Ten players from Oklahoma’s 2025 roster took the field at the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, each auditioning for NFL front offices ahead of a deep draft class. The Sooners sent one of the larger single-school groups to this year’s scouting event, and current projection boards suggest the program could land more players drafted than just the ten who earned combine invites.
The gap between combine invites and actual draft slots matters before projecting final totals. The NFL hands out 319 combine invitations each cycle, but only 257 picks exist across seven rounds. That math leaves roughly 60 invited players undrafted, while a separate pool of non-invited prospects sneaks into late rounds. For Oklahoma, that dynamic cuts both ways.
Oklahoma’s NFL Combine Class: Who Showed Up?
Oklahoma sent ten players to Indianapolis — a group that reflects the program’s continued pipeline to the pro level under a rebuilt roster following the Sooners’ move to the SEC. The mix of defensive standouts and versatile contributors gave NFL personnel departments a broad look at what Norman produced in 2025.
Two names jump off the page for defensive output. Linebacker Kendal Daniels wrapped up his lone season at Oklahoma with 53 tackles, nine negative-yardage stops and three pass breakups — a stat line that shows both range and disruptive ability in the box. He played just one year in Norman after transferring, which makes that disruption rate particularly sharp for a newcomer adjusting to a new scheme. The numbers reveal a player who hit the ground running, not one who needed a redshirt year to find his footing.
Owen Heinecke, a former college lacrosse player who made one of the more unusual position shifts in recent college football memory, delivered 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and three sacks for the Sooners in 2025. That kind of output from a converted athlete draws extra attention from scouts who prize athleticism and motor over traditional pedigree.
His lacrosse background tracks with his football profile — relentless pursuit, comfort operating in open space, and a knack for locating the ball carrier. Whether NFL teams buy that projection is a fair debate, but the raw production at the college level is hard to dismiss. Film shows a defender who closes ground fast and rarely takes bad angles.
Pro Football Focus ranks an Oklahoma defender at No. 47 overall on its 2026 NFL Draft Big Board, crediting two seasons of production that included 22 combined tackles for loss. Consistent pressure creation across multiple years separates mid-round locks from boom-or-bust fliers — and this prospect fits the former category.
The film on that defender shows a player who wins with leverage and hand technique rather than pure burst off the snap. That profile translates across multiple defensive fronts at the pro level. Teams running both 3-4 and 4-3 base packages have shown interest, since his skill set fits either alignment. A No. 47 ranking on PFF’s board has historically pointed toward a second-round selection when combine measurables hold.
One counterpoint worth raising: college production and NFL readiness don’t always line up. A player who dominated Big 12 and SEC competition still faces a steep jump in opponent quality, and scouts factor that in when projecting rookie snap counts. Draft analysis for this class has to weigh that context honestly. The NFL Combine workouts, though, give evaluators a controlled environment to stress-test those projections before draft weekend.
Key Developments From Oklahoma’s Combine Showing
Of the 319 NFL Combine invitations issued league-wide, only 257 draft slots exist — so roughly one in five invitees will hear nothing on draft weekend.
Heinecke’s lacrosse-to-football path makes him one of the more unconventional athletic profiles across the entire 2026 draft field, a background that scouts view as a marker for fast skill acquisition.
Daniels transferred to Norman and posted nine tackles for loss in a single season — an efficient rate that drew notice on multiple team boards.
PFF’s No. 47 overall ranking for the top Oklahoma defender was built on a two-year combined total of 22 negative-yardage stops, per the grading service’s public Big Board.
Non-invited Sooners stay in play for late-round selections, meaning Oklahoma’s total draft haul could exceed its ten-player combine contingent.
Oklahoma’s pro day gives players who want to improve on their Indianapolis numbers a second shot in front of scouts. Defensive scheme meetings with individual teams typically follow, where coaches quiz prospects on coverage fits, blitz recognition and pass-rush counters. For a class this size, the Sooners’ facility in Norman should pull a solid crowd of personnel staff and position coaches. The NFL Combine data from this week will be cross-referenced against those private sessions before teams finalize their draft boards.
Rookie contracts in rounds two through five carry structured four-year deals, with fifth-year options available for second-round picks. That cost-controlled structure makes mid-round defensive prospects especially attractive for cap-conscious rosters adding pass-rush depth without big financial risk. Depth chart projections for most of these Sooners will start at rotational roles, with growth toward starter-level snap counts expected by year two or three.
Oklahoma’s program has been through significant roster churn since joining the SEC, so getting ten players to Indianapolis in a single cycle is a real signal that the talent base is stabilizing. The No. 47-ranked defender figures to be the first Sooner off the board. Still, the depth of this group — from Heinecke’s converted-athlete upside to Daniels’ one-year burst of output — gives NFL front offices plenty of options to work with across the middle and late rounds. The NFL Combine results from this week set the baseline; pro day and private workouts will do the fine-tuning.
How many Oklahoma players were invited to the 2026 NFL Combine?
Ten players from Oklahoma’s 2025 roster received invitations to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. That total ranks among the larger single-school contingents at this year’s event. Additional Sooners who did not receive combine invites may still be selected in rounds five through seven, since non-invited prospects are routinely picked in the draft’s final stages — and teams evaluate those players through film study and private campus workouts rather than the Indianapolis setting.
Who is Oklahoma’s top-ranked prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Pro Football Focus places an Oklahoma defender at No. 47 overall on its 2026 Big Board, a ranking built on 22 combined tackles for loss across two seasons. Historically, a PFF ranking in the 40s correlates with a second-round or early third-round selection, though final draft position shifts based on team needs and how a prospect performs in private workouts after the NFL Combine. Scheme fit interviews — where coordinators probe a player’s football IQ — often carry as much weight as athletic testing in that range.
What did Owen Heinecke do before playing football at Oklahoma?
Heinecke played college lacrosse before switching to football and eventually landing in Norman. In 2025, he posted 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and three sacks — numbers that reflect elite athleticism and a relentless motor rather than a conventional development path. Multi-sport athletes who convert to football later tend to carry lower injury mileage on their bodies, which NFL medical staffs factor into long-term roster planning alongside the standard NFL Combine physical evaluations.
How does the NFL Combine invitation count compare to actual draft picks?
The NFL issues 319 combine invitations each year, while the draft contains only 257 picks spread across seven rounds. That gap of roughly 62 spots means a meaningful share of combine participants go undrafted. Players who skip Indianapolis entirely can still be selected — teams run private workouts and study film independent of the scouting combine, and several late-round picks each year come from that non-invited pool. Undrafted free agency, which opens immediately after the draft, is a third path that keeps borderline prospects in the league conversation.
What stats did Kendal Daniels post in his one season at Oklahoma?
Daniels recorded 53 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three pass breakups during his lone year in Norman in 2025. Those figures came after transferring, which makes the tackles-for-loss rate especially notable — nine such stops in a single Power Four season is a production threshold that routinely draws mid-round interest from NFL defensive coordinators. Transfer portal players who produce at that clip in their first year at a new program are increasingly viewed as scheme-adaptable, a trait that carries extra value in the modern NFL where rosters shift frequently.
Jake Whitmore is a small-town Texas reporter who worked his way up from covering Friday night high school football to the NFL. With over nine years in sports journalism, Jake writes like he is talking to fans at a tailgate -- direct, passionate, and full of the enthusiasm that makes football Sundays special. He covers game previews, roster moves, and the fan perspective on every major NFL storyline.
