For the third consecutive year, at least six Texas Longhorns have been selected in the NFL Draft, a benchmark that speaks volumes about what head coach Steve Sarkisian has built in Austin. Since the draft was trimmed to seven rounds in 1994, only four previous Texas classes had reached that threshold. Now the Longhorns have done it three years running.
The 2026 class featured a diverse group of contributors across six rounds, headlined by linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who became the first Longhorn off the board when the Tennessee Titans called his name in the second round with the 60th overall pick. Hill’s combination of instincts, athleticism, and production made him one of the more coveted defensive prospects in this class, and Tennessee wasted little time securing him.
A Defensive Haul
The defensive side of the ball dominated this year’s draft class. The Chicago Bears added cornerback Malik Muhammad in the fourth round (124th overall), giving them a physical, competitive DB who developed into one of the Big 12’s better cover men. Just six picks later, the Miami Dolphins swooped in for linebacker Trey Moore at 130th overall — and Miami wasn’t done with Texas just yet.
The Dolphins came back in the fifth round to grab safety Michael Taaffe at pick 158, giving them two Longhorns in the same draft. Taaffe’s football IQ and range made him a reliable presence in Texas’s secondary, and Miami clearly did its homework on what he brings to a back end.
The Trenches and the Tight End
Offensive lineman DJ Campbell rounded out the skilled contributors when the Dolphins, yes, Miami again, selected him in the sixth round at pick 200. Campbell gives the Fins a developmental piece up front with the physical tools to carve out a roster spot.
Closing out the class was tight end Jack Endries, who went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round at pick 221. Endries may have been the last Longhorn taken, but landing in Cincinnati, a franchise that knows how to use its tight ends, puts him in a solid situation to develop.
What It All Means
Three straight years of six-plus draft picks isn’t a coincidence, it’s a pipeline. Texas is consistently producing NFL-caliber talent at a rate that only a handful of programs in the country can match, and the Longhorns are now firmly in that conversation. With the program’s recruiting trajectory and its place in the SEC, the expectation is that this won’t be the last time Longhorn fans celebrate a draft class of this magnitude.
The future is bright in Austin. And apparently, so is the path to the NFL.
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