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First-round grades| Rounds 2-3 grades| Round 1 winners and losers|Rounds 2-3 winners and losers| Fernando Mendoza is Tom Brady’s successor|Ty Simpson will test Sean McVay|
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The 2026 NFL draft is done and dusted. While undrafted free agents begin locking down deals with clubs, the league will begin shifting gears toward mini camp and training camp in the coming months.
257 players were drafted in ’26, with Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock earning the title of “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last player to hear his name called from the podium at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium.
Now that we’ve reached the end of the three-day marathon, let’s take a look at some of the numbers behind the draft, including the number of players selected by position, by college conference and by school.
Number of players drafted at each position:
|
Position |
Number of Drafted Players |
First-Round Selections |
|---|---|---|
|
Quarterback |
10 |
2 |
|
Running Back |
13 |
2 |
|
Wide Receiver |
36 |
5 |
|
Tight End |
22 |
1 |
|
Tackle |
22 |
7 |
|
Guard |
17 |
2 |
|
Center |
11 |
0 |
|
Defensive Tackle |
27 |
2 |
|
Defensive end/Edge |
26 |
5 |
|
Linebacker |
24 |
2 |
|
Cornerback |
27 |
2 |
|
Safety |
19 |
2 |
|
Kicker |
1 |
0 |
|
Punter |
2 |
0 |
The position with the most players drafted in ’26 was wide receiver, with 36 prospects getting selected across the three-day event in Pittsburgh. Offensive tackle was at a premium in the first round, with seven teams addressing the o-line early, but as we got into the middle rounds, teams began prioritizing other positions. Behind wide receiver, the defensive tackle and cornerback positions both had 27 players picked.
The 36 receivers picked this year surpasses last season’s tally of 32. That ties the record for the modern era, on equal footing with the 2003, ’20 and ’21 drafts.
Number of players drafted from each conference
|
Conference |
Drafted Players |
First-Round Selections |
|---|---|---|
|
American |
4 |
0 |
|
ACC |
38 |
6 |
|
Big 12 |
38 |
6 |
|
Big Ten |
68 |
10 |
|
Conference USA |
1 |
0 |
|
FCS Schools |
4 |
0 |
|
Independents |
7 |
2 |
|
MAC |
4 |
0 |
|
Mountain West |
3 |
1 |
|
Pac-12 |
0 |
0 |
|
SEC |
87 |
7 |
|
Sun Belt |
2 |
0 |
The first round was Big Ten heavy, with 10 players selected from the conference in the opening round. The SEC, who usually dominate this metric, picked up steam in the middle rounds, with 29 players selected on Day 2 alone. In the end, the SEC had the most players selected, with 87, a the most ever by a single conference. The Big Ten finished with 68 draftees, a few shy of last year’s mark of 71.
Schools with the most players drafted (5+)
|
School |
Players Drafted |
First-Round Selections |
|---|---|---|
|
Ohio State |
11 |
4 |
|
Texas A&M |
10 |
1 |
|
Alabama |
10 |
2 |
|
Clemson |
9 |
2 |
|
Miami |
9 |
3 |
|
Texas Tech |
9 |
1 |
|
Georgia |
8 |
1 |
|
Indiana |
8 |
2 |
|
Penn State |
7 |
1 |
|
Oregon |
7 |
2 |
|
Iowa |
7 |
0 |
|
Washington |
7 |
0 |
|
LSU |
7 |
1 |
|
Oklahoma |
7 |
0 |
|
Notre Dame |
6 |
2 |
|
Tennessee |
6 |
0 |
|
Missouri |
6 |
0 |
|
Texas |
6 |
0 |
|
Michigan |
6 |
0 |
|
Florida |
5 |
1 |
|
Auburn |
5 |
1 |
This year, Ohio State reigned supreme at the ’26 draft, ending the event with 11 players selected, including four in the first round. Close behind were Texas A&M and Alabama, both of whom had 10 players get drafted.
Related: NFL Draft Proves Ohio State Is the Standard in College Football
The record for most players picked in one draft is held by Georgia, when they had 15 players taken in the ’22 draft.
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KARL RASMUSSEN
Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.
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