New NFL Draft Projection Has Oregon Ducks Making Program History

The Oregon Ducks had a record-breaking 2025 NFL Draft when they saw 10 former players be selected by various NFL teams. With the 2026 NFL Draft now on the horizon, more and more mock drafts are being created each day. One of the latest mock drafts, built by profootballnetwork.com (PFN), has three Oregon Ducks being selected in the first round.

While tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman are the safest predictions for Ducks prospects to go in the first round, PFN has the Los Angeles Chargers taking Oregon offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon with the No. 22 overall pick. If Pregnon joins Sadiq and Thieneman, it would be the first time in NFL history that three Ducks are taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Dante Moore Dakorien Moore Emmanuel Pregnon Dillon Thieneman NFL Draft Kenyon Sadiq — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, throws out oranges as the team celebrates its win as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Chargers have dealt with offensive line issues over the past five years, and Pregnon would have an excellent chance at slotting in as a day-one starter at offensive guard. Pregnon already has an NFL-ready build, as he stands at 6-4. He would join an offensive line that is set at tackle in Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, but also one that desperately needs help in the interior.

The Chargers are thought to be targeting the offensive line in the draft, but whether or not Pregnon will be their first-round pick remains to be seen.

Dillon Thieneman's Rising NFL Draft Stock

PFN has Dillon Thieneman being taken the highest out of any Duck in the 2026 NFL Draft at No. 18 overall by the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings taking Thieneman at No. 18 may surprise some Ducks fans, as the Vikings had one of the best pass defenses across the NFL last season, but they have multiple holes to fill on the offensive side of the ball.

Like his Oregon teammates, Thieneman shone brightly at the NFL Combine, recording the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash time across all safeties with an official time of 4.35. Thieneman’s shining moment as a Duck came in the away game at Penn State when he sealed the win with a walk-off interception.

Kenyon Sadiq Predicted to go to High-Powered Offense

PFN has predicted in their first round mock draft that Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq will be picked at No. 23 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are becoming a popular landing spot for Sadiq in multiple mock drafts, as Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert's future is unclear.

Sadiq turned heads with his NFL Combine performance, turning in a blistering 4.39 40-yard dash time.

Sadiq may not have had the unbelievable 2025 collegiate season that many analysts thought he would, but he still turned in a good year. Sadiq finished 2025 recording 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns. If Philadelphia does select Sadiq in the first round, Sadiq would become the first Oregon tight end to be taken in the first round of an NFL Draft since former Oregon Duck Russ Francis was selected at No. 16 overall in the 1975 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.