There has been an abundance of NFL-caliber talent come through Eugene since 2020, with a high mark of 41 former Oregon Ducks hearing their names called in the NFL draft — and it's not just mid-to-late-round picks either.
From 2020-2025, seven Ducks were selected in the first round, showcasing the elite talent that Dan Lanning and his staff have not only brought to Eugene, but developed into players worthy of stardom in the NFL. More often than not, those former Oregon standouts have been productive in the league, living up the billing of being selected on the first night of the draft.
On Thursday, CBS Sports released a ranking of all 191 first-round picks since 2020, excluding the 2026 class (which also includes two former Ducks), as they haven't been able to take the field quite yet. Each first-rounder was divided into one of three categories: Best first-round decisions, solid picks with mixed returns and incomplete grades, and the most disappointing selections.
Let's check out where each of the seven first-round picks that came out of Oregon landed in the ranking.
You can probably predict who ended up here. In this top-tier category, four well-known pro Ducks appear: Justin Herbert (No. 6 overall), Penei Sewell (No. 14), Christian Gonzalez (No. 30) and Bo Nix (No. 32). The latter three have had strong team success during their time in the league, each helping lead their teams to the conference championship. Gonzalez went a step further, recording a crucial interception against the Nix-less Denver Broncos in the 2025 AFC Championship game that helped send the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl. While Herbert hasn't sniffed a conference championship yet, he's widely known as a top-10 quarterback in the league based off of pure talent, with team success predicted to come in the near future. All of whom were excellent selections by their respective teams.
#ducks
From 2020-2025, seven Ducks were selected in the first round, showcasing the elite talent that Dan Lanning and his staff have not only brought to Eugene, but developed into players worthy of stardom in the NFL. More often than not, those former Oregon standouts have been productive in the league, living up the billing of being selected on the first night of the draft.
On Thursday, CBS Sports released a ranking of all 191 first-round picks since 2020, excluding the 2026 class (which also includes two former Ducks), as they haven't been able to take the field quite yet. Each first-rounder was divided into one of three categories: Best first-round decisions, solid picks with mixed returns and incomplete grades, and the most disappointing selections.
Let's check out where each of the seven first-round picks that came out of Oregon landed in the ranking.
You can probably predict who ended up here. In this top-tier category, four well-known pro Ducks appear: Justin Herbert (No. 6 overall), Penei Sewell (No. 14), Christian Gonzalez (No. 30) and Bo Nix (No. 32). The latter three have had strong team success during their time in the league, each helping lead their teams to the conference championship. Gonzalez went a step further, recording a crucial interception against the Nix-less Denver Broncos in the 2025 AFC Championship game that helped send the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl. While Herbert hasn't sniffed a conference championship yet, he's widely known as a top-10 quarterback in the league based off of pure talent, with team success predicted to come in the near future. All of whom were excellent selections by their respective teams.
#ducks
6 days ago
