When it comes to sending players to the NFL draft, Dan Lanning and his staff have had quite a bit of success.
In 2023, Lanning’s first year in the program, they tied the Oregon Ducks‘ record for most players drafted with a total of six; in 2024, they broke that program record by having eight players drafted; this past year in 2025, the Ducks once again broke that record with 10 players drafted, including two in the first round with DT Derrick Harmon and OT Josh Conerly Jr.
Now, going into the 2026 season, expectations are once again high, with ESPN predicting that Oregon will once again break its program record and send a total of 12 players to the NFL draft, including four players in the first round.
At the top of their draft board is Nevada transfer, OT Isaiah World, who stands at 6-foot-8, 318 pounds. World is projected to be an early first-round pick, with a shot at going No. 1 overall, per ESPN. Elsewhere on the offensive line, ESPN’s Jordan Reid sees guys like Emmanuel Pregnon, Iapani Laloulu, and Alex Harkey all hearing their names called, likely on Day 3 of the draft.
The Ducks have another potential first-rounder on the offensive side of the ball, with tight end Kenyon Sadiq drawing some early buzz in NFL draft circles.
“Sadiq is my top-ranked tight end and will take over the primary role from the departed Terrance Ferguson,” Reid writes.” Sadiq caught 24 passes for 308 yards and two scores as a backup in 2024, and he has the traits and upside to hear his name called in the first round.”
Shifting to the backfield, Oregon’s RB duo of Makhi Hughes and Noah Whittington will likely leap to the NFL this offseason as well. Reid predicts that Hughes, a Tulane transfer with 22 TDs in his first two seasons, has a mid-round grade, while Whittington is more of a late-round player.
Switching over to the defensive side of the ball, the bulk of the hype is around safety Dillon Thieneman, who transferred to Oregon from Purdue this offseason. With six interceptions as a true freshman and a tremendous sophomore season built on top of that, Reid gives Thieneman a top-75 grade, with potential to go in the first round. Reid also sees linebacker Bryce Boettcher as a Day 3 player right now, but wouldn’t be surprised to see him improve that mark this season.
Moving up to the defensive line, DE Matayo Uiagalelei is the guy who many NFL scouts are focused on. After leading the Big Ten with 10.5 sacks a year ago, Uiagalelei has received Day 2 grades, but another standout season could easily improve that to become a first-round lock. Meanwhile, defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington has reportedly received mid-round grades from NFL scouts after appearing at No. 4 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List.
In total, that’s 11 players who Reid mentioned, and there are several candidates as to who could be the 12th Duck to hear his name called. Whether it’s Bear Alexander, Theran Johnson, Jadon Canady, Matthew Bedford, or Malik Benson, several guys could play themselves into contention this year. Regardless of who that 12th guy is, it feels like a decent bet that Oregon once again breaks the program record for number of draft picks in a single year, which is becoming quite a fun trend to follow under Lanning in Eugene.
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