In his first mock draft of 2026, former ESPN analyst and NFL draft expert Todd McShay has Oregon Duck wide receiver Evan Stewart going 14th to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round.
Duck offensive tackle Isaiah World goes 20th, giving Oregon two first-rounders for the second year in a row in this projection. Other mocks have Dan Lanning landing as many as four in round one, with Matayo Uiagalelei and safety Dillon Thieneman added to the list.
Clemson led all teams with four first-round selections. With a soft ACC schedule, there's the 2025-26 favorites for the national championship.
CBS projects Tyler Warren of Penn State, the No. 14 pick in this year's draft, to receive a four-year contract worth $20.96 million with a signing bonus of $3.8 million.
Stewart stands to make a similar figure, but all potential means is that you haven't done anything yet, or in this specific case, done enough to support a first-round grade.
🏈My 2026 Way-Too-Early Mock Draft! Get the full story available on The McShay Report. 👉🏼 https://t.co/i0tFbov69w pic.twitter.com/jsBWBa06dG
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) May 5, 2025
The 6-0, 175 junior transfer from Texas A&M had his best season in college football last year with 48 catches for 613 yards and five touchdowns. He posted similar numbers as a freshman with the Aggies, 53 receptions, 649 yards, two touchdowns. Good, but not 5-star good. Not All-American good.
Not 14th in the first round.
Stewart oozes potential. At Liberty High School in Frisco, Texas he won gold in the long jump at the State 5A championships, a silver in the triple jump. He anchored the gold-medal winning team in the 4x400 relay.
I came away pleasantly surprised by Oregon WR Evan Stewart's tape. Needs to show more consistency but the quickness and body control are outstanding pic.twitter.com/PKLLA1xoJv
— Jack Brentnall (@Jack_Brentnall) May 3, 2025
As a football player he made the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game, a consensus 5-star who racked up 111 receptions, 2,157 yards and 21 total touchdowns in his prep career.
In college he's flashed every bit of that ability and explosiveness, but only in moments. For the Ducks last year most of his production came in four games.
He scorched the Boise State secondary for 112 yards on five catches, including a 67-yard bomb and a 34-yard touchdown. He burned the Ohio State defense for 149 yards on seven receptions, a 69-yard explosive play down the right sideline and a 10-yard touchdown.
Against Purdue Stewart got loose for a 49-yard catch and totaled 96 yards. In a narrow victory over Wisconsin at Camp Randall with Tez Johnson out injured Stewart again became the main man, grabbing 10 passes for 92 yards, tough over the middle on a night first downs were precious.
The rest of the time, Stewart was largely a forgotten or underutilized man in the Oregon offense. Part of the problem was that Dillon Gabriel lacked the the arm strength to take full advantage of his top-end speed.
The Ducks got a big break when he decided to return for his senior year.
Another issue has been injuries. He missed the Rose Bowl with a lower back injury sustained in the Big Ten Championship win over Penn State. The Ducks held him out of the spring game on April 26th as a precaution.
Dan Lanning, Will Stein and Ross Douglas already know what Stewart can do, and in his best moments he has been absolutely spectacular. With a new quarterback who can drive the ball downfield, he might blossom as the ultimate big-play weapon in a playoff offense.
The tape is impressive. It just isn't long enough. For the Ducks and Stewart, this needs to be the year it all comes together.
Evan Stewart on Leadership, Mindset & Next Season Goals: https://t.co/NNtc2PYyim pic.twitter.com/qweaYbSeXJ
— Ducks of a Feather (@ducksofafeather) April 30, 2025