ESPN's latest mock draft features three Ducks improving draft stock

We're deep into draft preparation season, with numerous mock drafts being released each week in preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft in under two months. Last week, a major event in the draft process took place: the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, in which players compete in agility testing, participate in on-field drills and meet with NFL teams.

While the film matters greatly, draft stocks can fluctuate from what players show at the combine. For the Oregon Ducks that are expected to be selected within the first two rounds of the draft, all three improved their draft stock in ESPN's latest mock draft by Jordan Reid.

No surprise, tight end Kenyon Sadiq was the first Duck off the board, going at No. 13 to the Los Angeles Rams.

"After finishing four points short of making the Super Bowl and with quarterback Matthew Stafford playing year-to-year at this point of his career, the Rams need to maximize their short-term window," Reid wrote. "Coach Sean McVay incorporated a lot of 12 and 13 personnel into his offense last season and showed a lot of creativity in deploying multiple tight ends. Sadiq serves as an extra receiver and would give the Rams a versatile game breaker they don't have at the position. And while he is known for his receiving (51 receptions for eight touchdowns last season), Sadiq is also a physical run blocker."

In an intriguing move, this selection would also be pairing Sadiq with former Ducks standout tight end Terrance Ferguson, who was selected by Los Angeles in the second round of the 2025 draft. While Ferguson had a solid rookie campaign, Sadiq brings a certain athleticism and versatility that the Rams' tight end room doesn't have.

In previous mocks, Sadiq had been predicted to go No. 16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But a strong showing at the combine, in which he was first in the 40-yard dash and 10-yard split while coming in second in the vertical and broad jump, his stock appears to have risen.

Another player who has risen greatly from previous mocks is safety Dillon Thieneman. Early in the draft process, Thieneman's name was being floated as a potential first rounder with a floor as a Day 2 pick. Now, after flashing his outstanding speed and athleticism at the combine, it appears that Thieneman raised both his ceiling and his floor. Reid has the former Ducks star safety going at No. 18 to the Dallas Cowboys, a franchise that badly needs a difference-maker in the secondary.

"The Cowboys gave up the most points per game in the NFL last season (30.1) and the third-most yards per contest (377.0)," Reid wrote. "They started to remake their secondary last season, and adding Thieneman, an active defender with positional and scheme versatility, would continue that process. Dallas specializes in two-high safety looks, and Thieneman is an excellent processor who can close on plays in a hurry. Dallas forced only 12 turnovers in 2025, and Thieneman has the ability to be a ball hawk while bringing physicality when stepping down against the run."

Guard Emmanuel Pregnon was the final Duck listed in the first and second-round mock draft, as he went No. 38 to the Houston Texans — a range that puts him in position to potentially poke into the first round conversation after displaying his eye-popping explosion in the vertical and broad jumps.

"GM Nick Caserio's reshuffling of the offensive front would continue here, as the Texans double down up front," Reid wrote. "Pregnon is a powerful, 6-foot-4, 314-pound player who would address Houston's glaring hole at right guard."

There's still over seven weeks until the NFL draft takes place, with Oregon's Pro Day coming up and giving each of these three a chance to supplement their draft stock even more.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Trio of Ducks rise in ESPN's latest 2026 NFL mock draft