Texas Tech University Athletics
Height selected by San Francisco in third round of NFL Draft
April 24, 2026 | Football
PITTSBURGH — Texas Tech edge rusher Romello Height became the fourth Red Raider selected in the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, hearing his name called in the third round as the No. 70 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers.
"It's a huge blessing," Height said after being selected. "I can't thank God enough. It was a long grind, a long process — school to school. I prayed day to day, and now I'm here."
On joining San Francisco, Height added: "Their defensive scheme that they're building — I feel like I'm going to play a huge role in it."
Height, a transfer who put together his best collegiate season at Texas Tech, emerged as one of the nation's top edge rushers. He finished as the fifth-highest graded defensive player in the country by Pro Football Focus (92.5).
He played a key role in a Texas Tech defense that matched the school record for sacks, forming a dominant edge duo with No. 2 overall pick David Bailey. The pair combined to become the only duo in the FBS to record at least 10.0 sacks each during the 2025 season. They are just the 30th FBS duo since 2005 to accomplish the feat and only the third from the Big 12, joining Texas tandems Sergio Kindle and Brian Orakpo (2008) and Jackson Jeffcoat and Cedric Reed (2013).
Height earned first-team All-Big 12 honors from conference coaches as part of a school-record six selections, including three along the defensive line alongside Bailey and Lee Hunter. He was also named second-team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press.
Height started all 14 games at outside linebacker for one of the nation's most dominant defenses. He finished with 38 tackles (21 solo), 11.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks, while adding 13 quarterback hurries — tied for the team lead.
- Height is the first Red Raider drafted by San Francisco since Michael Crabtree in 2009.
- His selection gives Texas Tech four picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, marking the program's most since 2009.
- Height is the fourth edge rusher drafted in as many years under head coach Joey McGuire, joining Tyree Wilson (2023), Myles Cole (2024) and David Bailey (2026).
- He is the 11th Texas Tech player selected all-time by the San Francisco franchise.
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