Oregon's NFL Draft Prospects Turn Heads in Latest Pre-Draft Rankings

Three former Oregon Ducks have been ranked among the best NFL Draft prospects in 2026.

Dillon Thieneman meets with the media at the 2026 NFL Combine. | Clark Wade/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL Draft is fast approaching, and with it, multiple former Oregon Ducks players are hoping to hear their name called on the stage in Pittsburgh, with a few holding first-round dreams.NFL Draft on SI's Justin Melo recently released a ranking of the top-100 players in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, and three former Oregon Ducks made the list.

Oregon Ducks Prospects Receive Intriguing Rankings

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (TE23) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq is the highest ranking Duck on the list at No. 14. Sadiq is the highest ranked tight end on the list and deservedly so, as he has been projected by many mock drafts to be not only a first-round draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but a top-20 overall pick. 

Sadiq finished his final season with the Ducks with 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns. Sadiq also turned heads with his performance at the 2026 NFL Combine. At the combine, Sadiq recorded a 4.39 second forty-yard dash time and a 11-1 broad jump. 

Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman helps inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher warm up during Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman is ranked as the No. 38 overall prospect in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft by Melo's rankings on NFL Draft on SI. Thieneman played just one year with the Ducks, but he came up big in clutch moments, including his game-winning interception in overtime against Penn State in Happy Valley. 

Like Sadiq, Thieneman made headlines at the 2026 NFL Combine by logging a 4.35 second forty-yard dash and a 41-inch vertical jump. Multiple mock drafts have Thieneman being taken in the later parts of the first round, but Melo's ranking of Thieneman implies that the Oregon safety could fall to the second round.

Former Oregon Duck offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon is ranked as the No. 46 prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Pregnon played at Wyoming and then for USC before transferring to the Ducks for his 2025 season. Pregnon started 15 games and was a member of an Oregon offensive line that finished as finalists for the Joe Moore Award.

Former Oregon Ducks Snubbed From Top-100 Rankings

Sadiq, Thieneman, and Pregnon were the only players from Oregon that were included in the top-100 list. Notably absent from the list was Ducks wide receiver Malik Benson, who burst on the scene in 2025 as a key cog in the Oregon offense. Benson played one year at Florida State before transferring to the Ducks. 

Benson’s shining  moment of the 2025 season came in Seattle against the Washington Huskies when he had a 64-yard catch and run touchdown that saw him blow by two Husky safeties. Benson had a fantastic 2026 NFL Combine, and logged a 4.37 second 40-yard dash and a 10-2 broad jump.

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon defensive back Jadon Canady (DB03) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Also notably absent from the top-100 list was former Oregon Duck cornerback Jadon Canady. Canady saw a huge boost in playing time in 2025 and was instrumental in the Ducks win over the Washington Huskies in Seattle. Canady finished his 2025 season with 18 solo tackles, one forced fumble, six pass deflections, and one interception. 

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