As I watched my soon-to-be 2-year-old daughter search for hidden eggs yesterday — Happy Easter today by the way (!) — I couldn’t help but think there was some sort of visual metaphor forming in front of my own eyes in terms of her trying to find an Easter egg hidden in plain sight and NFL GMs trying to select players in April’s upcoming draft.
Front office members across the league often outsmart themselves during the three-day event, overthinking plain-as-day prospects and also missing out on hidden gems.
Sometimes, however, the stars align and your favorite team’s general manager strikes gold . . . or, you know, finds a hidden egg.
So, with that said, in honor of your kids and grandkids all scouring through various landscapes today in search of the ever elusive butt nugget, here are a few yet to be uncovered hidden “Easter Egg” players in this year’s 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A stretch of the imagination? Maybe. But, we wanted to do something festive at the Buffalo FAMbase blog today.
Without further ado, here are some lesser-known prospects to keep an eye out for during the upcoming three-day event in The Keystone State.
Kaleb Proctor, DL, Southeastern Louisiana University (6-foot-2, 291 pounds/Age: 23)
No, not Kadyn Proctor.
Say it with me — KALEB PROCTOR.
You’ll likely be hearing his name for years to come in the league.
And, although the casual fan might not be well-versed in the Southeastern Louisiana University defensive lineman’s game, scouts and talent evaluators across the NFL landscape have taken notice of the 6-foot-2, 291-pound defensive lineman who had 134 career tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 48 games as a Lion down in Louisiana.
Projected to go from late Day 2 to anywhere on Day 3, Proctor could’ve easily transferred to a bigger school during his time in college, but he stayed loyal to the program that he walked on to out of high school.
Now, after developing quite nicely down in the bayous of the South, Proctor has a chance to be one of the first FCS players selected on draft weekend, which would also make him the first Southeastern Louisiana player to be selected since 2016.
The defensive tackle, who primarily lined up at 3-technique in college, had a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.51 according to Kent Lee Platte on X, and he finished his senior season with 43 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and 39 total pressures on 564 defensive snaps.
It was an impressive four-year performance for the Oak Grove, Louisiana, native, and one that he hopes to parlay into a successful professional career.
Jaden Dugger, LB, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (6-foot-5, 239 pounds/Age: 22)
For members of the FAMbase who have been following my work this offseason, you may have noticed last week that I put out my first Bills’ mock draft for the month of April.
There will be another one to follow this coming Thursday.
Spoiler alert: Dugger, a high school wide receiver turned collegiate safety who transferred from Georgetown University to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2024 and became a starting linebacker, just might be on Beane’s radar in my upcoming mock scenario . . . who knows?
For now, though, I will strictly brief you on the tantalizing prospect.
After playing for two years with the Hoyas at the FCS level as a safety — a position he also played in high school other than receiver — the 6-foot-5, 239-pound Pennsylvania native eventually found a home as a middle linebacker for the Ragin’ Cajuns in his senior season last year.
With good athleticism to go sideline to sideline and a solid ability to mirror running back’s movements while staying clean amongst blockers before meeting them in the hole despite his size, Dugger has tremendous potential at his new position.
That was evidenced in 2025 when he earned First-Team All-Sun Belt honors following a season in which he exploded for 125 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, three pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
He also earned an invite to the East West Shrine Bowl.
And, although there are certainly warts with his game, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the upside of the player moving forward. Some team might strike gold here . . . or, you know, find the “Golden Egg” if this were an Easter Egg hunt. **Shout out Debbie Green — I love you, and miss you every single day, Mom. Happy Easter up there in the clouds. Thanks for being the best Mom and making my childhood so special. XoXo**
Keyshawn James-Newby, EDGE, University of New Mexico (6-foot-1, 240 pounds/Age: 23)
Set to be 24 years old by the time NFL training camps are in full swing in August, Keyshawn James-Newby is a bit of an older prospect coming out of the University of New Mexico . . . and a bit undersized, too — but that shouldn’t deter NFL general managers from adding the 6-foot-1, 240-pound EDGE defender to their team at the end of April.
James-Newby rose from the rubble of his original stomping grounds of NAIA-level football at Montana Tech University to finish his career with the Lobos in the Mountain West Conference of the FBS where he had nine sacks as a senior.
Also making a stop at the FCS level in the Big Sky Conference with the University of Idaho along his collegiate journey, the relentless pass-rusher doesn’t seem to let his lack of ideal measurables hold him back in any way, as evidenced by his incredible 74 pressures in 2025 and a pass-rush win rate of 37.5% according to Pro Football Focus.
Possessing a good motor and solid bend, there are tools in the bag to work with in terms of becoming a pass-rush specialist of sorts in the NFL, but there is no denying that his lack of ideal size could get the better of him at times.
Still, NFL teams can never have enough players who can get after the quarterback, and James-Newby has done that every stop of the way so far.
There’s no reason to believe he can’t prove everyone wrong again and continue doing what he’s been doing in college and translate it to the professional level.
“Making that move to the FBS — I feel like I proved I can play and develop at any level — (and) I belong at any level. It doesn’t matter what situation I’m put in, I can play in the FBS, FCS, Group of Five, (or) Power Four, (and) it doesn’t matter. I can play JUCO,” the defensive end said when speaking in an interview with NFL Draft on SI’s Justin Melo recently, which you can find here.
“I can play football at the end of the day. I can match skill sets with skill sets. I belong at every level. My skills have translated across different divisions and conferences. One thing I can definitely do is play football.”
Sure sounds like a player I wouldn’t count out making a career for himself in the NFL.
Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll University (5-foot-11, 190 lbs/Age: 25)
Tyren Montgomery is a polarizing prospect in the 2026 draft pool.
A Division-III product, who didn’t play tackle football in high school, but who had a background in flag football, the unique wideout originally entered the college ranks to play basketball as a walk-on at LSU before leaving after only one semester due to various reasons.
Eventually, Montgomery made his way from the basketball court to the gridiron at Nicholls State University, playing for one season before running out of Division-I eligibility.
Through various connections, however, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound athlete managed to maneuver his way into the Division-III level for two seasons at John Carroll University, which is located in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio.
Once there, the former Texas high school basketball standout broke records for the Blue Streaks and earned consensus All-American honors in 2025 after registering 119 receptions for 1,528 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also had 17 touchdown catches in 2024.
So, although he’s an incredibly “old” prospect who played against severely lesser competition than what he’ll be going up against in the NFL, it’s clear that there is raw talent to mold when it comes to Montgomery.
He earned invites to both the American Bowl and the Reese’s Senior Bowl this offseason, and showed well in both instances.
And, despite not receiving an invite to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, he did participate at the University of Toledo’s Pro Day where he posted a 4.53-second time in the 40-yard dash, a 35.5” vertical jump, and a 10’-8” broad jump — all respectable numbers.
It might be late, but some team will likely take a crack at developing the inexperienced, yet mature wide receiver.
Mason Reiger, EDGE, University of Wisconsin (6-foot-5, 251 lbs/Age: 23)
Another “Super Senior” on this list who will turn 24 before the end of August, University of Wisconsin EDGE defender Mason Reiger is more like a dinosaur egg than a farm fresh egg in comparison to his fellow draft counterparts, but he’s still got plenty of spring in his get off and it shows on the field despite lacking premier numbers in the stat categories.
Starting off the first five years of his collegiate career with the University of Louisville, Reiger finished his time in the college ranks with just 13 sacks across six seasons after spending 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin.
That’s certainly not eye-popping, and it sort of screams “just a guy,” but there’s more than meets the eye with the 6-foot-5, 251-pound Illinois native.
After posting 22 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five sacks in 2023 with the Cardinals, Reiger was forced to redshirt in 2024 after he suffered an injury that required a bone graft to be placed in his knee.
He made his way back to the field for the Badgers last season, however, and managed to put up near identical numbers to his 2023 outing as he had 33 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five sacks in his final collegiate campaign.
The try-hard player followed up that performance by earning Defensive MVP honors at the Shrine Bowl after he tallied four tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble in the offseason All-Star game.
It was a good way to cap off his college career, and it was a display that likely had scouts going back to the tape immediately following the game.
The slender-built defender posted a 40” vertical jump, a 10’-5” broad jump, a 4.78-second time in the 40-yard dash, and a 1.61-second 10-yard split at the combine, which is definitely impressive and shows just what type of get off he has.
With that said, Reiger could still stand to finish more on his pressures than he did in college, but there’s reason to believe that he could put it all together once in the pros.
He is certainly a player worth taking a mid-to-late-round “flyer” on.
Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin State University (6-foot-1, 193 lbs/Age: 22)
A native of Mesquite, Texas, defensive back Charles Demmings possesses tremendous height and length for the cornerback position while having the frame necessary to add a few more pounds once in the NFL should he choose to do so.
Regardless if he does or not, Demmings’ athletic abilities will allow him to match up with any receiver he might go up against in the league, and there’s plenty of upside to like about the former Lumberjack standout.
At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, the 22-year-old defensive back ran a 40-yard dash time of 4.41 seconds, a 10-yard split of 1.55 seconds, had a vertical jump of 42”, and a broad jump of 11 feet even.
So, despite playing at a lower level of football in the FCS, there’s no reason to think that the physical cornerback can’t have his game translate to the NFL.
Even if he’s unable to successfully make the transition from college to the pros as a regular starter on defense, his athletic abilities should help him carve out a career on special teams as a gunner and a contributor on various other coverage units at the very least.
Due to that physical prowess, however, the press-man corner could hear his name called as early as round four or five on Day 3.
For his career, Demmings finished with 63 total tackles, 16 pass breakups, nine interceptions, and two tackles for loss. He earned Second-Team All-Southland Conference honors in 2024 and First-Team All-Southland Conference honors in 2025.
Caden Curry, EDGE, Ohio State University (6-foot-3, 257 lbs/Age: 22)
It’s not often that a player is being slept on coming off a season in which they recorded 66 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks after also having helped his team win a national championship in the season prior, but that’s exactly what’s happening with Ohio State University EDGE defender Caden Curry during this draft cycle.
Seemingly knocked for being the beneficiary of being surrounded with a tremendous amount of talent while at Ohio State, Curry was ultraproductive in his first year as a full-time starter for the Buckeyes in 2025, and a player shouldn’t be reprimanded for simply making the plays that came to him.
He possesses a sturdy base and can rush the passer from both the EDGE and the interior, which is certainly a useful tool to possess when trying to get on the field at the next level.
With that said, Curry also has an innate ability to recognize screens in the passing game rather quickly and is able to drop into coverage quite smoothly for his size, so it’s a bit puzzling as to why he’s being overlooked so much.
Having just the one season of full-time starting experience under his belt, it’s possible that he’s just starting to climb toward his peak going into the league instead of heading toward an inevitable plateau like some players that make many marks on the stat sheet in college.
Whatever team that takes a chance on Curry could be very pleasantly surprised with what they get in the middle-to-late rounds of the draft.
Daniel Sobkowicz, WR, Illinois State University (6-foot-2, 190 lbs/Age: 23)
At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Illinois State University’s Daniel Sobkowicz looks the part of an NFL wide receiver at first glance, despite playing at the lower FCS level of collegiate football during his career.
Nearly helping the Redbirds win a national title last year, Sobkowicz was named First-Team All-MVFC (Missouri Valley Football Conference) as a senior after tallying 83 receptions for 1,141 yards and 19 touchdowns — an Illinois State school record.
In total, the Arlington Heights, Illinois, native finished his time at the school with 259 receptions for 3,559 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Production from players doesn’t always get you noticed, however, particularly at skill positions from small programs, but sometimes athletic traits do.
And, at his pro day — despite running a measly 40-yard dash time of 4.63-seconds — the crafty wideout showed his explosiveness and agility by posting a 10-yard split time of 1.53 seconds and a time of 6.61 seconds in the three-cone drill, both of which are quality numbers — especially at his height and weight.
Keeping all that in mind, Sobkowicz displays that burst and twitchiness in and out of his breaks down the field as he’s a rather savvy route technician on film, and it’s impressive regardless if it is against lower competition.
Although it might be a bit of a cheap comparison, current Seattle Seahawks veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp was a similar level of player coming out of Eastern Washington University in 2017, which is also an FCS school . . . and look how that’s turned out.
I’m not saying Sobkowicz and Kupp are in — or will ever be in — the same stratosphere together, but the comparison has been seen being tossed around if you comb through the internet enough.
The former Rolling Meadows High School standout at least has a chance to stick around in the league if he’s given the right opportunity.
Carmine Bastone, DT, Northwestern University (6-foot-1, 291 lbs/Age: 22)
A recipient of the No. 1 jersey at the beginning of the preseason in 2025 for the Wildcats, which is the team’s highest honor that is voted on by the players, Carmine Bastone might not even get close to being drafted in the coming weeks, but there’s something to like about the try-hard player.
Originally scheduled to join Cornell University’s engineering program out of high school, Bastone was offered the chance to be a preferred walk-on in 2022 at Northwestern University, which was less than 50 miles from his hometown, and he took the opportunity and ran with it.
By the time the 2023 season rolled around, the St. Charles, Illinois, native had earned a full scholarship and went on to rack up 26 tackles, three-and-a-half sacks, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble that year.
After a knee injury cost him five games during the 2024 campaign, Bastone was back to full force in 2025, earning captain status and delivering a career-high in tackles (29), tackles for loss (4), and sacks (2.5), while also collecting one fumble recovery and one pass deflection.
At his pro day, the defensive lineman recorded 31 reps in the bench press — which would’ve been good for second at the combine — and he also had a shuttle time of 4.46 seconds and a three-cone time of 7.25 seconds, both of which would’ve been tops for his position at the event in February.
An Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Bastone may not ultimately even hear his phone ring until after draft weekend due to his lack of size and overall ability as a pass rusher, but he’s the type of player that you’d like to have in your locker room — that’s undeniable.
I definitely wouldn’t count him out.
Jeff Yurk, P, Elon University (6-foot-4, 224 lbs/Age: N/A)
The FCS all-time leader in yards per punt, Elon University’s Jeff Yurk is the biggest leg you’ve probably never heard of.
At 6-foot-2, 224 pounds, the Southern Pines, North Carolina, native has been garnering interest from NFL teams in search of a punter this offseason, and the big-legged boomer even received a workout with the Baltimore Ravens recently according to analyst Ryan Fowler, who covers college football and the NFL.
In September of last season, Yurk set a Elon school record for a single-game with a 55.2 yard-per-punt average, and he finished the 2025 season with an average of 48.3 yards per punt on 52 attempts.
He also had 17 punts land inside his opponent’s 20-yard line last year, and had a long of 74 yards.
In 2024, his longest punt was 72 yards and he had a season average of 47.9 yards per attempt on 60 punts, with 19 of them landing inside the 20-yard-line, 26 of them traveling 50 yards or more, and 13 of them being called for fair catches.
It was an impressive college career for the former three-sport high school athlete, and with the ability to punt seemingly being able to translate at any level of football, it’s not hard to imagine Yurk at least getting an invite to a team’s training camp this summer.
He is certainly an interesting specialist to set your sights on as we move forward toward the end of April.
Uar Bernard, DT, International Pathway Program, Nigeria (6-foot-4, 306 lbs/Age: 21)
A member of the NFL’s International Pathway Program, which is also where the Bills drafted offensive lineman Travis Clayton out of a few years ago, defensive lineman Uar Bernard is looking to make the leap from a small farming village in Nigeria to the fast-paced fields of the NFL in 2026.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 306 pounds, the Nigeria native also measured in with 11” hands and 36” arms, which is just truly incredible to think about when you find out that he also ran a 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds, jumped 39” in the vertical, leaped 10’-10” in the broad jump, and had just 6% body fat . . . which capped off a remarkable showing at the NFL’s HBCU showcase recently for the hopeful player.
Now, despite having never played a down of organized football against other opponents and coming from a family where his father was a police officer — not an athlete — Bernard is looking to make a new kind of career for himself in something other than what he’s used to seeing people do where he’s from.
It certainly won’t be easy, but with athletic traits like that, it’s hard not to get excited with the possibilities of what he could become as a player.
You can read more about Uar Bernard and his journey in an article by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman right here.
Erick Hunter, LB, Morgan State University (6-foot-4, 220 lbs/Age: 23)
Another standout at the HBCU Showcase recently, Morgan State’s Erick Hunter is an athletic linebacker that led the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) last season with 102 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries, four sacks, four forced fumbles, and an interception, which earned him all-conference honors in 2025.
He ran a 40-yard dash time of 4.48 seconds at the recent HBCU event, which is certainly a great mark at his size, and it wouldn’t be shocking for him to get a UDFA contract or an invite to a rookie minicamp at some point after the draft if he’s not selected in the seventh round.
He also registered a 37″ vertical jump, a 10′-10″ broad jump, a 1.58-second time in the 10-yard split, and did 16 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
Clearly, Hunter is an athlete, and some team just might become enamored with what he could become in a few years if they can “school up” the small-school linebacker, so to speak.
His biggest play of the season came on a blocked punt against Norfolk State University when he blocked a kick and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown.
It’s not hard to see here that there are tools and traits to work with from the HBCU standout.
BuffaloFAMbase.com is sponsored by 26 Shirts
Every Monday, we launch a two-week campaign of a new Buffalo-themed t-shirt design. Every purchase results in a donation to a local family in need. After the campaign ends, the shirt is typically retired. A new design is released, and a new family benefits from your fandom!
