Honestly, if you’d told a Texas fan back in 2021 that the program would soon be lapping everyone in the NFL Draft, they’d probably have laughed you out of the room. Things were... rough. But look at the 2025 results. The Texas Longhorns NFL draft run isn't just a hot streak anymore; it’s basically a hostile takeover of the league’s roster sheets.
Steve Sarkisian didn’t just fix the culture; he turned Austin into a professional finishing school. We’re talking about a program that just set a school record with 12 players taken in the 2025 draft, beating their own record of 11 from the year before. That’s 23 guys in two years. You've got to go back to the early 2000s—the Vince Young and Mack Brown heyday—to find anything even remotely close to this level of sustained pro-level production.
The 2025 Draft: A Record-Breaking Weekend
The 2025 draft was basically a three-day commercial for Texas football. It started with a bang on Thursday night. Kelvin Banks Jr., the mountain of a left tackle who’s been a brick wall since his freshman year, went 9th overall to the New Orleans Saints. He’s the first-round tackle Texas fans have been waiting for since Leonard Davis or Mike Williams.
Then you have Jahdae Barron. The guy is a football Swiss Army knife. He went 20th to the Denver Broncos, and honestly, he might be the steal of the first round. He played nickel, corner, and safety at Texas. NFL scouts love that versatility because it saves them a roster spot. Then the Green Bay Packers snagged wideout Matthew Golden at 23rd overall. Just like that, Texas tied its program record with three first-rounders in a single year.
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It didn't stop there. By Saturday, the "Seven-Round Longhorns" were flying off the board.
- Alfred Collins (SF 49ers, 2nd Round)
- Andrew Mukuba (PHI Eagles, 2nd Round)
- Vernon Broughton (NO Saints, 3rd Round)
- Gunnar Helm (TEN Titans, 4th Round)
- Barryn Sorrell (GB Packers, 4th Round)
The crazy part? Even with 12 guys gone, people are already looking at who is next.
Why NFL Scouts Are Obsessed with Sark’s System
The "NFL-style" buzzword gets thrown around a lot in college football, but at Texas, it’s actually real. Sarkisian’s offense is basically a carbon copy of what the 49ers or Dolphins run. When a guy like Quinn Ewers or Jaydon Blue (who went to the Cowboys in the 5th) walks into an NFL meeting room, they already know the language. They aren't learning "look at the sideline for a giant picture of a cheeseburger" signals; they're reading pro-style progressions.
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Take Kelvin Banks as the prime example. He started 42 games. He blocked guys like Will Anderson and Dallas Turner when he was a teenager and didn't flinch. Pro teams don't have to wonder if he can handle the speed of the edge because he’s been doing it in the SEC and Big 12 for years.
The Quinn Ewers Question
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: Quinn Ewers. His draft journey was... a rollercoaster. Coming into the 2024 season, people were mocked him in the top five. He ended up going 231st overall to the Miami Dolphins in the 7th round.
What happened? It’s a mix of things. The "skittishness" in the pocket that PFF and others pointed out became a talking point. He’s got the arm—everyone knows that. He can flick his wrist and the ball travels 50 yards on a rope. But his inconsistency under pressure and a high turnover-worthy play rate (4.0% according to PFF) scared teams off. Miami is a perfect spot for him, though. He gets to sit behind Tua and learn a system that fits his quick-release style perfectly.
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The Blueprint Moving Forward
If you're an NFL fan, you’re going to see a lot of Burnt Orange on Sundays. The program's development metrics are staggering. Under Sark, the team GPA went from a 2.33 to nearly a 3.0, and draft picks went from zero in his first year to double digits. It’s a direct correlation.
The "Texas is Back" meme is officially dead because "Texas is in the NFL" has replaced it. Scouts are essentially camping out in Austin now. They know the players coming out of this program are disciplined, coached by NFL veterans, and battle-tested in the most high-pressure environments in the country.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
- Watch the 2nd-year jump: Historically, Longhorns drafted under the current regime (like Byron Murphy or Xavier Worthy) hit the ground running. Keep an eye on the 2025 class to produce immediate "All-Rookie" contenders, especially Kelvin Banks and Jahdae Barron.
- Draft Stock Strategy: If you're looking at future Texas prospects, focus on the "Flood Factory." Offensive Line coach Kyle Flood is producing pro-ready blockers at a rate we haven't seen in Austin for twenty years.
- The "Transfer" Perk: Texas is now a destination for elite transfers like Matthew Golden and Andrew Mukuba who want to "finalize" their draft stock. If an elite player transfers into Texas, bet on them being a Day 1 or Day 2 pick.
The pipeline is officially open. Whether it’s the Saints, Packers, or Eagles, the NFL is quickly becoming a home away from home for the Texas Longhorns.