Matayo Uiagalelei NFL Draft Profile: Week 12 Scouting Report for the Oregon EDGE

Matayo Uiagalelei is an EDGE from Oregon who is ranked No. 38 on my NFL Draft Top 100 Big Board. This comprehensive scouting report analyzes Uiagalelei’s draft potential, current mock draft trends, and where he ranks among the top prospects.

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Matayo Uiagalelei’s NFL Draft Potential
Matayo Uiagalelei has been one of the most productive pass-rushers in the Big Ten for two years running now, and he’s still just 20 years old. At 6’5″, 272 pounds, he has an incredibly compelling blend of size, length, lean mass, burst, and quickness, and he’s flashed the ability to use his upper and lower body in sync, both to drive power and beat extensions with quick swipes and clubs. His overall consistency, bend, and pad level in run defense can continue to improve, and his lack of high-end hip flexibility limits his cornering potential. Nevertheless, he’ll pass most teams’ size thresholds, and he has the athleticism and production worth betting on.

CFB Week 9 Update
Against an inept Wisconsin passing attack that rarely kept the ball in the pocket or within reach of any player for long, Uiagalelei’s pass-rush impact was stunted. But the 272-pound lineman held strong as a run defender, using his length and strong lower body to set the edge and compress gap space. His modest hip stiffness does show up at times when he needs to redirect quickly, but Uiagalelei’s combination of frame dimensions and overall productivity should earn the intrigue of evaluators come April.

CFB Week 10 Update
Oregon was on a bye in Week 10, but the Ducks will return to action in Week 11 against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes’ passing game won’t stress Oregon’s secondary, but the Ducks will be forced to play fast and physical downhill against the run, and they’ll be tested in the trenches on both sides of the ball by Iowa’s tough, well-coached, and NFL talent-laden fronts.

CFB Week 11 Update
Uiagalelei had a mid-level day against both the run and the pass against Iowa. His tools and his motor continue to be the most appealing parts of his profile. At his size, he has exceptional short-area burst, quickness, and recalibration athleticism, and he’s exceedingly long and powerful when he properly engages.

Having said that, his upper-lower sync and hand precision still need improvement in the pass-rush phase, and more than once, he was caught with his pads too high as an edge-setter and zone block engager, which made him easier to corral and drive off the ball. As of now, Uiagalelei is still largely a projection, who’s left too much on the table in 2025 in terms of technical development. His tools will keep him in the Top 100 conversation, but he also has reason to return.

Where Is Uiagalelei Being Selected Most Often in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator?
Uiagalelei currently holds the No. 26 overall rank among prospects, placing him among the first-round caliber prospects. His most recent Average Draft Position (ADP) of 37.0 as of November 11 reflects that he is typically being selected in the second or third round.

The gap between his rank and ADP indicates that while he’s highly regarded on our board, draft simulators are seeing him slide slightly, possibly due to team needs or positional value considerations.

Users controlling the New Orleans Saints have been the team that selected Uiagalelei the most frequently over the past week, accounting for 1.9% of their picks across all seven rounds.

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Where Does Matayo Uiagalelei Rank Amongst Other NFL Draft Prospects?
Uiagalelei is currently ranked No. 38 overall in my October 2026 NFL Draft Big Board. Among EDGE prospects, Uiagalelei ranks 5th at the position, trailing prospects like Rueben Bain Jr., Keldric Faulk, David Bailey. With a ranking inside the top 64, Uiagalelei is positioned as a Day 2 prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Want to see how we rank all the draft prospects in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator? Check out our NFL Draft Prospect Rankings page, which includes more than 750 prospects.