The 2026 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Jalon Kilgore NFL Draft Profile.
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Position: Cornerback
School: South Carolina
Size: 6-foot-1 3/8, 210 pounds
Class: Junior
2025 stats: 54 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 10 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries
Kilgore was a four-star recruit in the class of 2023 who signed with South Carolina out of Georgia. He played immediately for the Gamecocks, registering 76 total tackles, one interception and six passes defended. The team won five games that year. In 2024, he totaled 48 tackles, five interceptions and five passes defended. He helped South Carolina improve to nine wins that season. Kilgore had 54 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes defended in 2025. Although he played well, South Carolina struggled with just four wins.
Following the season, Kilgore declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a second to fourth round pick.
Kilgore has good size for the safety position, as he measured in at over 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds. He has a filled out frame and uses that play strength to make plays in the box. Kilgore also had longer arms that measured in at just under 33 inches too, which helps him match up with bigger pass catchers and gives him a bigger tackle radius.
His ball skills are very impressive and he had solid ball production in college. It is especially impressive because of how often he plays in the box. Kilgore tracks the ball well in the air and attacks the catchpoint urgently. He gets passes defended and also comes down with interceptions to change the game for his team.
He is a versatile player who can fill a few different roles for a defense. Kilgore has some snaps from deep, although he is better playing in the box. Along with creeping down into the box, he can play the nickel spot pretty well. If a defensive coordinator has a vision on how to use him, he can get comfortable and make plays.
Kilgore is good at covering underneath, but deep zones are questionable for him. He doesn’t have as much experience with covering the deep zones, so he’ll need time to develop if asked. Kilgore doesn’t have the greatest range or field vision from the deep parts of the field, either.
While he has good size and length, he does miss a decent amount of tackles. Kilgore needs to come to balance and wrap up as he is making tackles. If he can do more form tackles and have more focus, he can have an even bigger impact playing so close to the line of scrimmage.
He can cover tight ends in man-to-man, which gives him a lot of value, but he can struggle covering wide receivers. They are shiftier than he is and he struggles to mirror them. If he plays the nickel, his matchup could exploit him at times, especially if he doens’t have help over the top.
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