Bison Breakdown: What’s your favorite NFL Draft landing spot for the Hoosiers?
A program record eight Indiana football players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, making even more history after 2025.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 23: A screen shows Omar Cooper Jr. of Indiana after being selected 30th overall by the New York Jets during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images Indiana football saw a program-record eight players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, with a member of the 2025 national championship roster hearing their name called in each of the draft’s seven rounds last week.
The headliners are No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders and No. 30 overall pick Omar Cooper Jr.
to the New York Jets, but don’t forget D’Angelo Ponds joining Cooper in the Big Apple, Kaelon Black heading out west to the San Francisco 49ers or the resolute Riley Nowakowski going to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Having watched these players, in some cases for several years, here are our favorite landing spots for the Hoosiers: LCN: I’ve found myself liking Kaelon Black to the 49ers quite a bit. That’s an organization that consistently produces quality looks for running backs and puts them in a position to do what they do best.
For Black, that’s just finding a hole and running, occasionally over people if they’re in his way. Him being taken that high speaks to how San Francisco viewed him in this draft. I’m also a fan of Sarratt to the Ravens given that he’ll have an MVP throwing the ball his way while being able to show off what he can do as a run blocker.