The Big 12 Conference took center stage at the 2026 NFL Draft as the first round was held in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
With six selections in the first round, the conference ended up with nearly one-fifth of the selections in the round. It was a great day for the conference and a great day for the four teams that had players selected.
In fact, of the six players selected, five came from schools that weren’t in the league four years ago. It just shows how things have changed since Oklahoma and Texas left the league. Here are five thoughts on the first round of the draft.
A Big 12 Top 10
Since Oklahoma and Texas left the Big 12 a couple of years ago, commissioner Brett Yormark has been open about new brands needing to step up and take the spotlight. An event like the NFL Draft was the perfect opportunity to do that.
I mean, could one have imagined that Texas Tech, Arizona State and Utah would have three of the first nine selections in the NFL Draft, as they did on Thursday? Man, Yormark must have done cartwheels.
Yes, Ohio State dominated the Top 10 picks. Three of their players were selected in the first seven picks — wide receiver Carnell Tate, linebacker Arvell Reese and linebacker Sonny Styles. The only reason the Big Ten did better than the Big 12 was that Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, the consensus No. 1 pick, went, well, No. 1 overall to Las Vegas.
The ACC and SEC couldn’t land more than one player in the Top 10. Most felt confident that Texas Tech wide receiver David Bailey and Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson would go in the Top 10.
Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano was the wild card. That’s not based on talent but based on how NFL teams treat offensive linemen historically. Well, Cleveland got him at No. 9.
That was a big first hour of the draft for the Big 12. That’s millions in free ad money. The perfect way to market “A Different League.”
It only got better as three other Big 12 players went in the first round.
Outpicking his Overall Ranking
With the No. 21 selection overall the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. It doesn’t get much better than that. One of the NFL’s toughest teams, one that prides itself on running the ball, gets one of the Big 12’s most intriguing talents.
He has the measurables for an offensive tackle (6-foot-6, 330 pounds) at the NFL level. But it’s the experience that makes this a tricky pick. He did two years at East Los Angeles College and then three seasons at Arizona State. He’s seen as a late bloomer by NFL scouts, but his sub 5.0 40-yard dash at the scouting combine turned some heads.
Last season he was an all-Big 12 selection after he didn’t allow a sack in 484 pass blocking snaps and only gave up three quarterback hits and 11 hurries for a total of 14 pressures.
ESPN had him ranked as the No. 6 overall tackle and the No. 41 overall player. So ESPN saw him as a second-round pick. The Steelers are banking on his upside and continued growth as a tackle that could make him a starter one day.
David Bailey Tech’s New Defensive Standard
I was a little surprised Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey went No. 2 overall. Not that he didn’t deserve it. But I was almost certain the New York Jets wouldn’t be smart enough to take him.
With the selection, he became the second-highest Red Raider ever selected in an NFL or AFL Draft. The only player selected higher was Dave Parks, a wide receiver who was taken No. 1 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 1964. He was a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first three seasons, and he had an incredible 1965. That year he caught 80 passes for 1,344 yards and 12 touchdowns.
He played for 10 seasons, ending his career in Houston in 1973 with 360 receptions and 5,619 yards, along with 44 touchdowns. Texas Tech has retired his jersey and he’s in the College Football Hall of Fame.
That was a rabbit hole I decided to go down so I’m dragging you with me.
Bailey is now the highest Texas Tech defensive player ever selected. Not bad for one year and a bag of NIL money, right? But, in the larger picture, Bailey’s performance last season made it OK for defensive players to consider Tech as a landing spot via the transfer portal. Well paid? Sure. Incredibly productive? Also sure.
He’ll be in the Jets’ starting lineup on opening weekend, I have little doubt.
Utes Double Up
Utah had the talent in its final season under Kyle Whittingham. Along with Fano, another Utes offensive tackle, Caleb Lomu, went to the New England Patriots at No. 28. Per ESPN, he was ranked higher than Iheanachor at the position and was ranked No. 28 overall, which means the site nailed the pick.
ESPN also had a comparison for the 6-foot-3, 313-pound tackle — Abraham Lucas. The Seattle offensive tackle was a third-round pick in 2022 and just signed a three-year, $46 million extension with the Super Bowl champions. He overcame a knee injury in 2024 to be a huge part of Seattle’s push to a Super Bowl
Lomu is joining Seattle’s Super Bowl opponent. He couldn’t have landed in a much better place.
Malachi is a Cowboy
There were some that thought the Dallas Cowboys were going to have to trade up to get Malachi Lawrence. Instead, they traded back three spots to draft the UCF pass rusher at No. 23. The cost? A little pride. They had to trade with their NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. Lawrence is the program’s fifth first-round pick in its history.
The rumor mill has been heavy the past few weeks that the Cowboys were hot on Lawrence, who had 20 sacks in college. The Cowboys are still taking heat for trading Micah Parsons last year to the Green Bay Packers. Parsons was the fulcrum for their pass rush.
Lawrence is not Parsons and he won’t replace that production. But scouts loved his first step off the edge and he has 4.5 speed in the 40. The Cowboys are moving to a 3-4 base defense but new defensive coordinator Christian Parker will flex into a 4-3 or even a 4-2-5. At 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, he’s the right fit for that scheme.
Big 12 First-Round Picks
DE David Bailey, Texas Tech, No. 2 overall, New York Jets
WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, No. 8 overall, New Orleans
OT Spender Fano, Utah, No. 9 overall, Cleveland
OT Max Iheanachorm, Arizona State, No. 21 overall, Pittsburgh
DE Malachi Lawrence, UCF, No. 23 overall, Dallas
OT Caleb Lomu, Utah, No. 28 overall, New England
