Diego Pounds
| No. 61 – Kansas City Chiefs | |
|---|---|
| Position | Offensive tackle |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 12, 2002 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 330 lb (150 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Millbrook (Raleigh, North Carolina) |
| College | North Carolina (2021–2023) Ole Miss (2024–2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Diego Lanzell Pounds (born December 12, 2002) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and Ole Miss Rebels.
Early life
[edit]Pounds was born on December 12, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised by his mother. He moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, when he was eight, and grew up playing basketball. He attended Millbrook High School where he initially was only going to play basketball, but joined the football team as his brother was a member of the squad. Pounds played junior varsity football from 2017 to 2018 as a defensive lineman before joining the varsity team near the end of his sophomore year.[1][2] As a junior, Pounds became an offensive lineman.[3] He helped the team reach the NCHSAA 4AA state playoffs that season, but did not play his senior year as it was postponed to 2021 and he graduated early.[1] A three-star recruit, Pounds committed to play college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels.[4]
College career
[edit]Pounds redshirted as a true freshman at North Carolina in 2021, then appeared in five games as a backup in 2022.[1] In 2023, he served as the team's starting left tackle.[5] He started eight of 13 games for the Tar Heels in 2023.[1] Pounds entered the NCAA transfer portal following the season and transferred to the Ole Miss Rebels in 2024.[5][6] He started nine of 13 games during the 2024 season.[1] As a senior in 2025, he started 15 games at left tackle, earning third-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors.[1] Finishing his collegiate career with 46 games played, 32 as a starter, he was invited to the 2026 East–West Shrine Bowl.[1]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 325 lb (147 kg) | 33+3⁄4 in (0.86 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 7 ft 0+1⁄4 in (2.14 m) | 5.15 s | 1.77 s | 2.95 s | 4.78 s | 7.90 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) | 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) | 21 reps |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[7][8] | ||||||||||||
Baltimore Ravens
[edit]Pounds signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on April 26, 2026.[9]
Kansas City Chiefs
[edit]On August 30, 2026, Pounds was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2028 sixth-round pick.[10]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brugler, Dane (April 8, 2026). "The Beast: 2026 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 240.
- ↑ Armstrong, Mark (June 16, 2020). "Massive Millbrook lineman Diego Pounds drawing major college football interest". WTVD.
- ↑ "Diego Pounds - OT, Ole Miss | 2026 NFL Draft Profile". Pro Football Network. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ Thorn, Brandon (April 16, 2026). "NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Ole Miss OT Diego Pounds". Bleacher Report.
- 1 2 Eckert, David (January 8, 2024). "Ole Miss football, Lane Kiffin land North Carolina transfer tackle Diego Pounds". Clarion-Ledger.
- ↑ Smith, Kaiden (January 4, 2024). "North Carolina offensive lineman Diego Pounds enters NCAA transfer portal". On3.com.
- ↑ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Diego Pounds NFL Combine and Draft Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Diego Pounds College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ Brown, Chip (April 25, 2026). "Texas defensive end Ethan Burke signing undrafted free agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens". 247Sports. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ↑ McMullen, Matt (August 30, 2026). "Chiefs Acquire OT Diego Pounds in Trade with Baltimore". Chiefs.com.
External links
[edit]- 2002 births
- Living people
- Players of American football from Atlanta
- Players of American football from Raleigh, North Carolina
- American football offensive tackles
- Millbrook High School (North Carolina) alumni
- North Carolina Tar Heels football players
- Ole Miss Rebels football players
- Baltimore Ravens players
- Kansas City Chiefs players