Miami might have ended the Aggies’ playoff hopes last season, but that loss couldn’t stop them from developing talent. After a strong season, Mike Elko’s team is also turning heads in the 2026 NFL draft. As they win the battle of sending most players in the drafts till day 2 against their two in-state rivals. Turns out Aggies know exactly what it takes to build a star.

Texas A&M had a great moment in the 2026 NFL Draft as seven of its players were picked by the end of Day 2. This matches the school record set since the draft started using seven rounds in 1994. It also ties their best total since 2019. This success already gained momentum from the beginning, as before the draft even began, 13 Aggies got invites to the NFL Combine, which was the most in the nation. Before the draft even began, the Aggies had already sent a nation-leading 13 players to the NFL.

What separates them from their two in-state rivals, Texas Tech and the Texas Longhorns, is their better showing at the NFL Draft. Texas A&M has seven players picked until the second day, which shows strong success and good talent across the team. Whereas Texas Tech has only five players selected, which is lower than A&M.

With the Aggies sending 13 players, the level of trust has gone up. So far in the 2026 NFL Draft, many Texas A&M players have been picked by different NFL teams. KC Concepcion was selected in the first round at No. 24 by the Browns. In the second round, Chase Bisontis goes No. 34 to the Cardinals, Cashius Howell goes No. 41 to the Bengals, and Nate Boerkircher goes No. 56 to the Jaguars.

In the third round, more Aggies are picked. Tyler Onyedim goes No. 66 to the Broncos, Albert Regis goes No. 81 to the Jaguars, and Trey Zuhn III goes No. 91 to the Raiders. This draft haul came under Mike Elko, but it also reflects a roster that had been stockpiling NFL-level talent for some time. That makes the bigger takeaway less about giving one coach all the credit and more about A&M finally cashing in on that depth.

Texas did not match Texas A&M’s volume through Day 2, but this was not a collapse story either. Anthony Hill Jr. still came off the board in the second round, so A&M led the race, but the Longhorns haven’t really stopped producing NFL talent.

Over the years, the school has produced more than 300 NFL draft picks, which shows it has been successful for a long time. Many great players have also come from Texas A&M, like Myles Garrett, Mike Evans, and Johnny Manziel. These stars performed well in the NFL, which helped the school build a strong reputation.

Because of this good reputation, NFL teams trust Texas A&M players more. They believe players from this program are already well-trained and ready for the professional level. This trust leads to more Aggies getting picked in the NFL Draft every year. This clearly shows that Texas A&M has the strongest draft performance among the three schools, while Texas Tech and Texas are not keeping up with their momentum.

Well, this is a major dip for Texas, and it was the second time since Steve Sarkisian took over in 2021 that no Texas players were taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Now, let’s navigate the remaining players’ options who can get drafted on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.

Mike Elko’s team’s remaining players for Day 3 of the NFL Draft

As the 2026 NFL Draft moves into Day 3, some Texas A&M players are still waiting to be picked. They have good talent and potential, but they also need to improve in certain areas to succeed in the NFL. One of these players is Dametrious Crownover. He is very big and strong, standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 319 pounds, with very long arms over 35 inches.

However, he needs to play more consistently, especially in pass protection. In 2025, he had a 58.4 pass-blocking grade and allowed two sacks, two hits, and 23 hurries in 428 pass-blocking plays, which highlights the fact that he has the talent but still needs improvement.

Then there’s Will Lee III, who is another player with good potential. He is ranked No. 114 on PFF’s Big Board. He has good size, long arms, and strong jumping ability, which help him make plays on the ball. In 2025, he got a 66.5 grade and made eight pass breakups in each of the last two seasons. But he still needs to improve his tackling, run defense, and avoid penalties.

Even Ar’maj Reed-Adams started the season with high expectations as an offensive lineman, but his 2025 performance was not very strong. He struggled in pass protection and allowed 13 hurries in just 360 snaps. With some of these players remaining in the draft, Mike Elko and the team will be hoping for a better Day 3. What are your predictions? Comment below.