Northwestern Wildcats Standout Earns Major Future NFL Prediction
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Northwestern had four players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, the most in program history since the NFL adopted its current seven-round format in 1994. However, the Wildcats have not had a player picked in two drafts since then.
That drought could end soon, according to The Athletic's Dane Brugler. The NFL Draft expert released his way-too-early 2026 mock draft on Tuesday, and it not only features a Northwestern Wildcat being drafted, but being selected in the first round.
Brugler's preliminary ranking had Northwestern edge rusher Anto Saka being taken No. 28 overall by the Detroit Lions, which would make the redshirt junior the fifth EDGE off the board and the eighth defensive lineman overall.
"Saka has yet to start a game in college, so this might seem a tad early for him," Brugler said. "But he consistently flashed on tape as a subpackage rusher (see the Maryland game), and his traits haven’t gone unnoticed by NFL scouts."
In two seasons at Northwestern, Saka has logged nine sacks, 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and a forced fumble over 22 games. The aforementioned 37-10 win over Maryland in 2024 was one of Saka's best; he constantly pressured Terrapin quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. and his dominance on the line enabled his teammates to force four Maryland turnovers.
At 6-foot-4 and 247 pounds, Saka fits the "athletic freak" mold that NFL teams desire in their edge rushers. While the production may not match the tape yet, Saka is set up for a big 2025 season opposite fellow defensive end Aidan Hubbard, who has totaled 12 sacks since 2023.
Saka was a four-star recruit in high school and chose Northwestern over schools such as USC, Penn State, Michigan and Tennessee. The Wildcats last had a defensive lineman get drafted in 2023 with the Colts' Adetomiwa Adebawore and Saka could be next in line.
Three Wildcats have been selected in the first round since 2021 — OL Peter Skoronski at No. 11 overall to the Titans (2023), OL Rashawn Slater at No. 13 overall to the Chargers (2021) and CB Greg Newsome at No. 26 overall to the Browns (2021).
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Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.
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