From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Texas DL Cole Brevard.
No. 99 Cole Brevard/DL Texas 6026, 343 pounds (Sixth-year Senior)
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Cole Brevard | 6026/343 | 9 3/8 | 32 1/8″ | 80 5/8″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.13 | 1.70 | 5.06 | 8.60 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 8’11” | 25 1/2″ | 27 |
The Good
– Ideal size and frame for an interior defensive lineman
– Built like a tank with extreme lower-body strength
– Inherently difficult to move or uproot
– Dominant point-of-attack anchor
– Consistently absorbs double and triple teams to protect linebackers
– Maintains strong gap discipline
– Collapses the pocket with sheer power and a heavy bull rush
– Utilizes effective inside counters when linemen over-set
– Solid hand usage when initiating contact
– Maintains excellent low leverage despite his size
– Plays with high-motor effort and backside pursuit
The Bad
– Visibly stiff in his movements
– Lacks natural hip fluidity and ankle flexion
– Severely limited lateral agility in space
– Occasionally late to disengage and pursue if the run design is away from his gap alignment
– Lacks any finesse to his game as a pass rusher
– Little to no pass rush production
– Limited to a two-down role
– Needs to refine hand-fighting technique
– One-trick pony as a player
– Will turn 25 during his rookie season
Stats
– 2025 stats: 18 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 pass deflections, 10 pressures, 10 hurries, 13 games played
– Career stats: 56 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, 41 pressures, 1 hit, 37 hurries, 51 games played
– Purdue Career stats: 38 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 31 pressures, 1 hit, 27 hurries, 37 games played
– Penn State Career stats: 1 game played
– 72.6 run defense grade per PFF (2025)
– 8% pass rush win rate (2025)
– 9.4% pass rush win rate on true pass sets (2025)
Injury History
– Broke his right hand during his junior year of high school, where he underwent surgery and missed four games (2018)
– Carted off the field against Penn State, which forced him to miss the following game (2024)
– Suffered an undisclosed injury in fall training but didn’t miss significant time (2025)
– Suffered an injury scare regarding his neck in spring practices, but it didn’t affect his playing status (2025)
Background
– Born November 6th, 2001 (24 years old)
– Started career at Penn State, where he went two seasons before transferring to Purdue for three seasons
– Finished career at Texas for a season
– Four-star recruit out of Carmel High School after helping the team win three sectional titles and regional championships
– Two-time All-State selection and three-time MIC and All-City selection
– Ranked top prospect in Indiana
– Two-time team captain
– Played Lacrosse as a freshman and participated in shot put and discus
– Named Developmental Squad Defensive Player of the Week twice (2020-2021)
– First career sack came against J.J. McCarthy (2023)
– Academic All-Big Ten (2023)
– All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (2024)
– Completed an undergraduate degree in Selling and Sales Management at Purdue
– Listens to classical music and movie scores to motivate him before games
– Has a deep interest in space and wants to work with the space program after his playing career
– Spends time learning Japanese as a hobby
– Tried to join his school’s history club in third grade
– Played flag football at five years old
– Spend his childhood studying a football encyclopedia gifted by his grandfather
Tape Breakdown
If the goal is to come out of the draft with a true, old-school nose tackle on Day 3, Brevard fits the bill. He’s a massive bowling ball in the middle of the defense at 343 pounds, and he knows exactly how to use that frame. He isn’t just big for the sake of being big — most of his mass is packed into his lower half, giving him a sturdy, immovable base.
While most players’ athleticism is judged by how fluidly they move or how explosive they are, Brevard is evaluated first and foremost on his raw power. His most translatable trait is his ability to drop anchor against double teams — and even handle the occasional triple team.
Brevard is built like a tank. His sheer size forms a physical wall in the heart of the defense, making life easier for his teammates. When he’s able to eat up multiple blockers, it frees up the defenders behind and beside him to play faster and find more favorable matchups.
One of the plays below illustrates that strength perfectly. On 3rd and 1, he absorbs four blockers, stuffs the run, and forces a fourth-down attempt.
Without question, the most appealing part of Brevard’s profile is his run-stuffing ability. That dominance starts at the point of attack. At the snap, he fires his hands violently into the breastplate of the opposing lineman and locks out his elbows to generate immediate separation.
With an 80-inch wingspan, that lockout is vital. When linemen get into his chest, his stiffness becomes a real drawback, and he has trouble shedding blocks. But when his hands are accurate, he dictates the rep.
Thanks to his power and size, once he sinks his hips and sets his base, he’s almost impossible to move.
While his run defense represents his ceiling as a player, his pass-rush ability defines his floor. Across six seasons, he’s generated minimal production as a rusher because he leans almost exclusively on power. His entire approach is built on brute strength and a straight bull rush. He has enough pop to collapse the pocket at times, but he doesn’t do it with any real consistency.
Brevard has a stiff lower half that limits his mobility and prevents him from incorporating much finesse into his rush plan. When his matchup can sit down, anchor, and absorb his bull rush, the rep is essentially over. He struggles to disengage and lacks a reliable counter to find a secondary path to the quarterback.
Conclusion
Brevard is an old-school space-eater who can handle early-down work at the next level. His athleticism isn’t defined by agility, like most players, but by raw strength. He’s thick and well-built in the lower half, which allows him to consistently anchor against double teams and keep his teammates clean.
Run defense will be his ticket onto an NFL roster. He’ll provide virtually no value as a pass rusher, but he’s outstanding at acting as a brick wall in the middle of a defense. Paired with his lower-body power, his massive wingspan lets him fully lock out offensive linemen and shed blocks as the ball carrier presses the line of scrimmage.
A realistic benchmark for Brevard’s NFL role is Khyiris Tonga. Like Tonga, Brevard will likely have to survive as an early-down rotational piece. Both are true 0-techs who are critical to stopping the run and forcing offenses into obvious passing situations.
NFL Draft Projection: Late Day Three – UDFA
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.2 – 7.2
Games Watched: @ Ohio State (2025), @ Georgia (2025), vs. Texas A&M (2025)