Former Oklahoma OL Febechi Nwaiwu Selected in NFL Draft's Fourth Round

Febechi Nwaiwu, a former walk-on, will begin his pro career as a Houston Texan, as the franchise picked him in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.

Oklahoma offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu started his college career as a walk-on, and now he’ll get to play at football’s highest level.

The Houston Texans selected Nwaiwu, who spent the final two seasons of his college eligibility at Oklahoma, with the No. 106 pick (fourth round) in the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Nwaiwu, who stands 6-4 and weighs 319 pounds, hails from Coppell, TX. He collected only one Division I scholarship offer from Illinois State, but he opted to stay closer to home and walk onto North Texas in 2021.

Nwaiwu played in only two games during the 2021 season before becoming a Freshman All-American as a redshirt freshman in 2022. He then started seven games for the Mean Green in 2023, his final year with the program.

The interior offensive lineman then transferred to Oklahoma and started all 13 games for the Sooners in 2024. He logged a 59.6 Pro Football Focus (PFF) offensive grade and a 72.1 pass-blocking grade that year.

Nwaiwu became one of the SEC’s best offensive linemen during his final year in Norman.

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He once again made 13 starts for the Sooners — 11 at right guard, two at center. Nwaiwu boasted a remarkable 91.6 PFF pass-blocking grade as his overall offensive grade leapt to 69.7. The lineman earned Second Team All-SEC honors and was named a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to college football’s most outstanding walk-on.

Nwaiwu was one of 10 players from OU’s 2025 squad who earned an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He logged a 24.5” vertical jump and a 8’9” broad jump.

Nwaiwu’s fourth-round selection made him the second Sooner picked in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Kansas City Chiefs used the No. 40 pick on former OU defensive end R Mason Thomas, who compiled 65 total tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, 17 quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and a defensive touchdown during his four seasons in Norman.

Oklahoma has already matched its number of players selected in last year’s draft. Linebacker Danny Stutsman and defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. were the only two players who ended their college careers at OU picked in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Nwaiwu will join a Texans squad that has reached the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Most recently, Houston made it to the AFC Divisional Round, where the Texans fell to the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots.