The chances of former Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas hearing his name called in the first round of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft seem to be dwindling with the event just over a week away.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. on Wednesday released his latest two-round mock draft ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23-25 and had Thomas waiting until the second round, with the Kansas City Chiefs selecting Thomas with the 40th overall pick.
R Mason Thomas' stock dipping with 2026 NFL Draft nearing
Despite missing the last three games of the 2025 regular season, Thomas was still second for the Sooners with 6.5 sacks. He also tallied 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, one pass deflection, two forced fumbles and returned a fumble for a touchdown as an All-SEC First-Team selection.
As Kiper pointed out, the Chiefs desperately need a pass rusher and Thomas would immediately help solve that problem while getting to join a legit Super Bowl contender, but there's still a big difference in paydays between the first and second rounds.
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In February, Kiper had Thomas going just barely in the first round with the 31st pick to the New England Patriots. Thomas would much rather join a Super Bowl contender via the first round than the second.
This projection would have made Thomas the Sooners' 50th first-round pick in program history. OU didn't have a player chosen until the fourth round last year, when linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman Jr. went within picks of each other as the Sooners' only two draftees. It was the first time since 2002 that the Sooners didn't have at least three players selected in a draft.
There's still hope for Thomas to go Day 1, though, as other draft experts are still really high on him. Earlier this week, CBS Sports' Michael Renner agreed with Kiper's earlier prediction and had Thomas going to the Patriots at No. 31. However, overall, Thomas' draft stock has dipped in the last month, so there's still no telling what Day 1 holds for him.
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