Where Arizona 2026 NFL Draft Class Ranks in School History

The NFL Draft took place last weekend, and it was a successful weekend for Arizona. The program had four defensive backs drafted, which tied an NFL Draft record.

Five Wildcats have been picked up after the draft, so a total of nine players were put in the NFL over the weekend by head coach Brent Brennan. Eight Wildcats have been drafted in just the past two years.

𝗗𝗕𝗨🔒 pic.twitter.com/oXh5eZDv1N
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 28, 2026

There have been many great NFL players from Arizona. The 2026 class has the potential to go down as one of the best draft classes the Wildcats have ever produced. Let’s take a look at where this year’s class ranks in Arizona history.

Honorable Mentions

First off, the honorable mentions. The class of 1996 absolutely deserves a shoutout. The class consists of Teddy Bruschi and Chuck Osborne. Bruschi was selected in the third round by the New England Patriots. He was a three-time Super Bowl champion, NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2005, a two-time Second Team All-Pro, a Pro Bowl selection in 2004, and a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame. Bruschi is one of the greatest Wildcats in NFL history.

The 2010 class is another two-player group, but it is on this list because of one man, Rob Gronkowski. He is regarded as arguably the greatest tight end of all time and Tom Brady’s right-hand man. Gronkowski was selected in the second round by the Patriots. His accolades are endless, including four Super Bowl championships, four first-team All-Pro selections, and five Pro Bowl appearances.

3. 1999

The 1999 class was a very good draft class produced by the Wildcats. Cornerback Chris McAlister was taken by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 10 overall pick in the draft. He was part of the Ravens’ Super Bowl championship team in 2001, the first in franchise history. Along with winning a Super Bowl, McAlister was a two-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

McAlister caught 26 interceptions in his 11-season career and returned five of those picks for touchdowns. He recorded 431 tackles, 137 pass deflections, and forced six fumbles in his career.

Arizona’s own.
Treydan Stukes is a Las Vegas Raider! pic.twitter.com/J97xEI1uaJ
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 24, 2026

Edwin Mulitalo was an offensive guard who was also drafted by the Ravens. He was selected in the fourth round. He played from 1999 to 2006 and was on the 2001 Super Bowl team with McAlister.

Yusuf Scott was picked in the fifth round by the Arizona Cardinals. He played in the NFL for three years. Mike Lucky was the final player in the 1996 class. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the final round of the draft. Lucky also played for three years.

2. 2026

The most recent Wildcats class ranks second in program history. It is high praise for this group of players, but they have that high potential. The Las Vegas Raiders got the class kicked off by taking defensive back Treydan Stukes with the No. 38 overall pick. Stukes was the first of many Wildcats defensive backs to go in the draft.

NFL scouts have been raving about Stukes over the past few months. His combine results and eye test are off the charts. Many think Stukes has the potential to be the steal of the draft.

Genesis Smith is headed to LA ✈️ pic.twitter.com/KsJ7qqBoys
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 25, 2026

The Los Angeles Chargers went with Genesis Smith in the fourth round. One round later, another defensive back was off the board when the Raiders decided to reunite Stukes and Dalton Johnson by selecting Johnson in the fifth round. The chemistry between Stukes and Johnson could give them both a jump-start in their NFL careers.

The Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks, selected Michael Dansby with the third-to-last pick in the draft. He marked the fourth Wildcats defensive back taken in the NFL Draft. The potential of all four of these players puts them very high on this list.

Vegas Bound 🎰 pic.twitter.com/CSrXWAJ1lU
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 25, 2026

The Wildcats have produced many all-time great NFL players, but they lack strong overall draft classes. The fact that all four from 2026 have bright futures, not just one player, is why they rank as the second-best class in program history.

1. 2025

Now the best Wildcats class of all time is actually last year, 2025. This class included Tetairoa McMillan, Jonah Savaiinaea, Tyler Loop, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt. All four had solid-to-great rookie seasons last year.

McMillan won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He racked up 1,014 total yards and hauled in seven touchdowns. His production led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. McMillan was selected by the Panthers with the No. 8 pick in the draft. He has single-handedly changed the franchise's trajectory.

Michael Dansby is a Seattle Seahawk 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/lpfEsnwGqi
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 25, 2026

Savaiinaea is a standout as well. The offensive lineman was drafted by the Miami Dolphins with the No. 37 pick in the draft, just outside the first round. Savaiinaea played in all 17 games and started all of them for the Dolphins last season. He is a huge piece in rebuilding the Dolphins’ offensive line.

Loop was the successor to the all-time greatest kicker, Justin Tucker. The Ravens drafted Loop in the sixth round. Overall, Loop had a strong follow-up season to Tucker. He made 30 of 34 field goals last season. Loop’s season-long was 52 yards. Loop did have a rough last game of the season, which ultimately cost his team a playoff berth, but he still had a great rookie season. Loop is on his way to having a long, successful career in Baltimore.

Croskey-Merritt rounds out this draft class. He was selected in the seventh round by the Commanders. Croskey-Merritt was a media and fantasy football darling this past season. He played in all 17 games last season and started seven of them. The running back rushed for 805 yards and eight touchdowns. He had a phenomenal season for a seventh-round pick. Croskey-Merritt is expected to have a bigger role this upcoming season with the Commanders.

Add us as a preferred source on Google