The Texas Longhorns couldn’t quite make the playoff berth last year, let alone win the national title, contrary to the off-season buzz. Yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean the program lacked elite talent on its roster. Despite that, Steve Sarkisian’s camp fell to a new low in this year’s NFL draft.

The Longhorns were shut out of round 1 of the NFL draft for the first time in 3 years. It was also the first time in Steve Sarkisian’s tenure that an NFL team didn’t take a Texas player in the first round. The shutout was particularly glaring when compared to a team like Clemson, which, despite a disappointing 7-win season, still produced two first-rounders. The promising news is that the Longhorns’ 2026 draft class isn’t as weak as it may seem.

A total of 15 Longhorns players are draft-eligible this year, and among them, eight can see their name called in the ongoing draft. Analysts also touted linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. as the only Texas player with first-round potential. But now, in the second round, NFL teams will quickly take the 6’2″ and 238 lbs beast. He also has an impressive 4.51-second time in the 40-yard dash and is ranked top-5 at the LB position. The next Texas name in the draft would be its veteran safety.

Safety Michael Taaffe embodies the program’s developmental success, rising from a zero-star recruit to a projected mid-round pick after logging 48 games and two straight 70-tackle seasons. While his 6-foot, 190-pound frame gives some teams pause, his production makes him a safe bet between the 70th and 80th overall picks.

Other names include Malik Muhammad, a veteran cornerback with a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. Jack Endries is another player, ranked as a top-7 tight end in this class, and his frame at 6’5″ and 245 lbs will ensure a team will take him between the 120th and 130th overall picks. Then there is linebacker Trey Moore. He notched 172 career tackles in college football, along with 30.5 sacks. His production ensures an NFL team will make space for him in the later rounds.

Texas is projected to send at least seven players to the NFL, as five of them attended this year’s NFL Combine. But it still won’t match their recent track record. Over the past two seasons, NFL teams have taken a total of five players from Texas in the first round, showing the Sark-era NFL pipeline. Hopefully, next year, with Arch Manning’s expected final season, Texas will have a pretty loaded first-round draft class.

The 2027 class could restore Texas’s first-round pedigree

Quarterback Arch Manning, wide receivers Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman, and OT Trevor Goosby already rank as potential first-round picks. Add Edge rusher Colin Simmons in the first-round mix, too, and Steve Sarkisian will have a total of 5 potential first-round players next year. Simmons, for instance, is already approaching the SEC’s all-time sack record and may even end up higher than QB Arch Manning.

“He’s doing a great job in the run game as well. I’m proud of Colin,” Steve Sarkisian said about Simmons on April 2. “You can feel speed, his explosiveness, his playmaking ability. But yet, he’s not ruining practice. Everyone is still getting their reps. He didn’t feel like he had to go near the quarterback. He’s really practicing like a pro right now.”

Simmons’ on-field production backs up the praise, as he followed up a 9-sack 2024 season with a whopping 12 sacks last year. That puts him within striking distance of Will Anderson Jr.’s modern-era SEC record (34.5), a milestone that would place him among college football’s all-time greats if he can secure another 13 sacks.