San Diego's Malachi Cooper Among Most Watched FCS Edge Rushers for 2026 Draft

Sixteen sacks, 26.5 tackles for loss, and three consecutive All-Pioneer Football League selections across 38 college games. Those are the numbers Malachi Cooper is carrying into the 2026 NFL Draft, and they are the reason scouts are paying attention to a pass rusher from the University of San Diego.

Cooper, described by FCS Football Central analyst Gerald J. Huggins II as a "stout, power-based edge defender with size, length and production," projects best as an odd-front defensive end at the 4i/5-technique, capable of setting edges and collapsing the pocket in passing situations. Huggins, who serves as a national scout for the East-West Shrine Bowl and DraftHBCU and holds an official vote for both the Aeneas Williams and Jim Thorpe Awards, projects Cooper as a fringe NFL roster prospect who fits best in a multiple 3-4 odd front scheme "built on powerful linemen that can hold gaps against the run and collapse the pocket as a pass rusher." His stylistic player comparison is Deatrich Wise Jr.

The production profile is real. Cooper's 26.5 tackles for loss rank among the most demanding statistical benchmarks an FCS edge can put forward, and his value is anchored in a specific, marketable skill: holding the point of attack on early downs. As one assessment of his game noted, teams prioritize edge defenders who can do exactly that, and it is precisely where Cooper's game is strongest. Power rushers with his length and run-defense profile, the analysis added, tend to find NFL homes even when their athleticism grades out as average.

That athleticism question is where his draft trajectory gets complicated. The 2026 pre-draft process is still in its early stages, and Cooper's path runs through all-star games, combine invitations, and San Diego's pro day. The traits scouts will scrutinize most closely are his explosiveness off the line and his lateral agility, two attributes that are harder to evaluate on film than they are in timed drills. A strong showing in those measurables could push him up boards; a flat performance could confirm the concerns already noted in evaluations.

Huggins frames the ceiling plainly: "His size profile and versatility make him an intriguing upside as a high-end rotational player, depending on the team and scheme fit." That is the best-case outcome for a prospect who has maximized his production at the FCS level but whose athleticism has yet to be validated against a wider pool of draftable players.

The historical stakes for San Diego as a program are not trivial. Only two Toreros have ever been drafted: Josh Johnson in 2008 and Jamal Agnew in 2017. Cooper would become just the third if his name is called in April. That is the narrow ledge he is standing on, and everything between now and draft weekend is about proving the numbers on his resume translate to the next level.