A look at the Seth McGowan NFL Draft profile, including a scouting report, his college highlights and stats, and a 2026 mock draft projection.
Seth McGowan profiles as one of the more interesting prospect case studies in the 2026 NFL Draft class. His college playing career included a multi-year interruption, and he is one of the older prospects in this year’s class as a result. That said, McGowan put up solid numbers against SEC competition last season and figures to be a solid option in short-yardage and red zone situations for whichever team takes him.
Let’s take a look at our Seth McGowan NFL Draft profile, including his stats, scouting report, college highlights, and more!
Seth McGowan NFL Draft Profile 2026
Seth McGowan
Position: RB
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 215 lbs
Age: 24
College: Kentucky Wildcats
Seth McGowan College Stats 2025
It was a long, winding road to the 2026 NFL Draft for Seth McGowan. He started his collegiate career at Oklahoma in 2020, but missed the following two seasons due to an off-field issue. The Mesquite, Texas, native resurfaced at Butler Community College in 2023, playing in six games. He jumped back to the FBS ranks the following year and averaged over five yards per carry at New Mexico State before being a touchdown-scoring machine in his senior year at Kentucky.
Here are McGowan’s college stats from this past season:
Games: 11
Carries: 165
Rushing Yards: 725
Rushing Touchdowns: 12
Receptions: 19
Receiving Yards: 126
Receiving Touchdowns: 0
Seth McGowan Highlights
When is the 2026 NFL Draft?
The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 23, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. This year’s draft will take place in Pittsburgh, PA. Only Round 1 will take place on Thursday. Rounds 2-3 will take place on April 24th, with the remaining four rounds wrapping up on Sunday, April 25th. There will be 257 players selected across the seven rounds, with many more getting phone calls immediately afterward.
Seth McGowan Scouting Report
Strengths
Seth McGowan is an explosive running back who brings impressive burst and decisiveness. His quick first step and processing ability allow him to hit running lanes quickly, and once he reaches the second level, he has the speed to generate chunk plays. McGowan’s ability to change direction and accelerate makes him a dangerous runner in open space.
In addition to his athleticism and quickness, McGowan utilizes leverage well when taking on tacklers. He showed the ability to bounce runs outside the tackles in college and also flashed potential as a receiver in open space.
Weaknesses
McGowan’s path to the NFL has been unconventional, and questions surrounding character, consistency and development remain after limited recent production at the college level. As a result, teams may want to see more sustained performance before projecting him into a significant role at the next level.
He will also need to continue refining the technical aspects of his game, including pass protection and overall consistency as a runner. Heading into the draft, he does not profile as a reliable third-down option. Ball security is also a concern after he tallied five fumbles over the last two years.
For more 2026 NFL Draft profiles, check out our NFL Draft page!
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Seth McGowan NFL Draft Projection | Expert 2026 NFL Mock Draft Projections
When it comes to the running back position, where players ultimately get drafted is tied profoundly to team needs. Given the low-value outlook for the position as a whole, only the very best prospects are locked into an early-round draft position. McGowan does not project as one of those players in this class, but he could realistically be taken at any point on Day 3. Here is the Seth McGowan NFL Draft projection from Walter Football.
| SOURCE | TEAM | RD | PK |
| Walter Football | Lions | 4 | 118 |
2026 NFL Draft Order | First Round
Here is the full 2026 NFL Draft order for the first round.
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Jets
- Arizona Cardinals
- Tennessee Titans
- New York Giants
- Cleveland Browns
- Washington Commanders
- New Orleans Saints
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Miami Dolphins
- Dallas Cowboys
- Los Angeles Rams (via ATL)
- Baltimore Ravens
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- New York Jets (via IND)
- Detroit Lions
- Minnesota Vikings
- Carolina Panthers
- Dallas Cowboys (via GB)
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Cleveland Browns (via JAX)
- Chicago Bears
- Buffalo Bills
- San Francisco 49ers
- Houston Texans
- Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR)
- Miami Dolphins (via DEN)
- New England Patriots
- Seattle Seahawks







