Ikaika Malloe obviously did not hear his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft. But he sure had his imprint all over the event.

After his first season manufacturing UCLA football’s defense, the Bruins’ defensive coordinator watched four of his defensemen earn homes in the NFL.

By Saturday afternoon, former Bruin linebacker Kain Medrano and defensive lineman Jay Toia joined linebackers Carson Schwesinger and edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo in hearing their names called in Green Bay, Wisconsin. On the other side of the ball, tight end Moliki Matavao was the sole member of the Bruins’ 2024 offensive corps to be selected. 

Medrano’s 205th overall selection by the Washington Commanders came 153 picks after UCLA’s last draftee, fellow linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo, who went 52nd overall to the Tennessee Titans on Friday night. Earlier that evening, another Bruin linebacker, Carson Schwesinger, was scooped up with the 33rd overall pick by the Cleveland Browns. 

After arriving at UCLA as a three-star wideout recruit, Medrano shifted to defense early in his collegiate career, using his background as a skill player to give him an edge in coverage responsibilities. In 2024, the team captain racked up 72 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Medrano brings a long, lean frame that plays more like a downhill safety than a traditional box linebacker. He can read run fits quickly, never hesitating to close space near the line of scrimmage and has flashed the decisiveness that turns hesitation into lost yards for an opposing offense. 

Testing out with a 9.83 relative athletic score – a figure that grades a player’s measurements compared to their position group – at the NFL Combine, Medrano’s fluid hips and straight-line speed helped him control the middle of the field for UCLA. At 6-foot-3, his length has also proven to disrupt passing lanes. 

And though Medrano’s wiry frame has made him struggle to shed blocks and his tackling mechanics are at times inconsistent – too often lunging without wrapping up – his skill set fits well into today’s pass-heavy NFL, where linebackers are built to move, match and close. 

The Commanders’ pick adds flexibility to a defense thin in its linebacker unit – with Medrano slotting in as the second-string strongside linebacker. 

Though he will need to bulk up and refine his tackling to earn first team reps, Medrano’s movement ability gives him a strong foundation to carve out early snaps.

A 325-pound anchor in the middle, Toia offers the Cowboys a strong run defender with the physicality to compete for a roster spot early. Having played every single game for UCLA through his four seasons in Westwood, Toia entered the NFL after accumulating 91 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and four quarterback hurries. 

On film, Toia demonstrated himself as a true space-eater, absorbing double teams and controlling the point of attack. He plays with the kind of dense, compact build that teams crave in a nose tackle, bringing raw aggression and low-end leverage to the gridiron. 

Whether driving back finesse blockers with pure lower-body strength or flashing a quick club move to create lanes as a pass rusher, Toia found ways to collapse the pocket and disrupt run lanes. 

Though not flashy, Toia’s size and strength can keep linebackers clean and disrupt opposing ground games. His lateral quickness and third-down value remain doubtful, but Toia is a developmental investment in the trenches with his combination of experience and frame. 

Meanwhile, for the Bruins’ lone offense man picked to the professional ranks, Matavao will bring a towering target for the New Orleans Saints, being selected 248th overall, late in the seventh round. 

Matavao’s imposing frame and soft hands – at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds – helped him find his stride in Westwood, where he flashed his ability as a red-zone threat and reliable underneath option. 

Although his final season numbers – 41 catches for 506 yards and two touchdowns – were relatively modest, scouts noted Matavao’s upside as a developmental piece with size, catch radius and blocking potential. 

Through his two seasons at UCLA, after transferring from Oregon, Matavao showed flashes of clean route-running and enough physicality to seal edges in the run game. His long strides make him a natural target in contested situations.

A prototypical frame and early burst off the line will give Matavao the tools to work the soft spots in the middle of the field, but he’ll have to learn how to better sustain that speed, as his routes at times lose steam beyond the first break. 

Polishing his ability to adjust to imperfect throws and create late in routes will be key to unlocking the full value of Matavao’s big frame and strong mitts in the pros.