
Oregon Ducks players have filled NFL Draft boards over the past 10 to 20 years. That doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. There are multiple Ducks projected to be selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
There have been 25 Oregon players all-time to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft dating back to 1955. As the 2026 NFL Draft nears, it appears that at least two Ducks could be joining this list.
Mike Renner of CBS Sports revealed his most recent three-round 2026 mock draft. He has Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq going No. 14 overall to the Baltimore Ravens and safety Dillon Thieneman going No. 18 overall to the Minnesota Vikings. If this were to happen, Sadiq and Thieneman would become the 26th and 27th Ducks to be first round draft picks.
Here is every Oregon Duck to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft with the year they were selected and the position they played.
1955
George Shaw, Quarterback
1968
Jim Smith, Defensive Back
1972
Ahmad Rashad, Wide Receiver
Tom Drougas, Tackle
1975
Russ Francis, Tight End
1976
Mario Clark, Defensive Back
1984
Gary Zimmerman, Tackle
1987
Chris Miller, Quarterback
1996
Alex Molden, Defensive Back
1999
Akili Smith, Quarterback
2002
Joey Harrington, Quarterback
2006
Haloti Ngata, Defensive Tackle
2008
Jonathan Stewart, Running Back
2013
Dion Jordan, Defensive End
Kyle Long, Guard
2015
Marcus Mariota, Quarterback
Arik Armstead, Defensive Tackle
2016
DeForest Buckner
2020
Justin Herbert, Quarterback
2021
Penei Sewell, Offensive Lineman
2022
Kayvon Thibodeaux, Defensive End
2023
Christian Gonzalez, Defensive Back
2024
Bo Nix, Quarterback
2025
Derrick Harmon, Defensive Tackle
Josh Conerly Jr., Offensive Lineman
What stands out the most from this list is the increase of early Oregon draft picks since the 2000's. 12 of Oregon's 25 first round picks have been from the past 13 years. Their first 13 first round picks were taken in the time span from 1955-2008. This is a reflection of how much Oregon football has been on the rise.
If a Duck gets picked in the first round in this year's draft, that will be seven straight NFL Drafts with at least one Oregon player being selected in the first round. This draft success goes further than just the opening round.
In 2025, Oregon set a program record for most players selected in a single draft with 10. The previous program record was set in 2024 with eight players drafted. There have been a total of 254 Ducks drafted into the NFL all-time.
Oregon's high level of recruiting has directly correlated to the increase in draft selections. The Ducks consistently have been towards the top of recruiting rankings, especially in recent years under coach Dan Lanning. Per On3's recruiting, Oregon has been ranked top four in the country when it comes to incoming class rankings in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
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