Oregon Wins Conference Realignment Again In NFL Draft

Round one of the 2026 NFL Draft is now in the books, and the Oregon Ducks were well represented as they finished the night seeing two of their former players before the night ended. The Ducks were just one major contributing factor to the success that the conference had on Thursday, as the Big Ten ended the SEC's streak of 10 straight drafts in which they finished with the most selections in the first round.

The Big Ten had a total of 10 selections in the first round, which makes up nearly a third of the first round. In fact, the Big Ten made up for around 31.25 percent.

Oregon Ducks big ten conference NFL Draft 2026 dillon thieneman kenyon sadiq ohio state indiana penn state usc carnell tate. — Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Among all Big Ten teams, the Ducks were tied for the second-most selections among colleges. The only team that finished ahead of the Ducks was the Ohio State Buckeyes. The full list goes as follows.

• Ohio State (4)
• Oregon (2)
• Indiana (2)
• Penn State (1)
• USC (1)

More About The Selections

As for the Ducks, the two players whose names were called on night one of the NFL Draft were tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman, who were both projected to be selected by a team in the first round in almost every major NFL mock draft. Neither player went to their most popular projected destination after the draft shaped much differently than many anticipated.

The first player selected from the Ducks football program was Sadiq, who was selected with the No. 16 pick in the draft. This means he is on his way to be the newest tight end for the New York Jets. This move was somewhat surprising following a solid season by Mason Taylor with the Jets, but it is clear that the team has hopes for a bright future between the newest duo.

Thieneman would follow less than 10 selections later, as he fell past the Minnesota Vikings and the Carolina Panthers, who were both linked to him throughout the offseason. He fell to the Chicago Bears at pick No. 25, which means he will be the replacement for Kevin Byard in Chicago. This is a home run selection for the team from Windy City, as they are now getting a guy who will slide in and not skip a beat. He was one of the best selections they could have made.

The Ohio State Buckeyes had the most selections, as wide receiver Carnell Tate was the first player from their program selected. He was followed by linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles as well as safety Caleb Downs. All of these players were the talk of the draft, as they were each selected within the first 11 picks, with Tate being the first one off the board at No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans.

The Big Ten also had the first selection of the event, as quarterback Fernando Mendoza was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders, which had been predicted by almost every major analyst for months. His wide receiver teammate Omar Cooper Jr. was selected within the first round, as he was pick No. 30 after the New York Jets made a move up to pair him with Sadiq and Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey.

Penn State's player who was drafted was Olaivavega Ioane, who was the clear-cut No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the draft. He was selected by Baltimore at pick No. 14 in what seemed to be the perfect fit for both parties' future. As for USC, star Trojans receiver Makai Lemon fell a bit in the draft, but he eventually was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles, who made a move up to take him with the No. 20 selection.

As the NFL Draft continues, the Ducks and many others in the Big Ten will be looking to see if they can add to their selection lead in 2026.

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