New Oregon Ducks Player Ranks As Potential No. 1 Overall Pick In NFL Draft

Oregon Ducks offensive tackle Isaiah World was listed as one of the players with a chance to be selected No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft in a new tier ranking.

Dec 28, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts after the 2022 Holiday Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season is approaching rapidly. The excitement for the fall to get underway and for marquee games to be played is palpable, and as we inch closer, projections for the season and beyond are rolling in from the experts and scouting departments.

One of the most recent ESPN lists to be released was a tier ranking of college football players with the potential to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Oregon Ducks offensive tackle Isaiah World was listed as one of the players with a chance to be selected No. 1 next April when the draft comes around. While World has been projected as a mid to late first-rounder in a bevy of mock drafts, he’s never gotten recognition and consideration. World is one of the players NFL scouts are looking at carefully this season to monitor and track progress. 

Oregon’s Iapani Laloulu, left, Lipe Moala and Isaiah World dance to the song “Shout” during the Oregon Spring Game at Autzen in Eugene April 26, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“World is the ultimate wild card in this exercise, as the 6-8, 312-pound tackle is stepping up in competition after transferring from Nevada this offseason. But his traits are outstanding. World is an above-average athlete and has foot quickness that is among the best of any blocker in the 2026 class,” ESPN analyst Jordan Reid said. 

MORE: Ohio State Buckeyes Receiver Jeremiah Smith Reveals Unexpected 'Loudest Stadium'

MORE: Oregon Ducks Commit Named No. 1 Overall Recruit At His Position

MORE: What Ohio State Buckeyes' Ryan Day Said About Respect For Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning

MORE: Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns Favorites To Land 5-Star Recruit?

“Scouts want to see him put all his traits together. Even though World didn't allow a sack last season, he drew eight penalties (five for holding, three for unsportsmanlike conduct). He must reduce the penalties while handling the bump-up in competition. If he can combine his quick feet with his lower-half suddenness and flashes in the run game, World will be a player to watch early in Round 1,” Reid continued.

Should World be able to round out his skillset and meet his fullest potential, offensive line coach A’lique Terry would be a big reason why. The Oregon Ducks have become somewhat of a hub for developing offensive tackles and have done a fantastic job of placing them at the next level, which is the ultimate goal and something that most players strive for. Earlier this offseason, World spoke about what attracted him to be a Duck. 

Jul 23, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

"The track record here has been unbelievable. Coach Lanning had a good program, a good system for me. I felt like this was just the right place for me to grow. It's on the West Coast, I'm from San Diego. Wasn't too far from home. I felt like this was the right place for me," World said earlier this offseason. 

World could be a few months from changing his life, and the Oregon Ducks are the ideal program for him to do so. While it’s indeed a long shot, World still has an opportunity to make such an impression that he catapults himself into the conversation as the best player in college football and be selected No. 1 overall.