Every season, it feels like we come across the same old story: a talented draft prospect with all the tools gets buried on consensus draft boards. As the season progresses, the media catches up, and these prospects rise up the boards. In week 0, the Virginia Cavaliers came out swinging, downing the NC State Wolfpack 34-8. The Virginia Cavaliers rushed for 258 total yards behind a dominant offensive line, led by left tackle McKale Boley. The fifth-year tackle is poised for a breakout season and, with it, could be a name to watch in the 2027 NFL Draft.
McKale Boley (6’5 325) Virginia
✅ Wide base in pass protection
✅ Over 2,300 career snaps played
✅ Father played 9 seasons in the NFL
✅ Just 1 penalty during 2025 season
✅ 70.2 pass block grade in 2025 pic.twitter.com/NnlctiotiD— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) August 9, 2026
As mentioned above, McKale Boley has the NFL pedigree, as his father played 9 seasons in the NFL. In 2025, Boley was responsible for just 16 pressures on the QB. By comparison, that’s the same number allowed by Texas OT Trevor Goosby last season. Last season, the Cavaliers finished with over 2,500 rushing yards.
McKale Boley has been a staple at left tackle for the Virginia Cavaliers. He earned the starting job at the start of the 2023 season. However, he missed the first four games in 2024 due to injury but returned to finish the year strong. The Virginia Cavaliers will look for revenge in the ACC this year. They lost the ACC Championship game to Duke in overtime last year. Further, you can follow Draft Countdown for more coverage.