Texas A&M football came into this draft season with some high hopes, possibly getting into the double-digits of draftees before all is said and done. However, as we get closer and closer to the actual draft, things are not exactly trending in the right direction for the maroon and white.
The Aggies are still looking to get ten-plus players selected over the three days in which the NFL teams are making their choices, but that first day— the one that gets so much attention— may end up not featuring any A&M players at all. That was unthinkable a few weeks ago, but for those who have been tracking closely with mock drafts, the writing has been on the wall for a little bit.
Texas A&M could end up with no first-round selections yet again in NFL draft barring quick turnaround
Texas A&M had zero first-round selections in the latest iteration of Pro Football Focus's mock draft, which set off alarm bells immediately. The question was clear: why was there no representation from College Station in this mock?
The hottest name for the Aggies coming into this period was no doubt the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Cashius Howell. The man who led the conference in sacks had the breakout season of breakout seasons, but his NFL Combine results have begun to have a negative effect on his standing in the minds of those predicting draft selections.
That's mostly due to factors like arm length, which can't be helped. His frame was the biggest question coming into the year for the Ags, and while he held up well, he wasn't exactly an anchor in the run game— which may cause NFL teams to view him as simply a pass-rush specialist.
And while that's a premium ability to have for a player, and Cashius has it in spades, you have to wonder if NFL front offices believe that makes him worth a first-round selection. His pro day results in College Station were really impressive, so hopefully that will help him out, but things are not currently trending amazingly.
Cashius Howell | 2026 Pro Day pic.twitter.com/aZsFi5nmQs
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) March 26, 2026
The other guy with a chance at the first 32 picks is KC Concepcion. He was projected to go late in the first round in a recent mock draft, but it's basically a coin flip for him depending on which board you're checking out.
Pro Football Focus has their concerns about him as a blocker especially, but his production doesn't lie. He also could benefit from a recent pro day, but he's on the fringes just like Cashius.
Things never go perfectly according to plan even in the first round, so it's as possible that one of these guys gets taken way earlier than anyone thought as it is that both of them slide out of the first round. Hopefully, for their sakes, they both end up as selections in the first 32 picks.