The Oregon Ducks won’t leave as many fingerprints on the 2026 NFL Draft as we once anticipated.
Credit goes to head coach Dan Lanning, who recruited his draft-eligible prospects with as much fervor as five stars in high school and the transfer portal. His quarterback, Dante Moore, took to SportsCenter to announce his return, perhaps the biggest slant the NFL Draft suffered this season.
Even the Ducks headed to the draft are projected to go later than they were earlier this winter.
Isaiah World news dampens draft stock
On Tuesday, Dane Brugler reported that Oregon offensive tackle Isaiah World tore the ACL in his left knee during the College Football Playoff contest against Indiana.
World had surgery in February and subsequently missed the Senior Bowl. According to Brugler, he won’t be attending the NFL Scouting Combine, although medical re-checks and 30 visits later in the draft cycle should provide teams with the information they would have gathered in Indianapolis.
World’s stock had already been declining after his transition to Big Ten play went sideways. Oregon had hoped to capture upwards momentum after a strong season with Nevada, but World struggled mightily against the toughest opponents on their schedule, including Penn State, Indiana (regular season), and both playoff games.
Thus, the top-50 talks that World began the season in had turned into fringe-top-100 conversations.
World was always a bit of a project, particularly in the run game. He entered the season with a late Day 2 grade on my board before fading into early Day 3. After a late-season ACL tear, though, World should be viewed as a mid-to-late Day 3 option.
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Part of that calculus is the surplus value he’ll provide on a rookie contract. A February ACL tear will likely cut into his rookie season, whether it be a PUP list placement or a stint on injured reserve. That inherently cuts into the value he can provide on the field for a quarter of his rookie contract.
However, it’s worth noting that World’s draft capital and developmental path may have made 2026 a redshirt season anyway. Teams viewing him as a potential starter in 2027 and beyond might be less worried about losing reps as a rookie.
Teams may instead focus on the injury itself, and not its immediate consequences, making his medical re-checks all the more important. Lower-body injuries are never ideal, especially for a lineman whose athleticism stands out on his profile. But they don’t have to be a red flag, either, especially if teams are confident in his recovery by April.
Ultimately, World looked a lot like an early Day 3 pick before the ACL added another element of risk to his profile. Different teams will vary on the weight it holds, and the rest of the pre-draft process will be important, but World’s stock should suffer from this news. Expect him to be a mid-to-late Saturday selection, where a team can reasonably add to its offensive line depth without the promise of Year 1 playing time.
