Much like the 2025 season, IU football was front and center throughout the 2026 NFL Draft.
Every round of the draft included at least one former Indiana player.
The all-time program-best eight picks in the 2026 edition of the draft gives Indiana 10 selections over the last two seasons, which nearly equal the total number from the prior 10 years combined (11). The eight total draft picks in the 2026 event ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten and tied for No. 7 nationally among college programs.
All five offensive position groups were represented (QB, RB, WR, TE, OL) in this year’s draft for IU with six total offensive selections and two from the defense. The multiple players drafted on both sides of the ball mark the first time since 1988 that multiple offensive and defensive players were selected in the same draft. It is just the fourth time in the common draft era for the program, along with the 1976 and 1973 drafts.
IU had program-bests four selections in the first three rounds, three picks in the first two rounds, and it was the first time IU had multiple players selected in the first round of the draft.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the 13th first-round selection in program history and 12th-ever No. 1 pick for a Big Ten Conference member.
Mendoza is the second-ever Hoosier drafted with the first overall pick and the first in the modern draft era. At No. 1 overall he joined halfback Corbett Davis (1938) in the IU draft record books and is the first, first-round pick for Indiana since Thomas Lewis went 24th overall to the New York Giants in 1994.
With his selection atop the NFL Draft, he is just the fourth player in the common draft era to go No. 1 overall, win the Heisman Trophy and claim a national title in the same season. He is among a group that includes Joe Burrow (LSU, 2019). Jameis Winston (Florida State, 2013) and Cam Newton (2010, Auburn).
Mendoza is also the first Big Ten player to be selected first overall in the NFL since 2008 (Jake Long, OT – Michigan) and joins Jeff George (1990) of Illinois as the only other Big Ten quarterback selected with the No. 1 overall pick in conference history.
Indiana is now the fourth program to have multiple No. 1 overall selections in the NFL while a member of the conference. It joins Michigan (2), Ohio State (3) and Penn State (2).
Running back Kaelon Black is the highest-drafted Indiana running back since Tevin Coleman was the 73rd overall selection by Atlanta in the 2015 NFL Draft. The last IU ball carrier taken in the NFL Draft came 10 years ago when Jordan Howard was a fifth-round selection of the Chicago Bears.
Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds is the highest-drafted Indiana cornerback since Tracy Porter went with the 40th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Wide receive Omar Cooper Jr. is the first IU wide receiver picked in the first round since Lewis in 1994 and is the third-ever first-round wideout at IU along with Lewis and Duane Gunn (1984).
Elijah Sarratt’s selection gave Indiana multiple wideouts selected on the same draft for just the second time in program history. The only other occurrence came in 1970 when Jade Butcher (6th; Atlanta) and Eric Stolberg (17th; LA Raiders) were both selected.
As Riley Nowakowski joined Cooper and Sarratt in the draft the Hoosiers had both a tight end and wide receiver picked in the same draft for the second time in the common draft era. The trio joins Cody Latimer (2nd; Denver) and Ted Bolser (7th; Washington) in 2014 as the only duos to each earn draft status in the same season. Nowakowski is also just the fourth tight end from IU selected in the NFL Draft during the common draft era: John Andrews (5th; Baltimore Colts, 1971), Bolser and Ian Thomas (4th; Carolina, 2018).
Pat Coogan was the first Hoosier drafted as a center in 59 years when the Tennessee Titans took him in the sixth round. The last IU center drafted was Bob Van Pelt in 1967 by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Linebacker Aiden Fisher is the first IU draft pick by the Houston Texas and Indiana now has at least one draft pick from 30 of the 32 NFL organizations.
Here’s the final historic 2026 NFL Draft results for Indiana:
- Fernando Mendoza, QB, Las Vegas Raiders (Round 1, Pick 1)
- Omar Cooper, Jr., WR, New York Jets (Round 1, Pick 30)
- D’Angelo Ponds, CB, New York Jets (Round 2, Pick 50)
- Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers (Round 3, Pick 90)
- Elijah Sarratt, WR, Baltimore Ravens (Round 4, Pick 115)
- Riley Nowakowski, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 5, Pick 169)
- Pat Coogan, C, Tennessee Titans (Round 6, Pick 194)
- Aiden Fisher, LB, Houston Texans (Round 7, Pick 243)
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