LSU has produced the first SEC player taken in each of the last three NFL drafts: Jayden Daniels at second overall in 2024, Will Campbell at fourth in 2025 and Mansoor Delane at sixth in 2026. The program has 55 first round picks in its history, three No. 1 overall selections, and a 2020 class of 14 that tied the seven round record at the time.
| NFL draft picks all time | About 405 since 1936, more than 430 including AFL drafts |
| First round picks all time | 55 |
| No. 1 overall picks | Billy Cannon 1960, JaMarcus Russell 2007, Joe Burrow 2020 |
| Most picks in one draft | 14, in 2020 |
| Most first rounders in one draft | 5, in 2020 |
| First round streak | Three straight drafts, 2024 to 2026 |
The 2026 Draft
Seven Tigers were selected. Kansas City traded up from ninth to sixth to take cornerback Mansoor Delane, the first cornerback off the board and the first SEC player taken. A.J. Haulcy went to Indianapolis in the third round and Zavion Thomas to Chicago a few picks later, and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who had been the projected first rounder before an injury plagued final season, went to the Chiefs in the seventh round after being named MVP of the Senior Bowl.
| Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1st round, No. 6 | CB Mansoor Delane | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 3rd round, No. 78 | S A.J. Haulcy | Indianapolis Colts |
| 3rd round, No. 89 | WR Zavion Thomas | Chicago Bears |
| Middle rounds | WR Barion Brown | New Orleans Saints |
| Middle rounds | LB Harold Perkins Jr. | Drafted |
| Middle rounds | EDGE Jack Pyburn | Drafted |
| 7th round, No. 249 | QB Garrett Nussmeier | Kansas City Chiefs |
Delane, a unanimous All-American in his one season after transferring from Virginia Tech, was the third highest drafted defensive back in program history behind Patrick Peterson and Derek Stingley. Nussmeier left as the program’s third leading passer with 7,699 yards.
The 2020 Class
The 2019 national championship roster produced 14 draft picks in April 2020, which tied the record for a seven round draft until Georgia’s 15 in 2022, and five first rounders, also a program record: Joe Burrow first overall to Cincinnati, K’Lavon Chaisson, Justin Jefferson, Patrick Queen and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Jefferson became the fastest receiver in NFL history to 5,000 yards and Burrow reached a Super Bowl in his second season.
The Three No. 1 Picks
Billy Cannon was the first pick of the 1960 NFL draft and signed instead with the AFL’s Houston Oilers, a decision that ended in court. JaMarcus Russell went first to Oakland in 2007 and is usually cited among the least successful top picks ever. Joe Burrow went first in 2020 after the greatest season a college quarterback has had. Jayden Daniels at second overall in 2024 was the highest pick since Burrow and won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. Our Heisman winners page covers Cannon, Burrow and Daniels.
Wide Receiver U
LSU’s recent draft identity is at receiver. Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014, Jefferson and Chase in 2020 and 2021, Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers in 2024, all first rounders, all productive immediately. Nabers at sixth and Thomas at 23rd in 2024 gave the program two first round receivers in one draft for the second time. The claim to the DBU title is older, running from Peterson and Mathieu through Delpit, Stingley and now Delane.
The Bottom Line
LSU has 55 first round picks and three No. 1 overall selections, with a 14 player class in 2020 that included five first rounders from the national championship team. The 2026 class of seven was led by Mansoor Delane at sixth, the third straight year the Tigers have produced the first SEC player taken. Our All-Americans page covers the college honours behind the pipeline.