Of the 13 Texas A&M veterans who were invited to the 2026 NFL Combine, three stars who made significant impacts during the Aggies historic 2025 season have been consistently projected to land within the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and after Miami star WR Jaylen Waddle was traded to the Denver Broncos for the 11th overall pick, things became for clear for a future rookie wideout.
After transferring from NC State before the 2025 season, wide receiver KC Concepcion became one of Texas A&M’s most impactful players, bringing elite speed, quickness, and athleticism to a wide receiver room that took a massive step forward after years of average production, as the junior led the team in receiving yards (919) and touchdown (9) paired with two punt return touchdowns.
A North Carolina native, Concepcion has been linked to the Carolina Panthers, who, after making the playoffs last season, are in need of another playmaker, especially after the catch, to provide quarterback Bryce Young more leeway in the pocket, and pair with the ascending X wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. According to NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft, the Panthers select Concepcion at No. 19.
Two more Aggies were selected in Jeremiah’s first round mock draft, including unanimous All-American edge Cashius Howell at No. 26 to the Buffalo Bills, and offensive lineman Chase Bisontis to the Houston Texans at No. 28 overall. For Howell, his lack of arm length will likely drop him to the bottom half of the first round, or possibly the second round, but after Buffalo hired Jim Leonard as the franchise’s new defensive coordinator, this could be a perfect fit:
The level of concern about Howell’s lack of length (30 1/4-inch arms) will vary from team to team, but his first-step quickness is unquestioned after he posted the fastest 10-yard split (1.58 seconds) of any player from the defensive line group at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. New Bills DC Jim Leonhard comes from Denver, where the Broncos won off the edge with Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, who both ranked among the top five at their position last season in average get-off, per Next Gen Stats.
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh (PA) from April 23–25.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 3 Texas A&M stars projected as first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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