The NFL Draft begins Thursday and Texas high school football will be well represented. A full round of the NFL draft is 32 picks, so we ranked 32 former Texas high school football products heading into the draft. We predict at least six are drafted in the first round, which takes place Thursday night. Thirty of the 32 were ranked on the DCTF Top 100. Three of them were five stars, 14 were four stars, and 12 checked in as three stars. 

1. QB Cam Ward, Miami, West Columbia 

DCTF ranking: Not ranked
Projection: No. 1 overall pick

The underrecruited signal caller from West Columbia slipped through the cracks in the 2020 recruiting cycle because of the offense he played in and the Covid-19 pandemic. He began his career at Incarnate Word before following Eric Morris to Washington State. Ward became QB1 in the 2025 NFL draft because of a big year at Miami. He’ll be a Tennessee Titan on Thursday night. 

2. RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, Frisco Lone Star

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 1st round 

Jeanty leaves Boise State with 4,769 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns over a 40-game career that culminated in a runner-up finish in the Heisman Trophy race and a trip to the College Football Playoff. He’ll be picked in the first half of the first round on Thursday night because he’s the best running back in the draft. The Cowboys are a possible landing spot at 12. 

3. QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, Trinity Christian

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 1st round

Sanders played private school ball and began his career in the SWAC. He blossomed at Colorado and helped turn around a program that was in the dumps before he, his dad, Deion, and Travis Hunter arrived in Bolder. There are some mixed opinions on Sanders with some believing he’ll go third to the New York Giants. He could also fall to the mid- or late-first round. 

4. DB Jahdae Barron, Texas, Pflugerville Connally

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 1st round  

Barron was originally committed to Baylor before Matt Rhule bolted to the NFL. He landed with his hometown Longhorns after being allowed out of his NLI. Barron first impacted the game on the Forty Acres as a nickel. He transitioned to outside corner in 2024 and won the Thorpe Award. He’s one of the 10 best players in the draft and won’t last past the teens in the first round. 

5. OL Kelvin Banks, Texas, Humble Summer Creek

DCTF ranking: 5 star
Projection: 1st round 

Banks was the best offensive lineman in college football last year and has the Lombardi Award to prove it. He also won the Outland Trophy in 2024. He started 42 games in his Texas career and can play either tackle position or at guard. He was a left tackle for the Horns. 

6. WR Matthew Golden, Texas, Klein Cain

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 1st round

Golden has become an NFL draft darling and could be the first wide receiver drafted outside of Travis Hunter. He caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns in his lone season in Austin. He started 17 times at Houston in two years before transferring. 

7. TE Elijah Arroyo, Miami, Frisco Independence 

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 2nd round 

Arroyo missed most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with a knee injury before putting it all together during a healthy 2024 campaign. He averaged 16.9 yards a catch last season and is reportedly the third tight end on many draft boards behind Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland. 

8. OL Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, Bellaire Episcopal 

DCTF ranking: 5 star
Projection: 3rd round 

Jackson is projected as a guard in the NFL though he filled in beautifully at tackle for the Buckeyes late in the national championship run as Ohio State dealt with injuries. He’s one of the Top 5 interior linemen in the draft and should hear his name called in the second round. 

9. DL Alfred Collins, Texas, Bastrop Cedar Creek 

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 3rd round

Collins was an athletic freak with a basketball background as he left nearby Cedar Creek for the Forty Acres. He waited his turn for a starting role and capitalized with a strong senior season at Texas. His size and athleticism can’t be taught and that’ll make him a high draft pick. 

10. DL Nic Scourton, Texas A&M, Bryan  

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 3rd round

Scourton led the Big Ten in sacks in 2023 before transferring to Texas A&M to play for Mike Elko miles from where he went to high school. He’s a big, athletic edge rusher who is solid in run support. He’ll be drafted by the end of Day 2. 

BEST OF THE REST 

11. DL Landon Jackson, Arkansas, Texarkana Pleasant-Grove

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 3rd round 

12. OL Cam Williams, Texas, Duncanville

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 3rd round 

13. QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama, Katy Tompkins 

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 3rd round 

14. DL Shemar Turner, Texas A&M, DeSoto

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 3rd round 

15. DL Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss, Manor

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 3rd round

16. DB Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma, Denton Ryan

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 4th round

17. WR Savion Williams, TCU, Marshall 

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 4th round

18. DB Andrew Mukuba, Texas, Austin LBJ

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 4th round

19. QB Quinn Ewers, Texas, Southlake Carroll

DCTF ranking: 5 star
Projection: 4th round

20. DL Vernon Broughton, Texas, Cy Ridge 

DCTF ranking: 4 star 
Projection: 5th round 

21. RB Jaydon Blue, Texas, Klein Cain

DCTF ranking: 4 star 
Projection: 5th round

22. OL Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech, Mansfield Lake Ridge 

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 6th round

23. TE Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech, Gruver 

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 6th round

24. RB Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech, Manor

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 6th round

25. LB Nick Martin, Oklahoma State, Texarkana Pleasant Grove

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 6th round

26. RB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State, Euless Trinity 

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 6th round

27. DB R.J. Mickens, Clemson, Southlake Carroll

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 6th round

28. RB Ja’Quinden Jackson, Arkansas, Duncanville

DCTF ranking: 4 star
Projection: 7th round

29. OL Hayden Conner, Texas, Katy Taylor

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 7th round

30. QB Seth Henigan, Memphis, Denton Ryan

DCTF ranking: Not ranked 
Projection: 7th round

31. CB Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon, DeSoto 

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 7th round

32. OL Jake Majors, Texas, Prosper 

DCTF ranking: 3 star
Projection: 7th round