Boubacar Traore DL/EDGE Notre Dame |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #5 SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 11/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.68 seconds (91%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 22.0 DOB: 10/24/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jersey: #5 | |
| SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | |
| Last Updated: 11/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.68 seconds (91%*) | |
| Age: 22.0 DOB: 10/24/2004 | |
| Overall Rating: |
85.2 / 100
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
|
75% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
|
85% |
| Pass Rush: |
|
89% |
| Run Defense: |
|
74% |
|
DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Late
Overall Rank:
#51
Position rank:
#9 (DL)
|
||
| College Games: 29 College Snaps: 859 | ||
ESPN RATING: 82/100
|
||
|
247 RATING: 94/100
|
||
|
RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
|
||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Foskey - Notre Dame |
|
87% |
| Antwaun Powell-Ryland - Virginia Tech |
|
78% |
| Isaiah McGuire - Missouri |
|
76% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Boubacar Traore helped Catholic Memorial in Boston to back-to-back Massachusetts state titles, including a 12-0 season in 2021, and played in the 2023 All-American Bowl. A consensus four-star recruit, he signed with Notre Dame. His brother Badara played at LSU and is an offensive lineman with the Arizona Cardinals.Traore made an early impression, sacking USC's Caleb Williams as a freshman in 2023, and he started 2024 with three sacks and a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown at Purdue before tearing his ACL against Louisville in the fifth game. He returned to start 11 games in 2025, making 37 tackles and a team-high 11 tackles for loss, with two sacks against NC State and a career-high three tackles for loss against Syracuse. He was a semifinalist for national comeback player of the year, though he has said he did not feel fully confident on the knee that season.
Traore chose to return for 2026 rather than enter the draft. He returned a fumble for a touchdown 14 seconds into the Rice game, and against Stanford he had a strip sack and an interception, the first Notre Dame player since 1998 to do both in the same game. He has four sacks, 22 pressures and two forced fumbles in eight games for a 7-1 team and was named a midseason All-American by the AP. Teammate Christian Gray has called him one of the most athletic defensive ends he has seen.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Explosive get-off, with a top-tier forty for the position
- Strip sack and interception against Stanford in the same game this season
- Has forced two fumbles and scored on a fumble return in 2026
- Reliable tackler, with one missed tackle in eight games this fall
- Disrupts passing plays beyond the sack column, forcing an interception at North Carolina
- Led Notre Dame with 11 tackles for loss in his first season back from the ACL
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Very light frame for an edge, and power tackles can drive him back
- Tore his ACL in 2024, so the knee will be on every medical review
- Pressure totals are modest, with 22 in eight games
- Struggles to hold the point when asked to two-gap on early downs
Scouting Report: Summary
Traore is an explosive, athletic edge whose first step lets him win the corner before tackles can set their feet. He has rare timed speed for the position, finishes as a tackler with one missed tackle this season, and he has turned into one of the most opportunistic defenders in the country, with a strip sack and an interception against Stanford, a fumble-return touchdown against Rice and two forced fumbles in 2026. His brother Badara reached the NFL as an offensive lineman, and Boubacar has the athletic profile to follow him.The bigger change this season is the confidence. After a 2025 season in which he admitted he was not fully himself on the repaired knee, he is playing with cleaner hands and more counters off his burst, and his impact shows up beyond the box score. At North Carolina his pressure forced an interception, and he was named a midseason All-American by the AP for a 7-1 team. He also had seven pressures in the win at Purdue.
However, the frame is the obvious question. He is very light for an edge, power tackles can drive him back when they get their hands inside, and he can struggle to hold the point when asked to two-gap on early downs. His pressure total of 22 in eight games is modest for a player with his burst, and the 2024 ACL tear will be on every medical review. His snap counts have also been modest, at about 29 a game.
Overall, Traore is a twitchy, productive edge who fits a defense that lets him attack upfield rather than play two-gap technique. He projects as a second-round edge prospect and an immediate third-down contributor, with the ceiling of a starter if he adds strength. His 11 tackles for loss in 2025, on a knee he did not fully trust, hint at what a fully healthy season could produce.
How other scouting services rate Boubacar Traore (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
48.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
10.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.