On Scouting last compiled a list of NFL Eagle Scouts in 2024 when 17 players made 53-man rosters for opening weekend. This year’s list stands at 13 with a few familiar faces on both sides of the ball. Coming up with this list is tricky. It involves searching the Scouting America alumni database and cross-referencing names, birthdates and hometowns. Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments, or email us at onscouting@scouting.org.
Dallen Bentley, Denver Broncos
Tight End
Bentley took a long road to the NFL.He wasn’t a highly recruited high school football player at Taylorsville High School in Utah, so his college football career began at a junior college. In his lone season at Snow College in 2022, Bentley caught eight passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns and was named to the NJCAA All-America second team.
He transferred to Utah and was chosen by the Broncos in the 2026 NFL draft with the second-to-last pick — No. 256 overall.
The rookie survived Denver’s preseason competition and made the initial 53-man roster on the strength of his blocking ability.
Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Offensive Lineman
Bolles is one of the NFL’s most respected linemen and one of its longest-tenured players.
The Denver Broncos selected Bolles 20th overall in the 2017 NFL draft after he played at Snow College and the University of Utah. He has spent his entire professional career in Denver, anchoring the left side of the Broncos’ offensive line. Bolles earned his Eagle Scout rank in 2008. His Eagle Scout project involved making toy cars that were delivered to children in rural Mexico.
Scouting remains important to Bolles, who has spoken about the discipline, work ethic and service he learned as a Scout. In February 2026, he was the featured speaker at Scouting Colorado’s annual sports breakfast, where he talked about how Scouting lessons have continued to help him throughout his life.
Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles
Offensive Guard
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Dickerson in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft after a standout career at Alabama. Since then, he has developed into one of the league’s top interior offensive linemen, earning Pro Bowl selections in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He helped Philadelphia win Super Bowl LIX.
Dickerson famously announced on National Signing Day in 2016 that he would delay enrolling at Alabama so he could finish his Eagle Scout service project. His project involved installing park benches to restore a recreation center.
Jackson Hawes, Buffalo Bills
Tight End
Hawes played at Yale before transferring to Georgia Tech for his final collegiate season. At Georgia Tech in 2024, he became one of the nation’s better blocking tight ends while also catching 16 passes for 195 yards.
The Buffalo Bills selected Hawes in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. He appeared in 2025 and enters his second NFL season in 2026.The 6-foot-4 tight end is still competing for opportunities behind Buffalo’s established veterans, but his blocking ability gives him a useful role on a team that values versatile tight ends.
Matthew Hibner, Baltimore Ravens
Tight End
The Baltimore Ravens selected rookie Hibner from SMU in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft, No. 133 overall. Before transferring to SMU, Hibner spent four seasons at Michigan, where he played in 31 games and became known for his work on special teams.
Hibner excelled in the classroom. At Michigan, he was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. In high school, he had a 4.3 grade-point average and scored a 1400 on his SAT.
David Montgomery, Houston Texans
Running Back
Montgomery remains one of Scouting America’s strongest advocates, repeatedly talked about how Scouting taught him leadership, accountability and perseverance.
He joined Scouting as a Cub Scout in Cincinnati and earned Eagle Scout from Troop 772 in 2014. His Eagle Scout project involved collecting toiletries for people experiencing homelessness.
Montgomery has said Scouting and football were the two things he cared about most as a high school athlete. He went on to play at Iowa State before the Chicago Bears selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.
After four seasons in Chicago, Montgomery joined the Detroit Lions and became a key part of their offense. The Lions traded him to the Houston Texans in March.
Bobby Okereke, Carolina Panthers
Linebacker
Okereke earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2013 from Troop 243 in Santa Ana, California. He played college ball at Stanford and was originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, where he spent four seasons before signing a four-year contract with the New York Giants ahead of the 2023 season.
In 2023, he was one of only two defensive players in the NFL not to miss a snap in the entire season.
During Week 18 of 2025, Okereke was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after an interception and a fumble recovery. Those turnovers led to 10 points and a 34-17 Giants win over the Dallas Cowboys. Okereke finished 2025 with a team-leading 143 tackles. After being released by the Giants ahead of the 2026 season, he was picked up by Carolina.
Ryan Rehkow, Cincinnati Bengals
Punter
Rehkow was a star at BYU, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors after averaging 48.3 yards per punt. It wasn’t good enough to get him drafted, so he signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was released, then landed with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In his professional debut on September 8, 2024, Rehkow set the NFL record for gross punt average in a game, with a 64.5-yard average on four punts. That broke the previous mark of 63.6 set in 2023 by AJ Cole III of the Las Vegas Raiders. His longest punt of that game went 80 yards and was the longest punt in franchise history.
Walter Rouse, New England Patriots
Offensive Tackle
Rouse earned his Eagle Scout rank in 2017 from Troop 1444 in the National Capital Area Council. He then went on to Stanford, where he earned a degree in biomechanical engineering before transferring to Oklahoma for his final college season.
The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. After spending two seasons in Minnesota, Rouse was traded to the New England Patriots just before the 2026 roster deadline.
The Patriots kept him on their initial 53-man roster, giving him a fresh opportunity heading into his third NFL season. When his football career is over, he wants to put his engineering degree to work.
Eric Saubert, Seattle Seahawks
Tight End
Saubert has been doing something remarkably difficult — sticking around the NFL for nearly a decade.
The Atlanta Falcons selected him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Drake University. Since then, he has played for several teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, San Franciso 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
Saubert earned Eagle Scout in 2012 in the Pathway to Adventure Council in the Chicago area. He has credited Scouting with providing him with a moral foundation, experience working as part of a team and a supportive environment while he developed his passion for football.
In December 2025, Saubert caught the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime against the LA Rams. That victory is a big reason Seattle made the playoffs last season.
Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Offensive Guard
Smith has quietly developed into one of the NFL’s best interior offensive linemen. The Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Tennessee. He immediately became an impact player, starting all 17 games as a rookie alongside center Creed Humphrey.
Smith has since become a fixture on Kansas City’s offensive line and is a two-time Pro Bowler. He also started for the Chiefs during their run to Super Bowl LVII and has been part of two Super Bowl-winning teams.
Kansas City signed Smith to a four-year contract in 2025.
Tommy Townsend, Houston Texans
Punter
Townsend is a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning in 2022 and 2023 with the Kansas City Chiefs. In Super Bowl LVIII, Townsend punted five times for 254 yards in the Chiefs’ 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
He signed a two-year contract with the Houston Texas before the 2024 season.
In Week 17 of the 2025 season, Townsend punted five times, landing four inside the 20-yard line in a 20-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. He finished the 2025 season with 72 punts for 3,424 yards and a 47.6 average.
Townsend earned his Eagle Scout rank in 2014 when he was a member of Troop 200 in the Orlando, Florida, area. In 2023, he was named a Ewing M. Kauffman Distinguished Eagle Scout by the Heart of America Council.
Alex Ward, Las Vegas Raiders
Long Snapper
After a successful college career at the University of Central Florida, the Los Angeles Rams signed Ward as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023, shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft. He made the 53-man roster in his first season and played in 13 games. He played in all 17 games in 2024.
When the Rams released Ward in November 2025, the Raiders picked him up.
In July 2024, Ward delivered the keynote address for a Scouts BSA of Northwest Florida and South-Central Alabama event. Ward credited his Eagle Scout father and grandfather, along with his Scouting experiences, for helping him develop leadership skills crucial in professional football.
Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images
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