Tanking NFL teams: don’t get your hopes up.
While the 2026 NFL Draft continues to be nowhere close on the calendar, all eyes are on Texas quarterback Arch Manning and whether or not he’ll enter the draft after his third season with the Longhorns.
The 21-year-old hasn’t hinted at anything yet, but his grandfather, the legendary Archie Manning, can have just killed the hopes and dreams of teams who may find themselves at the highest of the 2026 draft boards.
“Arch isn’t going to do this,” Archie told the Texas Monthly of the potential of his grandson entering the draft before graduating. “He’ll be at Texas.”
Manning, in fact, is the nephew of quarterbacks Peyton and Eli, who notably each accomplished 4 years of faculty before declaring for his or her respective drafts.
Peyton was a four-year starter at Tennessee before going first overall within the 1998 draft.
After appearing in only six games as a freshman, Eli was a full-time starter for 3 seasons at Ole Miss before he declared for the 2004 draft and likewise went first overall.
Grandfather Archie also graduated from Ole Miss and was a three-year starter at quarterback before being drafted second overall in 1971.
If Arch were to declare for the draft after the upcoming season, his case for the highest draft pick could be based only on one full campaign because the Longhorns’ starter.
Manning appeared in only two games as a freshman in 2023 sitting behind Quinn Ewers, but he made 10 loud appearances this past season, starting in two of them, and racking up nine passing touchdowns, 4 rushing and two interceptions.
Arch has the tools of the Mannings who got here before him while also being a dual threat with running abilities that neither of his uncles had of their playing days.
NFL teams will obviously must see a full season of labor to think about making Arch the third Manning to go No. 1, or the fourth to go in the highest two, but he currently projects to have his name near the highest of draft boards, whether it’s in 2026 or 2027.
Tanking NFL teams: don’t get your hopes up.
While the 2026 NFL Draft continues to be nowhere close on the calendar, all eyes are on Texas quarterback Arch Manning and whether or not he’ll enter the draft after his third season with the Longhorns.
The 21-year-old hasn’t hinted at anything yet, but his grandfather, the legendary Archie Manning, can have just killed the hopes and dreams of teams who may find themselves at the highest of the 2026 draft boards.
“Arch isn’t going to do this,” Archie told the Texas Monthly of the potential of his grandson entering the draft before graduating. “He’ll be at Texas.”
Manning, in fact, is the nephew of quarterbacks Peyton and Eli, who notably each accomplished 4 years of faculty before declaring for his or her respective drafts.
Peyton was a four-year starter at Tennessee before going first overall within the 1998 draft.
After appearing in only six games as a freshman, Eli was a full-time starter for 3 seasons at Ole Miss before he declared for the 2004 draft and likewise went first overall.
Grandfather Archie also graduated from Ole Miss and was a three-year starter at quarterback before being drafted second overall in 1971.
If Arch were to declare for the draft after the upcoming season, his case for the highest draft pick could be based only on one full campaign because the Longhorns’ starter.
Manning appeared in only two games as a freshman in 2023 sitting behind Quinn Ewers, but he made 10 loud appearances this past season, starting in two of them, and racking up nine passing touchdowns, 4 rushing and two interceptions.
Arch has the tools of the Mannings who got here before him while also being a dual threat with running abilities that neither of his uncles had of their playing days.
NFL teams will obviously must see a full season of labor to think about making Arch the third Manning to go No. 1, or the fourth to go in the highest two, but he currently projects to have his name near the highest of draft boards, whether it’s in 2026 or 2027.
