Iowa native expected to be top 2026 NFL draft pick

Kadyn Proctor of Alabama projected to go near top of 2026 NFL draft

Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor (74) is shown before their game against Wisconsin Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Southeast Polk High School standout Kadyn Proctor is setting himself up for a big paycheck in the near future.

Proctor, who will be a junior with the Alabama football team in the fall, finds his name near the top of Thor Nystrom’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft.

Nystrom projects Proctor to be selected at No. 3 by the New York Giants, a team in desperate need of help along the offensive line. 

🗣️ @thorku's way-too-early 2026 NFL mock draft!!

See the full first round: https://t.co/D5bTnICJWb pic.twitter.com/aypIUwsD9F

— Fantasy Life (@MBFantasyLife) July 22, 2025

The 6-foot-7, 360-pound Proctor was the top recruit coming out of Iowa as a senior, winning the Anthony Munoz Award while also becoming a five-star player. He originally committed to play for the Hawkeyes, and even returned there after spending the 2023 season with the Crimson Tide.

Proctor, a 2023 freshman All-American, was named to the all-SEC second team. After allowing 12 sacks in 2023, Proctor surrendered just three last season.