Dan Orlovsky believes Arch Manning would be No. 1 pick of 2026 NFL Draft
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The Arch Manning hype train has started up with the Texas quarterback’s strong finish to the 2025 season. Manning has stated that he is returning for the 2026 college football season, but one ESPN analyst thinks Manning would be the top prospect if he were in this year’s NFL Draft class.
During Thursday’s Get Up, Dan Orlovsky offered his reasons for why the Las Vegas Raiders would take Manning No. 1, given the opportunity.
“The Las Vegas Raiders would have no chance of passing on him. They would have to make the pick,” Orlovsky said. “One, he’s 6-4, 225 pounds. He’s an unbelievable athlete. I think in the Michigan game, he ran at like 21 miles per hour, which is absurd. He’s only gotten better. He’s very strong-armed. He’s unbelievably athletic.
“He’s really smart. He’s getting trained the right way. He’s wired the right way. He’s been knocked down and picked himself back up. I think he’s an ultra-competitive young man. It would not even be close.”
In December, Manning decided on returning to Texas for the 2026 campaign. Manning helped Steve Sarkisian‘s team end 2025 on a high note, leading the Longhorns to a 41-27 victory over Michigan. Manning led the way running (155 yards, 2 TD) and passing (221 yards, 2 TD), as the game’s MVP with his 4-touchdown, 376-yard performance. Orlovsky’s colleague Paul Finebaum is predicting Manning will win the Heisman Trophy next season.
.@danorlovsky7 believes Arch Manning would be the No. 1 pick if he was in the 2026 Draft pic.twitter.com/GkMlHDnhNZ
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 8, 2026
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
