This time last year, the Colorado Buffaloes world was a buzz with excitement following the 2025 NFL Draft. From Shedeur Sanders' draft slide to the Buffs' Heisman Winner going No. 2, there was no shortage of hype and conversation.
That is different this year, as a 3-9 season banished the Buffs to the basement of the Big 12 Conference, sinking much of the hype that had been built around the draft-eligible players. It's part of the reason Colorado was one of 10 Power 4 programs without an NFL draft pick in 2026, joining the likes of fellow Big 12 schools West Virginia and Oklahoma State.
It's the second time in head coach Deion Sanders' tenure that the Buffs have gone without hearing their names called at the podium, with 2025, when four Buffaloes were drafted, appearing more as an outlier than a trend.
Power 4 teams that did not have a player drafted:ColoradoNorth CarolinaOklahoma StatePurdueSyracuseUCLAVirginiaVirginia TechWest VirginiaWisconsin
While Colorado was locked out of the 2026 draft by name, that doesn't mean they didn't play a role in some stars' careers. That begins most notably at No. 8 in the draft, where the New Orleans Saints drafted former Colorado wideout Jordyn Tyson, who became a true standout at Arizona State over the last two seasons.
At the top of the second round, the New York Giants selected cornerback Colton Hood, who played his junior year at Colorado. That standout season of 24 tackles and two interceptions helped him land a spot at Tennessee, where he elevated his game to the point where many had him going in the first round.
Colorado players can still get their shot and become starters in the NFL, but they'll have to do so as undrafted free agents. With far more talent on this year's roster, the Buffs will try to buck the trend and send more players to the NFL in 2027.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football has zero 2026 NFL Draft picks