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With the No. 21 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Oregon Ducks DT Derrick Harmon on Thursday night. Not too many picks later, Oregon LT Josh Conerly Jr. was drafted by the Washington Commanders with the No. 29 pick in the draft, closing out another impressive evening for the Ducks.
Not only did these two selections give a pair of Ducks a home at the professional level, but they also extended the Ducks' streak of first-round draft picks to six years in a row.
The streak started in 2020 with Justin Herbert being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 6 overall, followed by Penei Sewell going to the Detroit Lions at No. 7 in 2021, Kayvon Thibodeaux going to the New York Giants at No. 7 in 2022, Christian Gonzalez going to the New England Patriots at No. 17 in 2023, and Bo Nix going to the Denver Broncos at No. 12 in 2024.
While the streak didn't start with Dan Lanning, he has done well to continue it and can use it to his advantage on the recruiting trail by selling incoming prospects on the opportunity to compete and be developed at a place that consistently sends players into the NFL.
So, who will be the guy next year? There are a lot of candidates for potential first-round picks, and ultimately, there could be more than one. Here are our best bets for current Ducks who could hear their name called in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Just about every year, there are one or two tight ends who end up getting selected in the first round, sometimes in the top 10 of the draft. In six of the last eight years, at least one tight end has gone in the first round, and there's a good chance that two go in the 2025 draft, with both Tyler Warren and Colstan Loveland projected among the top 32 picks. If you believe what Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein says about Kenyon Sadiq and that he really is among the best players in the nation, then it's not hard to imagine him working his way into the first round a year from now. As the No. 1 TE on the depth chart, Sadiq will have a much larger role this season and can establish himself as one of the best pass-catchers in the nation.
Dillon Thieneman has garnered a lot of buzz in Eugene this spring, and it doesn't feel like it will take long before his name is well-known in college football and NFL circles once the season starts this fall. Coming over from Purdue, Thieneman was the top safety in the transfer portal this year and is considered one of the best safeties in the nation. Though he has two years of eligibility remaining, there seems to be a good chance that he will spend only one year in Eugene and then jump to the NFL, likely as a first-round pick.
One of the most prominent positions in the first round of the NFL draft every year is a defensive end and edge rusher, with the best of the group typically going in the top five or top 10 picks of the first round. If you're looking at the top edge rushers in college football this season, Matayo Uiagalelei is certainly on the list. He led the Big Ten in sacks a year ago with 10.5, and is expected to take another step forward as the top guy in Oregon's front seven after Jordan Burch's draft departure.
If you ask former Oregon Ducks and longtime NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, Isaiah World is going to be a top-10 pick next year. At least, that's what his reaction was the first time he watched World's film from Nevada. At 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, World has the ideal size and reach for an NFL left tackle and is highly skilled when it comes to pass protection with long arms and quick feet.
Running back may not be a highly coveted position in the NFL draft, but we've seen the top players go in the first round every year, and there may be a couple of rushers selected in the 2025 draft, with Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. We need to see what Makhi Hughes can do at the Power 4 level, but he appears to have all of the talent in the world and an NFL-ready frame as well, standing at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds. He has two years of eligibility remaining, but if he performs well in Eugene, he could make the leap to the league as quickly as possible.
Evan Stewart had a hot-and-cold season in 2024 for the Ducks. He was dynamic in a few games, looking like Oregon's best pass-catcher, but quiet in other games, dealing with some injuries throughout the season. With Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden now gone, though, Stewart projects to step in as the new No. 1 WR in Eugene, and he could be explosive with either Dante Moore or Austin Novosad at the helm. With a career year — which is certainly in the cards — it's not hard to project a future where Stewart emerges as a first-round pick.
If I were a betting man, I would say that no matter the outcome in 2025, Dante Moore will likely return to Oregon in 2026 and choose to spend one more year at the college level. However, if you want to believe what guys like Tez Johnson and Dakorien Moore are saying, Moore will be in the Heisman Trophy conversation this year and should be among the best quarterbacks in the nation. Does he end up having a year good enough to put him among the top QBs in the 2026 class? Again, I wouldn't bet on it, but I do think there is a possibility that happens.
Dan Lanning has had a lot of success with sending defensive tackles to the NFL, and he proved that this past year by taking former Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon and developing him in a year to become a first-round pick on Thursday night. Might he be able to do the same thing with USC transfer Bear Alexander this year?
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Football: Picks to continue 1st-round NFL draft streak in 2026
Continue reading...
Not only did these two selections give a pair of Ducks a home at the professional level, but they also extended the Ducks' streak of first-round draft picks to six years in a row.
The streak started in 2020 with Justin Herbert being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 6 overall, followed by Penei Sewell going to the Detroit Lions at No. 7 in 2021, Kayvon Thibodeaux going to the New York Giants at No. 7 in 2022, Christian Gonzalez going to the New England Patriots at No. 17 in 2023, and Bo Nix going to the Denver Broncos at No. 12 in 2024.
While the streak didn't start with Dan Lanning, he has done well to continue it and can use it to his advantage on the recruiting trail by selling incoming prospects on the opportunity to compete and be developed at a place that consistently sends players into the NFL.
So, who will be the guy next year? There are a lot of candidates for potential first-round picks, and ultimately, there could be more than one. Here are our best bets for current Ducks who could hear their name called in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
TE Kenyon Sadiq
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Just about every year, there are one or two tight ends who end up getting selected in the first round, sometimes in the top 10 of the draft. In six of the last eight years, at least one tight end has gone in the first round, and there's a good chance that two go in the 2025 draft, with both Tyler Warren and Colstan Loveland projected among the top 32 picks. If you believe what Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein says about Kenyon Sadiq and that he really is among the best players in the nation, then it's not hard to imagine him working his way into the first round a year from now. As the No. 1 TE on the depth chart, Sadiq will have a much larger role this season and can establish himself as one of the best pass-catchers in the nation.
S Dillon Thieneman
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Dillon Thieneman has garnered a lot of buzz in Eugene this spring, and it doesn't feel like it will take long before his name is well-known in college football and NFL circles once the season starts this fall. Coming over from Purdue, Thieneman was the top safety in the transfer portal this year and is considered one of the best safeties in the nation. Though he has two years of eligibility remaining, there seems to be a good chance that he will spend only one year in Eugene and then jump to the NFL, likely as a first-round pick.
DE Matayo Uiagalelei
You must be registered for see images attach
One of the most prominent positions in the first round of the NFL draft every year is a defensive end and edge rusher, with the best of the group typically going in the top five or top 10 picks of the first round. If you're looking at the top edge rushers in college football this season, Matayo Uiagalelei is certainly on the list. He led the Big Ten in sacks a year ago with 10.5, and is expected to take another step forward as the top guy in Oregon's front seven after Jordan Burch's draft departure.
OT Isaiah World
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If you ask former Oregon Ducks and longtime NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, Isaiah World is going to be a top-10 pick next year. At least, that's what his reaction was the first time he watched World's film from Nevada. At 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, World has the ideal size and reach for an NFL left tackle and is highly skilled when it comes to pass protection with long arms and quick feet.
RB Makhi Hughes
You must be registered for see images
Running back may not be a highly coveted position in the NFL draft, but we've seen the top players go in the first round every year, and there may be a couple of rushers selected in the 2025 draft, with Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. We need to see what Makhi Hughes can do at the Power 4 level, but he appears to have all of the talent in the world and an NFL-ready frame as well, standing at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds. He has two years of eligibility remaining, but if he performs well in Eugene, he could make the leap to the league as quickly as possible.
WR Evan Stewart
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Evan Stewart had a hot-and-cold season in 2024 for the Ducks. He was dynamic in a few games, looking like Oregon's best pass-catcher, but quiet in other games, dealing with some injuries throughout the season. With Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden now gone, though, Stewart projects to step in as the new No. 1 WR in Eugene, and he could be explosive with either Dante Moore or Austin Novosad at the helm. With a career year — which is certainly in the cards — it's not hard to project a future where Stewart emerges as a first-round pick.
QB Dante Moore
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If I were a betting man, I would say that no matter the outcome in 2025, Dante Moore will likely return to Oregon in 2026 and choose to spend one more year at the college level. However, if you want to believe what guys like Tez Johnson and Dakorien Moore are saying, Moore will be in the Heisman Trophy conversation this year and should be among the best quarterbacks in the nation. Does he end up having a year good enough to put him among the top QBs in the 2026 class? Again, I wouldn't bet on it, but I do think there is a possibility that happens.
DL Bear Alexander
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Dan Lanning has had a lot of success with sending defensive tackles to the NFL, and he proved that this past year by taking former Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon and developing him in a year to become a first-round pick on Thursday night. Might he be able to do the same thing with USC transfer Bear Alexander this year?
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Football: Picks to continue 1st-round NFL draft streak in 2026
Continue reading...
