Oregon Ducks' Isaiah World Developing Into Top-10 Pick In 2026 NFL Draft?

After a fantastic start to the season against Montana State, Oregon Ducks' offensive tackle Isaiah World is garnering high NFL draft projections. World looks to build on that foundation against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the third quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks offensive tackle Isaiah World will be one of the most analyzed players during the 2025 college football season. The 6-8 transfer has already garnered massive acclaim and hype, but now that he’s slated to face off against Big Ten and power conference opponents on a regular basis, national eyes are on him to live up to those expectations.

One game into the season, World is receiving another sweeping endorsement. In a recent NFL draft big board released by Yahoo, World was listed at No. 15 overall. Whole big boards aren’t the end-all be-all by any means; it’s a great indicator of the level of player analysts believe a player is already or where a player will be soon. World is one of the players that experts believe is already there. 

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

“A transfer from Nevada, World has the frame (listed at 6-8, 312 pounds) that will lead to many quips this season and draft cycle. He remains an excellent athlete who fires out of his stance. When he connects on contact, he can completely wipe out defenders. He's an easy mover in pass protection and has the foot quickness to react and recover on inside moves,” said NFL analyst Nate Tice.

“He still has to refine his technique as far as hand placement and add some strength to his game, but it's hard to find players with this size, length and movement ability. Under Oregon offensive line coach A'lique Terry, I think World has a chance to really ascend this season,” Tice added.

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World began this season with a dominant showing against the Montana State Bobcats. While the performance was expected, it’s still a good sign to showcase your talent in a debut with a new program. All the makings of a future NFL starter were on display, and World looked like he’d always and forever been a Duck. It’s that type of performance that had him projected in the first round preseason. 

“World joins Oregon this season after spending the past four years at Nevada, playing both right and left tackle. He brings premier length at 6-foot-8 and moves very well - especially as a pass protector. World allowed zero sacks last season, but this year will be an elevated test. And although the Chiefs addressed offensive tackle this offseason, nothing is a sure thing there. They have reasonable contract outs on both Jawaan Taylor and Jaylon Moore after the 2025 season, and World could help protect Patrick Mahomes for the long haul,” ESPN’s Field Yates said in his initial mock draft. 

Per @PFF, @oregonfootball scored a 93.0 pass-blocking grade against Montana State, led by Isaiah World (87.6) and Alex Harkey (86.2), who also had an 84.5 run-blocking grade. pic.twitter.com/uhvnddVn3Z

— WestCoastBiased (@TheWCBPodcast) September 1, 2025

World is off to a great start, but bigger challenges await. This week, he’s set to take on the first power conference opponent in Oklahoma State. While this isn’t the Cowboys of old, they’re still a program to be respected with a massive chip on their shoulder. There would be nothing they’d live more than to play spoilers to the Ducks. World will play an integral part in keeping quarterback Dante Moore clean.

Should World begin to stack impressive performances, especially against power conference opposition, the sky is the limit for how high he could potentially rise in the draft. For now, one game at a time is the focus of the Ducks and one of the best offensive linemen in the country.