Boise State offensive lineman is coveted 2026 NFL Draft prospect

The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, and draft analysts have already moved on to next year’s class. 

Coming off a 12-2 season and the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance, Boise State is loaded with future NFL talent on both sides of the ball. 

Boise State Broncos on SI is highlighting Boise State’s top 10 draft-eligible prospects for 2026.  

We have already covered cornerback A’Marion McCoy, wide receiver Chris Marshall, linebacker Marco Notarainni, wide receiver Latrell Caples, offensive lineman Mason Randolph, running back Malik Sherrod, safety Ty Benefield, tight end Matt Lauter, edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan and are finishing up with the Broncos’ No. 1 draft prospect for 2026: Offensive lineman Kage Casey.

Offensive lineman Kage Casey, junior 

Ashton Jeanty became Boise State’s sixth first-round NFL Draft pick last month when the Las Vegas Raiders selected the record-breaking running back sixth overall. 

The Broncos have never produced a first-round pick in back-to-back seasons, but that could change next year.

Kage Casey, a two-year returning starter at left tackle, is expected to be an early selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 316-pound Casey was recently projected to go 23rd overall to the San Francisco 49ers in The Athletic’s early lookahead mock draft. 

Boise State offensive line coach Tim Keane doesn’t know where Casey will ultimately land in the draft, but Keane said NFL scouts love what they see from the Clackamas High School (Oregon) product. 

“NFL scouts, those are the people that are telling us about what they think of him,” Keane said. “It’s not the people’s opinion in the building, it’s people outside the building that see him, see his ability, see his measurements, see his athleticism, see his film, see him practice, that are giving us the feedback.”

Casey was rated the No. 8 overall prospect in Oregon for the class of 2022 by 247Sports when he chose the Broncos over an offer from Oregon State. He has started 28 games at left tackle over the last two seasons and earned numerous All-America honors as a redshirt sophomore. 

Instead of exploring the 2025 NFL Draft or entering the transfer portal for a big NIL payday, Casey opted to return to Boise State for his junior season. 

“I think Kage falls under that umbrella of guys similar to Ashton where he is a bona fide NFL guy, so he knows that he can develop here,” Keane said. “He doesn’t need to chase money somewhere else. … His big payday, Ashton’s big payday, is what? It’s the NFL. So he’s not going to chase a couple little extra dollars here and there, a car here and there, because they know it’s about the development.

“As good as Kage is, he still has components of his game he is trying to work on and master. He can do that here.” 

Casey received a Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade of 87.0 last season, the seventh-best nationally among players with at least 500 snaps. He logged a team-high 947 snaps for the Broncos as a sophomore.

Casey projects to stay at offensive tackle in the NFL.