The 2026 NFL Draft fate awaiting Oklahoma’s biggest fan favorites

Being a football fan in the state of Oklahoma is a unique experience. We have the universities, and that is just about it. There are NFL fans here, but most Oklahomans do not have a strong allegiance to any one professional team. Sooner fans do not follow teams, but they follow former Sooners as they continue their careers in the NFL.

The dedication of Sooner fans to follow player careers, perhaps, is best encapsulated by Baker Mayfield. The former OU quarterback drew such a large viewership from Sooner fans that the Cleveland Browns began to appear on local television channels in Oklahoma, a little over 1,000 miles away. 

That is one of the beautiful things about sports. Not only do we fall in love with the game and the stories, but we fall in love with the players. Throughout the course of the season, we spend a lot of time sitting down and watching our teams play games. Time spent doing anything always means something; never discount that. 

All of that to say, Sooner fans are curious where some of last year's players will end up in the NFL. Here's three of the best Sooners from last season and where in the NFL they might land. 

Where 3 Oklahoma fan-favorites could end up in the 2026 NFL Draft

After a stupendous end to his junior season, Oklahoma fans were excited to see how R Mason Thomas would perform in his senior season with the Sooners. Oklahoma sported one of the best defensive lines and overall defenses in the country all season long. Thomas was a crucial part of that and was a leader in the locker room.

Thomas then unfortunately suffered a quadricep injury against Tennessee that left him sidelined until the College Football Playoff. Despite missing a big chunk of the season, Sooner fans will never forget THAT play. Owen Heinecke blitzing off the edge, smashing into Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar, who fumbled the ball into Thomas’s right hand while the left held off a Tennessee tight end trying to bring him down. The poor tight end was dragged nearly 15 yards before falling into the grass to watch Thomas run down the sidelines and hobble into the end zone to completely take hold of the momentum in Knoxville. 

Thomas is projected to go in the late first round or early second. The Indianapolis Colts had a wonderful start to their season before starting quarterback Daniel Jones went down with an injury. Before, the biggest flaw with the Colts was their defense. We may see Thomas in Indianapolis next season on a team that will be looking to challenge for the Super Bowl. Wherever he lands, he will certainly make a quick impact. 

Deion Burks' time at Oklahoma was marked by injury and an offense that just couldn’t seem to get things firing on all cylinders. Despite the setbacks, Burks was a clear standout receiver and his talent is undeniable.

There are a number of teams that will not only be looking to add depth to their wide receiver room, but also looking to develop someone with the talent of Burks into an elite receiver. Look for him to go in the third round or later to a team like New Orleans, Tennessee, Denver or Buffalo. Those are teams that have their established quarterbacks and are looking to add weapons for a low draft cost. Burks has all the potential to turn into a home run for whoever gives him a shot. 

Gracen Halton terrorized the SEC this year. Posting a career-high 33 total tackles this season, he was a crucial part of the success of the Sooner defense.

Halton will be going in the later rounds of the draft, but he has something rare that not a lot of players in the draft can say they have: four seasons at one school. That's a testament to both his character and work ethic. He spent four years with the Oklahoma Sooners, improving every single year. Halton, if given the chance to spend time with an organization, may just turn out to be an integral part of an NFL defense.