FanSided's latest player rankings speak volumes to Oklahoma's NFL pipeline

Just a day after Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy made it clear that being a Sooner is a long-term investment for recruits to get a bigger payday in the NFL, FanSided's ranking of the top 50 players in the NFL provided even more proof to back Nagy's statement.

FanSided's ranking on Tuesday included five former OU players as Sooners made up 5% of the top 50. It could really be a recruiting tool for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, as three big men were in the top 25 with Lane Johnson at No. 9, Trent Williams at No. 12 and Creed Humphrey at No. 25.

The ranking also included wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (No. 34) and edge rusher Nik Bonitto (No. 28). OU fans could have an argument for quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Jalen Hurts getting snubbed, as well.

Johnson cracked the top 10 as the highest-ranked Sooner despite missing a chunk of last season with injuries. He's still a staple, though, for one of the best offensive lines in the league, blocking for Hurts in Philadelphia.

"But this is Lane Johnson that we’re talking about," Jake Beckman wrote. "Missing a handful of games in one season isn’t going to take away from the Hall-of-Fame level of player that he is."

Williams is also a respected veteran in San Francisco, while Humphrey is earning that title in Kansas City. Lamb would have likely been even higher if not for coming off an injury-riddled season for the Dallas Cowboys. In next year's ranking, he could once again be considered the best receiver in the NFL.

However, of the five, expect Bonitto to make the biggest jump a year from now. He just finished fourth in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2025, his fourth year. He's already right above fellow edge rusher Maxx Crosby in these rankings, but if he's deemed the best defender in the league in 2026, he could even top the ranking while surpassing Myles Garrett, who's currently No. 1 as an edge rusher.

"Now that Nik Bonitto has put up 27.5 sacks and the 30 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, suffice it to say that he's not the player who barely saw the field in his rookie campaign back in 2022," Cody Williams wrote. "The former second-round pick didn't make immediate contributions to Denver upon his arrival when he was drafted, but he's certainly given them their money's worth since the Broncos began giving him more opportunities."

Jim Nagy's recent recruiting comments further justified by NFL player rankings

Although he left Norman right before the defensive guru Brent Venables took over, Bonitto is the example of talent Nagy is talking about when it comes to getting to the NFL from Oklahoma. Before long, Venables' products like safety Billy Bowman Jr. in Atlanta or incoming rookie edge rusher R Mason Thomas in Kansas City will become further proof directly tied to the current Sooners regime.

Read more: Jim Nagy is quietly turning Oklahoma into an NFL pipeline recruits will notice

"Sunday money is always going to trump Saturday money," Nagy told On3's J.D. PicKell this week. "If that's the end goal is to play in the National Football League, I don't expect a guy to take half as much money to come to OU than another school, but if you see the big picture and you feel like if you're in the building and you love the coaches and you see the development and the track record of what Coach Venables has put in the league, there needs to be value in that."

Not that Nagy needed a ranking from a national outlet to justify anything, but even those outside of Oklahoma are making his case stronger as the Sooners don't just produce NFL players, but great ones.

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