Mikail Kamara DE/EDGE Indiana |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #6 SUB-POSITION: VERSATILE DL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.90 seconds (30%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #6 | |
| SUB-POSITION: VERSATILE DL | |
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.90 seconds (30%*) | |
| Overall Rating: | 82.5 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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69% |
| Pass Rush: |
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86% |
| Run Defense: |
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82% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
5th
Overall Rank:
#154
Position rank:
#32 (DL)
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| College Games: 52 College Snaps: 2344 | ||
247 RATING: 85/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.6 (92%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kaimon Rucker - North Carolina |
|
93% |
| Josh Paschal - Kentucky |
|
82% |
| Josaiah Stewart - Michigan |
|
77% |
Draft Profile: Bio
A senior season at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia, that produced 34 tackles for loss and 15 sacks earned Mikail Kamara Region 5A Defensive Player of the Year honors and helped the Bulldogs reach back-to-back state championship games. A three-star recruit, he signed with James Madison and started six games as a true freshman during the 2020 spring season before a 2021 injury cost him an entire year.Kamara returned in 2022 but was limited to five games due to another injury, recording four sacks in that short stretch. Healthy in 2023, he started 12 games and posted 17.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, earning Second Team All-Sun Belt honors. That production caught the attention of bigger programs.
He followed head coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana in 2024 and delivered immediately: 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and First Team All-Big Ten recognition. He returned for the 2025 season and helped lead the Hoosiers to a national championship, earning CFP Championship Game Defensive MVP. Despite that resume, he was notably left off the Scouting Combine invite list.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Explosive first step off the snap consistently beats offensive tackles to the edge.
- Natural leverage at 6'1" allows him to get underneath taller blockers' pads.
- Refined pass rush plan with counters, including a violent swim and speed-to-power conversion.
- Ankle flexibility and bend around the arc let him flatten his rush path to the quarterback.
- Career pressure totals climbed each healthy season, peaking at 68 in 2024 against Big Ten tackles.
- Effective as a run defender when asked to penetrate gaps and disrupt in the backfield.
- Relentless effort on every snap with consistent backside pursuit and hustle to the ball.
- Proven ability to force fumbles in critical moments, with seven across his college career.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Undersized frame with below-average length raises real concerns about holding the edge against NFL tackles.
- Coverage snaps were a disaster; tight hips and stiff backpedal limit any drop responsibilities.
- Sack production fell sharply in 2025, converting just two of his 59 pressures into sacks.
- Gets washed down the line against combo blocks and struggles to hold his ground at the point of attack.
- Two separate injuries have cost him significant time, and a 2025 shoulder issue needs medical clearance.
- Base tends to narrow against power, limiting anchor strength on early downs.
Scouting Report: Summary
Kamara's path to NFL snaps runs through sub-packages and designated pass rush roles. His burst off the line, hand usage, and ability to win with leverage rather than length give him a clear identity as a player who can pressure quarterbacks on obvious passing downs from the jump. The pass rush toolkit is advanced for a college prospect. He chains moves together, he has real power in his hands despite his frame, and he can bend the edge with the kind of ankle flexibility that translates. His 2024 production against Big Ten offensive lines was not a fluke of scheme or situation.The concerns are real, though. His 2025 sack numbers fell off a cliff even while he maintained strong pressure rates, and whether that reflects the shoulder issue, bad luck, or something more fundamental is worth watching. He is not a complete edge defender right now. Asking him to anchor against the run on early downs or drop into coverage will expose his limitations quickly. The frame is what it is, and no amount of technique will fully compensate for the length deficit against NFL-caliber tackles in the run game.
The best version of Kamara at the next level is a rotational pass rusher in a four-man front who can work off the edge on passing downs and stay fresh by splitting snaps. The combine snub feels like an overcorrection based on his 2025 sack totals without appreciating what happened around it: a national title, a championship game MVP, and consistent pressure production. If the medicals check out, there is enough pass rush ability here to contribute early and develop into something more with time.
Mikail Kamara percentiles vs other Defensive Ends (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Mikail Kamara (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
116.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
33.0
*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.