Selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 153rd overall pick in Round 5, Lexington’s own Jager Burton has realized his NFL dreams. Burton becomes the second Kentucky Football player to hear his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft, joining teammate Jalen Farmer (Indianapolis Colts in Round 4) and a string of current pros, including Luke Fortner and Eli Cox, who played center for the Wildcats.
Entering the draft, Burton had a Round 5-7 grade, so he went on the higher end of where he was projected to go.
A former Frederick Douglass star, Burton signed with Kentucky out of high school as one of the highest-ranked offensive linemen in program history. Ranked 68th overall and the third-ranked interior offensive lineman by 247 Sports, Burton picked his home school over the likes of Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State, among others.
A four-year starter for Kentucky, Burton saw action in 51 career games with 47 consecutive starts. However, his career as a Wildcat was one of ups and downs.
Coming in with high expectations, Burton experienced major growing pains in his early seasons, highlighted by inconsistency and unnecessary penalties, the most notable being an “elbow drop” against Georgia in 2023.
The physical tools were always there, and when it looked like he was being recruited over going into last season, he fought through and earned the starting center job and had his best season.
“I had a very up-and-down career,” Burton said at the NFL combine in March. “I went through adversity. I never wavered from it. I showed up every day, came to work, whether it was going good or bad.”
“I think for me, that’s just my biggest selling point. I know what happens when adversity hits. I know how I’m going to react. I know how to get over it.”
That resiliency was attractive to NFL teams, and so were his measurables at the NFL Scouting Combine, clocking a 4.94 40-yard dash, a 1.76 10-yard split, and a 4.52 shuttle. His most appealing attribute, though, is his versatility, being able to play multiple positions on the line.
Best of luck to Burton as he looks to begin carving out an NFL career with the Green Bay Packers!
