Texas A&M is about to make some serious noise in the 2026 NFL Draft. With 13 players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine-more than any other program in the country-the Aggies are poised to flood the draft board.
Head coach Mike Elko said before the 2025 season that this group had the potential to be special. Turns out, he wasn’t just talking.
This roster is stacked with talent across the board, and it’s not just quantity-it’s legit top-end quality.
Leading the charge are two names that have been circled on draft boards for months: edge rusher Cashius Howell and wide receiver KC Concepcion. Both are widely projected as first-rounders, and for good reason.
Howell, a unanimous All-American, has been a nightmare for opposing offenses all season long. He’s a relentless pass rusher with the kind of get-off and bend that NFL scouts drool over.
Concepcion, on the other hand, is one of the most dynamic receivers in the nation-explosive after the catch, polished in his routes, and a matchup problem anywhere on the field.
There’s a good chance guard Chase Bisontis joins them on night one of the draft, giving A&M three potential first-round selections. That’s the kind of draft capital that turns heads and reaffirms the direction Elko is taking this program.
But the story doesn’t stop with the stars. The depth of this Aggies draft class is just as impressive.
With 13 combine invites, nearly every position group is represented. That includes three-year starting linebacker Taurean York, who’s been the heart of the defense and a tone-setter in the locker room.
It’s a testament to the development happening in College Station-this isn’t just a flash-in-the-pan season. It’s a pipeline.
Now, every draft has its steals-those players who fly under the radar until they’re wreaking havoc on Sundays. If you’re looking for that guy in this Aggies class, keep your eyes on Tyler Onyedim.
The Iowa State transfer played just one season at A&M, but he made it count. At 6'3" and nearly 300 pounds, he’s the kind of interior defensive lineman who can disrupt the pocket and collapse the middle-something NFL teams are constantly hunting for.
Onyedim put up a career-high 48 tackles in 2025, including 18 solo, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. But it’s the advanced metrics that really tell the story.
He graded out well across the board on Pro Football Focus: 71.9 overall on defense, 73.2 against the run, and 17 quarterback pressures to go with 27 stops. That kind of production, paired with his versatility and experience-five years of college ball between Iowa State and A&M-makes him a strong candidate to outperform his draft slot.
And he’s not alone. Players like Will Lee III at corner and Trey Zuhn III on the offensive line have the tools to make an immediate impact at the next level. Lee brings length, instincts, and physicality to the secondary, while Zuhn has been a steady presence up front, anchoring an offensive line that helped power one of the SEC’s more balanced attacks.
Bottom line: Texas A&M isn’t just sending bodies to the draft-they’re sending ballplayers. This 2026 class is deep, talented, and NFL-ready, and it’s a clear sign that Mike Elko’s blueprint for the program is working. The Aggies aren’t just building for Saturdays anymore-they’re building for Sundays, too.