The Oklahoma Sooners have long been a strong NFL pipeline, producing some of the top players in the NFL like Trent Williams, Lane Johnson, Creed Humphrey, CeeDee Lamb, and Nik Bonitto in recent history.

However, they’ve hit a bit of a snag in their NFL production, with just five players drafted in the last two years and only one (Tyler Guyton) being selected before the fourth round.

However, two Sooners’ prospects have already drawn rave reviews from scouts and are poised to break that cold streak ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Defensive end R Mason Thomas and wide receiver Deion Burks both finished inside draft expert’s Daniel Jeremiah’s top-50 rankings, ranking 35th and 46th respectively.

NFL Draft expert weighs in on Oklahoma Sooners’ top prospects

Here’s what Jeremiah had to say for both R Mason Thomas and Deion Burks.

R Mason Thomas

“Thomas is an instinctive and physical edge defender. He lacks ideal height/length for the position, but he is a difference-maker. As a pass rusher, he covers a lot of ground with his first three steps and has multiple ways to win. A widen/bull rush and swipe-and-rip are some of his favorite moves. He draws a lot of attention from extra blockers and still manages to disrupt the passer. Against the run, his lack of length wasn’t an issue in the games I studied. He’s firm at the point of attack and refuses to stay blocked. He plays with maniacal energy and effort. He was asked to drop into coverage at times and looked stiff in his change of direction. Overall, Thomas doesn’t fit the prototype, but I believe he’ll be a valuable NFL starter right away.”

Thomas is the Sooners likeliest to push for first-round consideration, in my opinion. Several teams from the Dallas Cowboys at pick 20 onwards could all use the pass rush juice Thomas brings. In a class missing guys with his combination of bend, speed, and technique, I wouldn’t be shocked if Thomas sneaks into the first round. However, he’ll have to pass muster with his medicals.

Deion Burks

“Burks is an undersized wideout with excellent suddenness and polish as a route runner. He varies his tempo, attacks leverage and taps into an extra gear when the ball is in the air. He stays grounded through the catch, which contributes to his effectiveness in collecting YAC. He had a few concentration drops in the games I studied, but he also made several exceptional plucks on balls thrown well outside his frame. He’s valuable on jet sweeps because of his speed and lower-body strength, the latter of which helps him break tackles. Overall, Burks isn’t there yet, but I see Deion Branch-type potential after studying his game.”

It probably won’t be the first time Burks gets comped to Deion Branch in this cycle, although I do think Burks is bigger and faster than Branch. It’s notable that teams prioritized Burks with their coverage responsibilities all season long.

These two players are poised to be selected at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft, and that’s not even accounting for defensive tackle Gracen Halton, who has dominated the Senior Bowl all week long.

After having just two players selected in the NFL Draft last season, the Sooners are poised to have their most prospects selected in years, and could have their most top-100 selections since 2020.

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