Kendal Daniels | LB/S | University of Oklahoma | 2026 NFL Draft
Kendal Daniels is a 6’5″, 242-pound LB/S hybrid from the University of Oklahoma. A product of Beggs High School in Beggs, Oklahoma, Daniels was a four-star recruit ranked No. 41 overall nationally and the No. 1 player in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports. He spent four years at OSU, redshirting in 2021, before transferring to Oklahoma ahead of the 2025 season. At Oklahoma State, he earned Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors in 2022, honorable mention All-Big 12 in 2023, and recorded 64 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks in 2024. At Oklahoma, he started all 13 games in the “Cheetah” hybrid role, a position that operates between linebacker and safety, logging 53 tackles and 9.0 tackles for loss.
Daniels brings rare size and length, which translate directly to coverage. His length allows him to contest releases, disrupt timing at the top of routes, and shed blocks from smaller receivers without much difficulty. His short-area burst is good. He closes quickly once he identifies the ball carrier and is at his best attacking downhill screen plays. In man coverage, he stays patient, keeps his hips square, and uses his frame to body up tight ends through their routes without giving up easy releases. In zone, he shows solid quickness in the flat and hook-curl zones and transitions between the nearest receivers with reasonable efficiency. His straight-line speed is functional and holds up on in-breaking routes and intermediate assignments. Mentally, he processes passing concepts at an adequate level and is most reliable in structured coverage situations. His processing against the run is slower. He can be late to recognize run keys and is occasionally caught out of position when play-action or gap-blocking schemes arrive before he can react. His play strength at the point of attack and his tackling consistency are areas that will need to improve at the next level.
Kendal Daniels is a coverage-first hybrid defender whose combination of length, zone instincts, and patience in man coverage gives him a clear NFL path as a match-up piece against tight ends and slot receivers. He is most effective operating in intermediate zones and short-to-intermediate man coverage assignments, where his size and timing at the top of routes make him a legitimate threat to disrupt passing windows and prevent yards after the catch. His tackling, when disciplined, is solid. For an NFL defense that can deploy him as a chess piece in sub-package situations such as shading the slot, covering the seam tight end, or patrolling a zone from an off-the-line alignment, Daniels offers a size-coverage profile that is genuinely difficult to replicate. With continued development as a run defender and a better understanding of his leverage limitations, he has the foundation to evolve from a situational contributor into a dependable starter.
In conclusion, Kendal Daniels’s length, patience in man coverage, and screen recognition give him a defined role at the NFL level. He matches up well with tight ends, holds up in intermediate zone assignments, and uses his frame to his advantage against smaller blockers. For a defense that can deploy him in structured sub-package situations, he is a unique piece at his position.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit:
Daniels fits best in a 3-4 or hybrid 4-3 defense that uses a WILL/SAM linebacker-safety hybrid role with heavy sub-package usage, a scheme that keeps him off the line of scrimmage and lets him operate in space. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a natural fit, as their hybrid-heavy defense values versatile defenders who can match up on tight ends and rotate between multiple coverage spots. The Minnesota Vikings are another strong option, where Brian Flores’ multiple, disguise-heavy scheme regularly deploys hybrid defenders who can play linebacker, nickel, or deep safety depending on personnel. The Dallas Cowboys also make sense, given their emphasis on length and coverage versatility at linebacker.
NFL Player Comp: Divine Deablo
Deablo is a long, athletic hybrid defender who came into the league as a coverage-first player operating between linebacker and safety. Similar to Deablo, Daniels has enough size and length to match up on tight ends and hold up in zone assignments. A versatile, coverage-oriented hybrid who contributes most in sub-package situations and defined matchup roles, Deablo is the kind of player Daniels profiles.
Projection: Backup/Role Player
Daniels projects as a core sub-package defender at the NFL level whose coverage tools and size give him a clear role in the right system, but whose limitations in play strength and processing will keep him from being an every-down starter early in his career. He is best suited to a defense that can deploy him in defined matchup roles such as covering tight ends, working the flat and hook-curl zones, and attacking screen plays. His development as a run defender and his ability to improve his block-shedding technique will be the primary factors that determine how much his role expands at the next level. Within three years, the expectation is that he develops into a Backup/Role Player.
Grade and Round Projection: 3.71, Rounds 4-5 (Day 3)
Daniels’ 6’5″, 242-pound frame with coverage ability is a rare combination at the linebacker-safety hybrid position, and some teams will value that physical profile highly enough to push toward the top of Day 3 to get him. What keeps him from going earlier is his mental makeup. The physical tools create a Day 2 conversation, but the overall profile lands him firmly in Rounds 4 through 5.
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