Oregon Ducks Searching For Program's First No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Pick Since 1955

The Oregon Ducks haven't had a player selected with the first pick in the NFL draft since 1955. With the 2026 NFL Draft class having no definitive top prospect, could Oregon offensive lineman Isaiah World be the top pick in the upcoming draft?

Nov 5, 2022; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images head coach Dan Lanning | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks had one of the best transfer portal classes in the country over this offseason. 247Sports ranked the Ducks' portal haul as the No. 5 transfer portal class in the country and one of the main reasons for that was the pickup of offensive lineman Isaiah World, a Nevada transfer.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks hit the jackpot when they reeled in World, the then-top player in the transfer portal. With the season right around the corner, there has yet to be a definitive top 2026 NFL Draft prospect, giving World an opportunity to sneak his way into the top spot among draft-eligible prospects

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

Jordan Reid of ESPN said that World has a one percent chance of being selected with the top pick in the upcoming 2026 draft.

"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. 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 said.

The California native was one of the most talented offensive lineman in the country last season for a Nevada team that finished with a 3–10 record last year, and yet World still stood out as one of the best offensive lineman in the country

World’s traits and tools are easy to spot, and that’s why he was ranked as not only one of the best offensive lineman in the transfer portal when he entered, but one of the best players in the transfer portal overall. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 2 player in the transfer portal and No. 1 offensive tackle.

Oregon has had only one No. 1 overall pick in program history and that was back in 1955 when the Baltimore Colts selected quarterback George Shaw with the top pick in the 1955 draft. 

In the modern draft era, the highest an Oregon player has been taken is the No. 2 pick. In 2015, Florida State’s Jameis Winston beat out Oregon’s Marcus Mariota for the top pick in that year‘s draft. Mariota was taken with the second pick by the Tennessee Titans following Winston. 

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Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers offensive lineman Will Campbell is selected by the New England Patriots as the number four pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the way recent NFL draft trends have been moving, it would come as a big shock to see an offensive lineman taken with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. 

It’s been over 10 years since an offensive lineman was selected with the topic in the draft. The last time it happened was in 2013 when the Kansas City Chiefs selected Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher. 

Even with the No. 2 pick, teams have been reluctant to draft an offensive lineman. In the 2014 draft, the St. Louis Rams took Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson with the second pick and that was the last time an organization has done that.

LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell was the highest selected offensive lineman in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was taken with the No. 4 pick by the New England Patriots.

NFL organizations just don't value offensive lineman as high as they once did when it comes to the draft. However, World has the chance to buck the trend with a great season in 2025.