he will have those play in his favour.

“I think in college, you get a great corner and he shuts a guy down for a play, and he kind of takes a deep breath and relaxes,” Hafley said. “If you do that in this league, you're done. So it's being able to do it over and over and over again and forget about what happened on the last play.”

The size, speed and length of a draft-ready corner might matter more than the toughness, however. Pride was listed as 5-foot-10, 183 pounds most recently, which might go against him while teams drafting on Day 3 look at him. 

Speed isn’t exactly a concern for Pride, though that’s not an area that’s viewed as elite for him. His arm length measurements in Indianapolis will be big for his draft stock, though, with his length becoming a red flag as his senior season progressed. 

Having short arms as a corner isn’t always a world-ending physical trait, but it needs to be made up for with speed or height. Pride doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of any of those, with his speed likely being the best of the three. 

“If you have a 5-foot-9 corner with 33-inch arms and all sudden, he's beat, but he can reach it, makes him a lot taller than if he is a 5-foot-9 corner with 28-inch arms,” Hafley said. “If you get a 6-foot-1 corner with short arms, the analytics of it all add up.”